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Eric Clapton

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Performers and composers

   Eric Clapton
   Eric Clapton in Wetzikon, Zürich, Switzerland on June 19, 1977
   Born March 30, 1945
   England Ripley, Surrey, England
   Alias(es) Slowhand (nickname)
   x-sample
   Genre(s) Blues
   Rock
   Psychedelic Rock
   Blues Rock
   Affiliation(s) The Yardbirds
   John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
   Powerhouse
   Cream
   The Dirty Mac
   Blind Faith
   The Plastic Ono Band
   Delaney, Bonnie & Friends
   Derek and the Dominos
   Notable guitars " Brownie", " Blackie", Fender Stratocaster, Gibson
   ES-335, Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG, Gibson Firebird, Gibson Explorer
   Years active 1963 - Present
   Official site Official website

   Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born March 30, 1945), nicknamed "Slowhand",
   is a Grammy Award winning English guitarist, singer and composer, who
   is one of the most respected and influential musicians of the rock era,
   garnering an unprecedented three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall
   of Fame.

   Although Clapton's musical style has varied throughout his career, it
   has always remained rooted in the blues. Clapton is credited as an
   innovator in several phases of his career, which have included blues
   rock (with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and The Yardbirds) and
   psychedelic rock (with Cream). Clapton has also achieved great chart
   success in genres ranging from Delta blues ( Me and Mr. Johnson) to pop
   (" Change the World") and reggae (" I Shot the Sheriff").

Musical Career & Personal Life

Clapton's Early Days

   Eric Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey, England as the illegitimate
   son of 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton and Edward Walter Fryer, a
   24-year-old Canadian soldier. Fryer shipped off to war prior to
   Clapton's birth and then returned to Canada.

   Clapton grew up with his grandmother and her second husband, believing
   they were his parents and that his mother was his older sister. (Their
   surname was Clapp, which has given rise to the widespread but erroneous
   belief that Eric's real name is Clapp.) Years later his mother married
   another Canadian soldier, moved to Canada and left Eric with his
   grandparents. When Clapton was 9 years old he discovered this family
   secret, and the experience became a defining moment in his life.

   Clapton grew up a self-confessed "nasty kid". During his secondary
   school years he attended the Hollyfield School in Surbiton. His first
   job was as a postman. Influenced by the blues from an early age, at 13
   Clapton received an acoustic guitar for his birthday, but he found
   learning the instrument so difficult he nearly gave up. After high
   school, Clapton studied stained-glass design at Kingston Art School but
   was later kicked out for lack of progress in his studies. Clapton spent
   his early days busking around Kingston, Richmond, London and the West
   End. Clapton joined his first band at 17 and stayed with this band -
   the early British R&B outfit The Roosters - from January through to
   August 1963. Clapton did a seven-gig stint with Casey Jones and the
   Engineers, in September 1963.

The Yardbirds & John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers

   Clapton joined The Yardbirds, a blues-influenced rock and roll band in
   1963 and stayed with them until March 1965. Synthesising influences
   from Chicago blues and leading blues guitarists such as Buddy Guy,
   Freddie King and B.B. King, Clapton forged a distinctive style and
   rapidly became one of the most talked-about guitarists in the British
   music scene. The band initially played Chess/ Checker/ Vee-Jay blues
   numbers and began to attract a large cult following when they took over
   the Rolling Stones' residency at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. They
   toured England with American bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson; a joint LP,
   recorded in December 1963, was issued belatedly under both their names
   in 1965. In March 1965, just as Clapton left the band, the Yardbirds
   had their first major hit, on which Clapton played guitar: " For Your
   Love."

   Still obstinately dedicated to blues music, Clapton took strong
   exception to the Yardbirds' new pop-oriented direction, partly because
   "For Your Love" had been written by pop songwriter-for-hire Graham
   Gouldman, who had also written hits for teen pop outfit Herman's
   Hermits and harmony pop band The Hollies. Clapton recommended fellow
   guitarist Jimmy Page as his replacement, but Page was at that time
   unwilling to relinquish his lucrative career as a freelance studio
   musician, so Page in turn recommended Clapton's successor, Jeff Beck
   (although Page would also eventually join the band).

