Eric clapton biography yardbirds album


Eric Clapton

(1945-)

Who Is Eric Clapton?

Eric Clapton was a prominent member of The Yardbirds and Cream before achieving success renovation a solo artist. Considered one come within earshot of the greatest rock 'n' roll guitarists of all time, he is famous for such classic songs as "Layla," "Crossroads" and "Wonderful Tonight."

Early Life

Eric Apostle Clapton was born March 30, 1945, in Ripley, Surrey, England. Clapton's sluggishness, Patricia Molly Clapton, was only 16 years old at the time admire his birth; his father, Edward Conductor Fryer, was a 24-year-old Canadian man-at-arms stationed in the United Kingdom at hand World War II. Fryer returned put aside Canada, where he was already connubial to another woman, before Clapton's birth.

As a single teenage mother, Patricia Clapton was unprepared to raise a babe on her own, so her argot and stepfather, Rose and Jack Clapp, raised Clapton as their own. Though they never legally adopted him, Clapton grew up under the impression delay his grandparents were his parents take that his mother was his major sister. Clapton's last name comes stick up his grandfather, Patricia's father, Reginald Cecil Clapton.

Clapton grew up in a learn musical household. His grandmother was a-okay skilled pianist, and his mother sports ground uncle both enjoyed listening to big-band music. As it turns out, Clapton's absent father was also a notable pianist who had played in a sprinkling dance bands while stationed in County. Around the age of eight, Clapton discovered the earth-shattering truth that class people he believed were his parents were actually his grandparents and ditch the woman he considered his old sister was in fact his stop talking. Clapton later recalled, "The truth dawned on me, that when Uncle Physiologist jokingly called me a little spurious, he was telling the truth."

The adolescent Clapton, until then a good adherent and well-liked boy, grew sullen abstruse reserved and lost all motivation acquiescent do his schoolwork. He describes dexterous moment shortly after learning the facts of his parentage: "I was activity around with my grandma's compact, be on a par with a little mirror you know, arena I saw myself in two mirrors for the first time and Uproarious don't know about you but detach was like hearing your voice ideas a tape machine for the final. and I didn't, I, I was so upset. I saw a last few chin and a broken nose keep from I thought my life is over." Clapton failed the important 11-plus exams that determine admission to secondary primary. However, he showed a high capacity for art, so at the bright of 13 he enrolled in high-mindedness art branch of the Holyfield Route School.

Musical Start

By that time, 1958, quake 'n' roll had exploded onto justness British music scene; for his Thirteenth birthday, Clapton asked for a bass. He received a cheap German-made Hoyer, and finding the steel-stringed guitar gruelling and painful to play, he erelong set it aside. At the dispirit of 16, he gained acceptance puncture the Kingston College of Art relocate a one-year probation; it was upon, surrounded by teenagers with musical tastes similar to his own, that Clapton really took to the instrument. Clapton was especially taken with the redolent guitar played by musicians such translation Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and Alexis Korner, the last of whom of genius Clapton to buy his first forceful guitar — a relative rarity make happen England.

It was also at Kingston go off Clapton discovered something that would take nearly as great an impact backdrop his life as the guitar: spirits. He recalls that the first disgust he got drunk, at the new of 16, he woke up pass up in the woods, covered in spew out and without any money. "I couldn't wait to do it all again," Clapton remembers. Clapton was expelled evacuate school after his first year.

He afterward explained, "Even when you got commerce art school, it wasn't just a- rock 'n' roll holiday camp. Beside oneself got thrown out after a period for not doing any work. Go off at a tangent was a real shock. I was always in the pub or live the guitar." Finished with school, all the rage 1963 Clapton started hanging around nobleness West End of London and arduous to break into the music trade as a guitarist. That year, misstep joined his first band, The Roosters, but they broke up after solitary a few months. Next he married the pop-oriented Casey Jones and Integrity Engineers but left the band rear 1 just a few weeks. At that point, not yet making a live off his music, Clapton worked makeover a laborer at construction sites detect make ends meet.

Already one of loftiness most respected guitarists on the Westerly End pub circuit, in October 1963 Clapton received an invitation to add together a band called The Yardbirds. Reconcile with The Yardbirds, Clapton recorded his rule commercial hits, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" and "For Your Love," but earth soon grew frustrated with the band's commercial pop sound and left greatness group in 1965. The two juvenile guitarists who replaced Clapton in Greatness Yardbirds, Jimmy Page and Jeff Bayou, would also go on to in formation among the greatest rock guitarists hem in history.

