Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Mitch Mitchell and Keith Richards in 1968.

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The draft of a letter John Lennon wrote to Eric Clapton 41 years ago will hit the auction block in Los Angeles on December 18, Reuters reports.

"Eric, I know I can bring out something great, in fact greater in you that had been so far evident in your music," Lennon wrote in the draft, which is dated September 29, 1971. "I hope to bring out the same kind of greatness in all of us, which I know will happen if/when we get together."

Since 1968, Eric Clapton has performed or recorded with every solo member of The Beatles — and The Beatles themselves (He played lead guitar on George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on the White Album). He performed with Lennon in 1968 at the Rock and Roll Circus and in 1969 in Toronto (See video below). Most recently, he performed on Paul McCartney's Kisses on the Bottom album, which was released earlier this year.

"There was a point in time when George Harrison thought about leaving the band and his replacement was Clapton, so this letter is a link of what could have been," said auctioneer Joe Maddalena.

Organizers of the auction, dubbed Profiles in History, expect the letter to fetch $30,000. Lennon's tooth sold for $31,200 at an auction in England last year.

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