   Having quit the Yardbirds in March, Clapton joined John Mayall & the
   Bluesbreakers in April 1965. His passionate playing in nightclubs — and
   on the immensely influential album, Blues Breakers — established
   Clapton's name worldwide as a blues guitarist. With his 1960 Gibson Les
   Paul Standard guitar and Marshall amplifier, Clapton's playing by then
   had inspired a craze of graffiti that deified him with the famous
   slogan "Clapton is God." The phrase “Clapton is God” was spray painted
   on a wall in the Underground station in Islington in the mid-60s by an
   admirer. The graffiti was captured in a now-famous photograph. [ ]

Cream

   Clapton left the Bluesbreakers in mid-1966 (to be replaced by Peter
   Green) and then formed Cream, one of the earliest supergroup bands.
   Cream was also one of the earliest "power trios", with Jack Bruce (also
   of Manfred Mann, the Bluesbreakers and the Graham Bond Organisation)
   and Ginger Baker (another member of the GBO). During his time with
   Cream, Clapton began to develop as a singer and songwriter, as well as
   guitarist, though Bruce, one of rock's most powerful singers, took most
   of the lead vocals and wrote the majority of the material with lyricist
   Pete Brown. Cream's first gig was a low key performance at the Twisted
   Wheel in Manchester on July 29th 1966 before their full debut at the
   Windsor Jazz and Blues Festival. Cream established an enduring legend
   on the high-volume blues jamming and extended solos of their live
   shows, while their studio work was more sophisticated than original
   rock.

   In early 1967, Clapton's status as Britain's top guitarist was shaken
   by the arrival of Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix attended a performance of the
   newly-formed Cream at the Central London Polytechnic on October 1,
   1966, during which Hendrix sat in on a shattering double-timed version
   of "Killing Floor". Hendrix's early club performances were avidly
   attended by top UK stars including Clapton, Pete Townshend, The Rolling
   Stones and The Beatles. Hendrix's arrival had an immediate and major
   effect on the next phase of Clapton's career, although Clapton
   continued to be recognized in music polls as the premier guitarist.

   Cream's repertoire varied from pop soul (" I Feel Free") to lengthy
   blues-based instrumental jams (" Spoonful") and featured Clapton's
   searing guitar lines, Bruce's soaring vocals and prominent, fluid bass
   playing, and Baker's powerful, polyrhythmic jazz-influenced drumming.

   In a mere three years Cream had immense commercial success, selling 15
   million records and playing to standing-room only crowds throughout the
   U.S. and Europe. They redefined the instrumentalist's role in rock and
   were one of the first bands to emphasize musical virtuosity, skill and
   flash. Their U.S. hit singles include " Sunshine Of Your Love" (#5,
   1968), " White Room" (#6, 1968) and " Crossroads" (#28, 1969) - a live
   version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroad Blues".

   Although Cream was hailed as one of the greatest groups of its day, and
   the adulation of Clapton as guitar hero reached new heights, the band
   was destined to be short-lived. The legendary infighting between Bruce
   and Baker and growing tensions between all three members eventually led
   to Cream's demise. Another significant factor was a strongly critical
   Rolling Stone review of a concert of the group's second headlining U.S.
   tour, which affected Clapton profoundly. By this time he had also
   fallen deeply under the spell of the music of The Band after they had
   released the album Music from Big Pink and began to believe that rock
   music was heading in a new direction. He was so infatuated with them
   that he even asked to join them, but was turned down.