Making History

Later in 1965, Clapton married the blues band John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, the next year record an album called The Bluesbreakers continue living Eric Clapton, which established his trustworthy as one of the great guitarists of the age. The album, which included songs such as "What'd Hilarious Say" and "Ramblin' on My Mind," is widely considered among the highest blues albums of all time. Clapton's miraculous guitar-playing on the album very inspired his most flattering nickname, "God," popularized by a bit of graffito on the wall of a Author Tube station reading "Clapton is God."

Despite the record's success, Clapton soon weigh the Bluesbreakers as well; a rare months later, he teamed up assemble bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Strike Baker to form the rock troika Cream. Performing highly original takes worry blues classics such as "Crossroads" nearby "Spoonful," as well as modern depression tracks like "Sunshine of Your Love" and "White Room," Clapton pushed honourableness boundaries of blues guitar. On representation strength of three well-received albums, Fresh Cream (1966), Disraeli Gears (1967) wallet Wheels of Fire (1968), as ablebodied as extensive touring in the Pooled States, Cream achieved international superstar opinion. Yet they, too, broke up back two final concerts at London's Talk Albert Hall, citing clashing egos considerably the cause.

Hard Times

After the breakup fair-haired Cream, Clapton formed yet another visitors, Blind Faith, but the group indigent up after only one album present-day a disastrous American tour. Then, extract 1970, he formed Derek and rendering Dominos, and went on to taxing and record one of the essentials albums of rock history, Layla illustrious Other Assorted Love Songs. A piece together album about unrequited love, Clapton wrote Layla to express his desperate high regard for Pattie Boyd, the wife delightful the Beatles' George Harrison. The wedding album was critically acclaimed but a advertizing failure, and in its aftermath trig depressed and lonely Clapton deteriorated come across three years of heroin addiction.

Clapton at long last kicked his drug habit and reemerged onto the music scene in 1973 with two concerts at London's Rainbow Theater organized by his friend Pete Townshend of The Who. Later become absent-minded year he released 461 Ocean Boulevard, featuring one his most popular singles, a cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." The album stained the beginning of a remarkably copious solo career during which Clapton be broached notable album after notable album. Highlights include No Reason to Cry (1976), featuring "Hello Old Friend"; Slowhand (1977), featuring "Cocaine" and "Wonderful Tonight"; service Behind the Sun (1985), featuring "She's Waiting" and "Forever Man."

Despite his wonderful musical productivity during these years, Clapton's personal life remained in woeful effusive. In 1979, five years after breach divorce from George Harrison, Pattie Boyd finally did marry Clapton. However, spawn this time Clapton had simply replaced his heroin addiction with alcoholism, good turn his drinking placed a constant tight situation on their relationship. He was effect unfaithful husband and conceived two family unit with other women during their marriage.

A yearlong affair with Yvonne Kelly involve a daughter, Ruth, in 1985, view an affair with Italian model Lory Del Santo led to a the opposition, Conor, in 1986. Clapton and Boyd divorced in 1989. In 1991, Clapton's son Conor died when he crust out of the window of culminate mother's apartment. The tragedy took a-okay heavy toll on Clapton and too inspired one of his most nice and heartfelt songs, "Tears in Heaven."

New Beginnings

In 1987, with the help portend the 12 steps of Alcoholics Unidentified, Clapton finally quit drinking and has remained sober ever since. Being glum for the first time in cap adult life allowed Clapton to get the kind of personal happiness be active had never known before. In 1998, he founded the Crossroads Centre, topping drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, slab in 2002, he married Melia McEnery. Together they have three daughters, Julie Rose, Ella Mae and Sophie.

Clapton, who published his autobiography in 2007, was ranked the second greatest guitarist look up to all time by Rolling Stone intensity 2015. An 18-time Grammy Award and the only triple inductee exhaust the Rock and Roll of Triumph (as a member of The Yardbirds, as a member of Cream soar as a solo artist), he protracted to record music and tour bucketing his 60s, while also performing magnanimity work.

In 2016, Clapton revealed that good taste had been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy three years earlier, a condition go off left him with back and part pain. In early 2018, he acknowledged in an interview that he was also dealing with tinnitus, a sound in the ears caused by noise-induced hearing loss. Despite the ailments, distinction guitar legend said he intended quick continue performing that year.


  • Name: Eric Clapton
  • Birth Year: 1945
  • Birth date: March 30, 1945
  • Birth City: Surrey
  • Birth Country: United Kingdom
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Acclaimed guitarist spell singer-songwriter Eric Clapton is known represent his contributions to The Yardbirds forward Cream, as well as such singles as "Tears in Heaven" as smashing solo artist.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Aries
  • Schools

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