   Cream's farewell album, Goodbye, featured live performances recorded
   live at The Forum, Los Angeles, October 19, 1968, and it was released
   shortly after Cream disbanded in 1968, and also featured the studio
   single " Badge", co-written by Clapton and George Harrison, whom he had
   met and become friends with after the Beatles had shared a bill with
   the Clapton-era Yardbirds at the London Palladium. The close friendship
   between Clapton and Harrison also resulted in Clapton's playing on
   Harrison's " While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the Beatles' White
   Album - according to some, a tactic intended to make the other Beatles
   take Harrison's song more seriously, but whatever the truth, by all
   accounts the presence of an outsider, especially of Clapton's calibre,
   had the effect of bringing harmony to the irritable band. In January
   1969, during the making of what would become the Let It Be album,
   Harrison walked out after an argument and in his absence - fearing
   Harrison had gone for good and concerned that the album could not be
   completed - John Lennon proposed that Harrison be replaced by Clapton.
   In the same year of release as the White Album, Harrison released his
   solo debut Wonderwall Music which became the first of many Harrison
   solo records to feature Clapton on guitar, who would go largely
   uncredited due to contractual restraints. The pair would often play
   live together as each other's guests, right up until Harrison's death
   in 2001 and the following tribute concert in his name, for which
   Clapton was musical director.

   Since their 1968 breakup, Cream briefly reunited in 1993 to perform at
   the ceremony inducting them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A
   full-scale reunion of the legendary trio took place in May 2005, with
   Clapton, Bruce and Baker playing 4 sold-out concerts at London's Royal
   Albert Hall (the scene of their 1968 farewell shows) and 3 more at New
   York's Madison Square Garden that October. Recordings from the London
   shows were released on CD and DVD in September 2005.

Blind Faith & Delaney and Bonnie and Friends

   A desultory spell in a second supergroup, the short-lived Blind Faith
   (1969), which was composed of Cream drummer Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood
   of Traffic and Ric Grech of Family, resulted in one LP and one
   arena-circuit tour. The supergroup debuted before 100,000 fans in
   London's Hyde Park on June 7, 1969, and began a sold-out American tour
   in July before its one and only album had been released. The LP Blind
   Faith was recorded in such haste that side two consisted of just two
   songs, one of them a 15 minute jam entitled "Do What You Like".
   Nevertheless, Blind Faith did include two classics: Winwood's "Can't
   Find My Way Home" and Clapton's "Presence of the Lord". The album's
   jacket image of a topless prepubescent girl was deemed controversial in
   the U.S. and was replaced by a photograph of the band. Blind Faith
   dissolved after only a year together, and while Winwood returned to
   Traffic, by now Clapton was tired of both the spotlight and the hype
   that had surrounded Cream and Blind Faith, and wanted to make music
   that more closely resembled that of The Band.

   Clapton decided to step into the background for a time, touring as a
   sideman with the American group Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. He
   moved to New York in late 1969 and worked with the band through early
   1970. He became close friends with Delaney Bramlett, who encouraged him
   in his singing and writing, which would show determined growth in his
   next effort.

   Using the Bramletts' backing group and an all-star cast of session
   players (including Leon Russell and Stephen Stills, on whose solo
   albums Clapton played), he released his first solo album in 1970,
   fittingly named Eric Clapton, which included the Bramlett composition,
   "Bottle Of Red Wine", and one of Clapton's best songs from this period,
   "Let It Rain". It also yielded an unexpected U.S. #18 hit, J.J. Cale's
   "After Midnight".

   Clapton's "between-bands" period from 1969 to 1970 also saw him appear
   on a large number of other artists' records, ranging from George
   Harrison's All Things Must Pass (for contractual reasons, Clapton's
   contributions went uncredited for decades) to The Plastic Ono Band's
   Sometime in New York City and Dr John's Sun Moon and Herbs.

Derek and the Dominos

   Taking over Delaney & Bonnie's rhythm section — Bobby Whitlock
   (keyboards, vocals), Carl Radle (bass) and Jim Gordon (drums) — Clapton
   formed a new band which was similarly intended to counteract the 'star'
   cult that had grown up around him and show Clapton as an equal member
   of a fully-fledged group. Tony Ashton from The Remo Four, Ashton,
   Gardner and Dyke, Paice Ashton and Lord always referred to Eric as
   Derek and christened the band, Derek and The Dominoes. Clapton's close
   friendship with George Harrison had brought him into contact with
   Harrison's wife Patti Boyd-Harrison, with whom he fell deeply in love.
   When she turned him down, Clapton's unrequited affections prompted most
   of the material for the Dominos' album Layla and Other Assorted Love
   Songs, most notably the hit single "Layla", inspired by the Persian
   classical poet Nizami Ganjavi's " The Story of Layla and Majnun", a
   copy of which a friend had given him; Clapton found a strong similarity
   between the situation of Layla and Majnun and the one between him and
   Boyd-Harrison.

   Working at Criteria Studios in Miami with legendary Atlantic Records
   producer Tom Dowd, the band recorded a brilliant double-album which is
   now widely regarded as Clapton's masterpiece. The two parts of "Layla"
   were recorded in separate sessions: the opening guitar section was
   recorded first, and for the second section, laid down several months
   later, drummer Jim Gordon composed and played the elegiac piano part.

   The Layla LP was actually recorded by a five-piece version of the
   group, thanks to the unforeseen inclusion of guitarist Duane Allman of
   The Allman Brothers Band. A few days into the Layla sessions, Dowd —
   who was also producing the Allmans — invited Clapton to an Allman
   Brothers outdoor concert in Miami. The two guitarists — who previously
   knew each other only by reputation — met backstage after the show, and
   then both bands retired to the studio to jam (an impromptu session
   which, happily, was captured on tape). Clapton and Allman fell in love
   with each other's playing and became instant friends, and Allman was
   immediately invited to become the fifth member of The Dominos. (These
   studio jams were eventually released as part of the 3-CD
   20th-anniversary edition of the Layla album.)

   When Allman and Clapton met, The Dominos had already recorded three
   tracks ("I Looked Away", "Bell Bottom Blues" and "Keep On Growing");
   Allman debuted on the fourth cut, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down
   And Out", and contributed some of his most sublime slide-guitar playing
   to the remainder of the LP. The album was heavily blues-influenced and
   featured a winning combination of the twin guitars of Allman and
   Clapton, with Allman's incendiary slide-guitar a key ingredient of the
   sound. It showcased some of Clapton's strongest material to date, as
   well as arguably some of his best guitar playing, with Whitlock also
   contributing several superb numbers, and his powerful, soul-influenced
   voice.

   Tragedy dogged the group throughout its brief career. During the
   sessions, Clapton was devastated by news of the death of Jimi Hendrix;
   eight days previously the band had cut a blistering version of "Little
   Wing" as a tribute to him which was added to the album. One year later,
   on the eve of the group's first American tour, Duane Allman was killed
   in a motorcycle accident. Adding to Clapton's woes, the Layla album
   received only lukewarm reviews on release; he later commented that the
   album's initial poor reception had angered and disillusioned him, as he
   had (perhaps naively) expected it to be assessed on its merits rather
   than his involvement.

   The shattered group undertook a US tour. Despite Clapton's later
   admission that the tour took place amidst a veritable blizzard of drugs
   and alcohol, it resulted in the surprisingly strong live double album
   In Concert. But Derek and the Dominos disintegrated messily in London
   just as they commenced recording for their second LP. Although Radle
   would be Clapton's main bass player until the summer of 1979 (Radle
   died in May 1980 from the effects of alcohol and narcotics), the split
   between Clapton and Whitlock was apparently a bitter one, and it took
   until 2003 before they worked together again (Clapton guested on
   Whitlock's appearance on the Later with Jools Holland show, playing and
   singing " Bell Bottom Blues", available on a "Later with Jools" DVD).
   Another tragic footnote to the Dominos story was the fate of drummer
   Jim Gordon, who was an undiagnosed schizophrenic — some years later,
   during a psychotic episode, he murdered his mother with a hammer and
   was confined to 14 years to life imprisonment. Gordon was moved to a
   mental institution after several years, where he remains today.

Solo career

   Despite his success, Clapton's personal life was in a chaotic mess by
   late 1971. In addition to his (temporarily) unrequited and intense
   romantic longing for Pattie Boyd-Harrison, he withdrew from recording
   and touring to isolation in his Surrey, England residence. There he
   nursed his heroin addiction, resulting in a career hiatus interrupted
   only by the Concert for Bangladesh in August of 1971 (where he passed
   out on stage, was revived, and continued the show). In January of 1973,
   The Who's Pete Townshend organized a comeback concert for Clapton at
   London's Rainbow Theatre aptly titled the " Rainbow Concert" to help
   Clapton kick his addiction. Clapton would return the favour by playing
   'The Preacher' in Ken Russell's film version of The Who's Tommy in
   1975; his appearance in the film (performing "Eyesight To The Blind")
   is notable for the fact that he is clearly wearing a fake beard in some
   shots, the result of deciding to shave off his real beard after the
   initial takes.

   Now partnered with Boyd-Harrison (they would not actually marry until
   1979) and free of heroin (although starting to drink heavily), Clapton
   put together a strong new touring band that included Radle, Miami
   guitarist George Terry, drummer Jamie Oldaker and vocalists Yvonne
   Elliman and Marcy Levy (later better known as Marcella Detroit of 1980s
   pop duo Shakespear's Sister). With this band Clapton recorded 461 Ocean
   Boulevard ( 1974), an album with the emphasis on songs rather than
   musicianship; the cover-version of " I Shot The Sheriff" was a major
   hit and was important in bringing reggae and the music of Bob Marley to
   a wider audience. The band toured the world and subsequently released
   the 1975 live LP, E.C. Was Here.

   The 1975 album There's One In Every Crowd continued the trend of 461.
   Its original intended title The World's Greatest Guitar Player (There's
   One In Every Crowd) was altered, as it was felt the ironic intention
   would be missed. (Clapton's own original cover artwork, a
   (self-)portrait of a miserable-looking character with a pint glass, was
   also replaced by a photograph of Clapton's dog Jeep, apparently with
   its muzzle on a coffin.)

   Clapton continued to release albums sporadically and toured regularly,
   but much of his output from this period was deliberately low-key and
   failed to find the wide acceptance of his earlier work; highlights of
   the era include No Reason to Cry, whose collaborators included Bob
   Dylan and Robbie Robertson, and Slowhand, which featured " Wonderful
   Tonight", another song inspired by Patti Boyd-Harrison, and a second
   J.J. Cale cover, " Cocaine", which has since become a rock staple.

Influences

   Clapton has performed songs by myriad arists, most notably Robert
   Johnson and J.J. Cale. Other artists Clapton has covered include Bob
   Marley and Bob Dylan. He cites Johnson and Cale as major influences on
   his guitar playing, stating in the liner notes of his Robert Johnson
   tribute album Me and Mr. Johnson "It is a remarkable thing to have been
   driven and influenced all of my life by the work of one man... I accept
   that it has always been the keystone of my musical foundation... I am
   talking of course about Robert Johnson". He has recorded more than six
   of Cale's originals and has put out an album with the artist. Other
   artists Clapton has made collaborations with include Frank Zappa, B.B
   King, Santana, Ringo Starr, Roger Waters, Bob Marley and The Plastic
   Ono Band.

   Recently, Clapton collaborated with singer/songwriter John Mayer on his
   2006 album release Continuum. Mayer cites Clapton in his liner notes
   "Eric Clapton - I copy off of him and he lets me." Clapton and Mayer
   wrote several songs together which have yet to be released. Clapton's
   influence inspired Mayer to write "I Don't Trust Myself with Loving
   You" a song which sounds as if Clapton had written it himself.

Controversy

   In 1976, Clapton was the centre of controversy and accusations of
   racism, when he spoke out against increasing immigration during a
   concert in Birmingham. He commented that England had "...become
   overcrowded...that England sells itself as the "land of milk and honey"
   only to turn around and stick its invited immigrants into low paying
   labour jobs, living in substandard conditions..." Clapton also voiced
   his support of controversial political candidate Enoch Powell, making
   references to "a black colony." As a result, it would be a full decade
   before Clapton was welcome to play in Birmingham again. These comments
   (along with equally controversial remarks and actions by other artists,
   such as David Bowie and Siouxsie Sioux) led to the creation of the Rock
   Against Racism movement in the UK.

   Despite his controversial stance, Clapton has not made any notable
   effort to distance himself from the remarks and has denied there was
   any contradiction between his political views and his career based on
   an essentially black musical form. In an interview with Q magazine he
   defended his position, saying it wasn't racist but instead borne of
   concern that "...ghettoes would spring up all over England, which they
   have done." However, in a later interview, although not fully
   retracting the remarks, he attributed them to his inebriation at the
   time, a product of his much-publicised alcoholism. According to an
   article in The Independent (London) on March 22, 2004 entitled "Why
   they're rocking against racism again" :

     Some see the current climate as similar to the situation prevailing
     when Rock Against Racism began in late 1976 [...] A somewhat
     inebriated Eric Clapton, then considered very much part of the old
     guard, at a concert in Birmingham, told the audience that the
     politician Enoch Powell — infamous for his "rivers of blood" speech
     opposing mass immigration — was right and that Britain was
     "overcrowded". [...] A sheepish Clapton was later reported to have
     explained that he was angry because an "Arab" had felt his wife's
     bottom.

   In the late 1980s Clapton added four black musicians to his band,
   bassist Nathan East, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, drummer Steve
   Ferrone and backing singer Katie Kissoon. Whilst Clapton had previously
   played and recorded with many black musicians (including Buddy Guy, BB
   King and Robert Cray), and had appeared alongside performers of varying
   ethnicities at collaborative events (such as The Concert for Bangla
   Desh), this was the first time Clapton had been in a band in which the
   official members were not all Caucasian.

   Clapton has also dated supermodel Naomi Campbell, and has a home in
   Antigua.

Comeback

   Eric Clapton's Antigua Residence, as seen from Shirley Heights
   Enlarge
   Eric Clapton's Antigua Residence, as seen from Shirley Heights

   The late 1970s saw Clapton struggle to come to terms with the changes
   in popular music, and a relapse into alcoholism that eventually saw him
   hospitalised and then spending a period of convalescence in Antigua,
   where he would later support the creation of a drugs and alcohol
   rehabilitation centre, The Crossroads Centre.

   In 1981, Clapton was invited by producer Martin Lewis to appear at the
   Amnesty International benefit The Secret Policeman's Other Ball.
   Clapton accepted the invitation and teamed up with Jeff Beck to perform
   a series of duets - reportedly their first-ever billed stage
   collaboration. Three of the perfomances were released on the album of
   the show and one of the songs was featured in the film of the show. The
   performances heralded a return to form and prominence for Clapton in
   the new decade.

   In 1984, he performed on Pink Floyd member, Roger Waters solo album,
   The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking and went on tour with Waters
   following the release of the album. Since then Waters and Clapton have
   had a close relationship, and in 2005 they performed together for the
   Tsunami Relief Fund and on May 20, 2006 performed with Waters at the
   Highclere Castle playing two set pieces of " Wish You Were Here" and "
   Comfortably Numb".

   As Clapton came back from his addictions, his album output continued in
   the 1980s, including two produced with Phil Collins, 1985's Behind the
   Sun, which produced the hits "Forever Man" and "She's Waiting", and
   1986's August.

   August, a polished release suffused with Collins's trademark drum/horn
   sound, became Clapton's biggest seller in the UK to date and matched
   his highest chart position, number 3. The album's first track, the hit
   "It's In The Way That You Use It", was also featured in the Tom Cruise-
   Paul Newman movie The Colour of Money. The horn-peppered "Run" echoed
   Collins' "Sussudio" and rest of the producer's Genesis/solo output,
   while "Tearing Us Apart" (with Tina Turner) and the bitter "Miss You"
   echoed Clapton at his angry best.

   The period kicked off Clapton's extensive two-year period of touring
   with Collins and their August collaborates, bassist Nathan East and
   keyboard player/songwriter Greg Phillinganes. Despite his own earlier
   battles with the bottle, Clapton also remade "After Midnight" as a
   single and a promotional track for the Michelob beer brand produced by
   Anheuser-Busch, which had also marketed earlier songs by Collins and
   Steve Winwood.

   Clapton won more plaudits and a British Academy Television Award for
   his collaboration with Michael Kamen on the score for the
   critically-acclaimed 1985 BBC television thriller serial Edge of
   Darkness.

   Clapton also worked on the music for some of the "Lethal Weapon" films.

   In 1989, Clapton's commercial and artistic resurgence finally came full
   circle with Journeyman, which featured songs in a wide range of styles
   from blues to jazz, soul and pop and collaborators including George
   Harrison, Phil Collins, Daryl Hall, Chaka Khan, Mick Jones, David
   Sanborn and Robert Cray.

Tragedy again

   In 1985 Clapton, while still married to Pattie Clapton, had started a
   relationship with Yvonne Khan Kelly; they had a daughter, Ruth, in the
   same year. Clapton did not publicly acknowledge his daughter's
   existence for several years (she eventually made a spoken-word
   appearance on his 1998 album Pilgrim and in 2001 was pictured in the
   Reptile album artwork). Clapton and Pattie divorced in 1989 following
   his affair with Italian model Lory Del Santo, who gave birth to his son
   Conor in August 1986 (the month of his birth prompting the title of the
   album released that year).

   The early 1990s saw tragedy enter Clapton's life again on two
   occasions. On August 27, 1990 guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who was
   touring with Clapton, and two members of their road crew were killed in
   a helicopter crash between concerts. Then, on March 20, 1991 at
   11:00AM, Conor, who was four and a half, died when he fell from the
   53rd-story window of his mother's New York City apartment, landing on
   the roof of an adjacent four-story building. A fraction of Clapton's
   grief was heard on the song " Tears in Heaven" (on the soundtrack to
   the 1991 movie Rush), co-written with Will Jennings, which, like the
   MTV Unplugged album that followed it, won a Grammy award.

Slowhand Re-Emerging

   Eric Clapton at the Tsunami Relief Concert at Millennium Stadium in
   Cardiff, Wales on 22 January 2005
   Enlarge
   Eric Clapton at the Tsunami Relief Concert at
   Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on 22 January 2005

   While Unplugged featured Clapton playing acoustic guitar, his 1994
   album From The Cradle contains new versions of old blues standards
   highlighted by fine electric guitar playing.

   Clapton finished the twentieth century with critically-acclaimed
   collaborations with Carlos Santana and B. B. King. Clapton's 1996
   recording of the Wayne Kirkpatrick/ Gordon Kennedy/ Tommy Sims tune
   "Change the World" (featured in the soundtrack of the movie Phenomenon)
   won a Grammy award for song of the year in 1997, the same year he
   recorded Retail Therapy, an album of electronic music with Simon Climie
   under the pseudonym TDF. The following year, Clapton released the album
   " Pilgrim", the first record featuring brand new material for almost a
   decade.

   In 1998 Clapton had a relationship with singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow.
   The couple dated briefly but it is rumoured that Sheryl wrote "My
   Favorite Mistake" about her relationship with Clapton. They remain
   friends presently.

   In 1999 Clapton, then 54, met 25-year-old graphic artist Melia McEnery
   in Los Angeles while working on an album with B.B. King. They married
   in 2002 at St Mary Magdalen church in Clapton's birthplace, Ripley,
   Surrey, and as of 2005 have three daughters, Julie Rose (2001), Ella
   May (2003), and Sophie (2005). He wrote the song "Three Little Girls,"
   featured on his 2006 album "The Road to Escondido," about the
   contentment he has found in his home life with his wife and daughters.

   Following the release of the 2001 record Reptile, Eric performed
   "Layla" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the Party at the Palace
   in 2002 and in November he masterminded The Concert for George at the
   Royal Albert Hall, a tribute to George Harrison, who had died a year
   earlier of cancer. The concert featured Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr,
   Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Ravi Shankar, amongst others.

   In 2004, Clapton released two records packed full of covers by
   legendary Bluesman, Robert Johnson. Me & Mr Johnson, contains many
   delights from the soulful "Love in Vain," to the pacey "Last Fair Deal
   Going Down," and "They're Red Hot." The second album, "Sessions For
   Robert J," was released in December and comprised of the outtakes from
   the "Me & Mr Johnson." Before his Tour of Japan in 2003, Clapton had
   stated that his new album would have a definite "rocky," feel but the
   two Robert Johnson records undoubtedly contradicted this. He later
   revealed that "when we got stuck or if it wasn't moving fast enough
   we'd stop and do a Robert Johnson song. That would clear the air and
   we'd go back and carry on for the new album. As a result, we ended up
   with a complete Robert Johnson album first, which was released last
   year as 'Me And Mr. Johnson."

   Back Home, Clapton's first album of new original material in nearly
   five years, was released on Reprise Records on August 30th. Featuring
   twelve songs, five of which were penned by Clapton with creative
   collaborator Simon Climie, "Back Home" also includes "Love Comes To
   Everyone" by George Harrison, the Spinners' "Love Don't Love Nobody," a
   rendition of Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright's "I'm Going Left," and
   compositions by Vince Gill, Doyle Bramhall II and others. It was
   through the writing and recording process, Clapton explained, that the
   theme of "Back Home" emerged. "One of the earliest statements I made
   about myself," he revealed, "was back in the late '80s, with
   'Journeyman.' This album completes that cycle in terms of talking about
   my whole journey as an itinerant musician and where I find myself now,
   starting a new family. That's why I chose the title. It's about coming
   home and staying home. Even though," he added with a laugh, "I'll be
   out on the road again next year, playing this music."

   In 2006 it was announced that Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II would
   join Clapton's band for his 2006 and 2007 tour. Trucks is the third
   member of the Allman Brothers Band to support Clapton, the second being
   keyboardist Chuck Leavell who appeared on the MTV Unplugged album.
   Support act band leader, Robert Cray regularly join Eric on stage for
   "Old Love" which he co-wrote with Eric for the 1989 album " Journeyman"
   and on the encore on " Crossroads" The setlist for the 2006-2007 World
   Tour has been constructed from compositions spanning his entire solo
   career from After Midnight from the 1970 "" Eric Clapton" " LP to "
   Back Home" from the album of the same name. On May 20th, 2006 he
   performed with a set band consisting of ex-Queen drummer Roger Taylor
   and ex- Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, at the Highclere Castle. On
   August 13th 2006, Clapton made a guest appearance at the Bob Dylan
   concert in Columbus, Ohio. He guest appeared on three songs of Jimmie
   Vaughan's opening act.

   A collaboration with guitar legend J.J. Cale, titled " The Road to
   Escondido," was recently released on November 7, 2006. The 14 track CD
   was produced and recorded by the duo in August 2005 in California. The
   resulting music defies being labeled into any one category, but instead
   finds influence across the spectrum of blues, rock, country and folk. A
   hybrid sound that is unique musically, while still bearing the
   signature styles of Cale and Clapton recognized by fans around the
   world. The songs are warm and rich, with deep flowing rhythms, yet use
   an economy of words to express much.

   In a true collaboration, Cale and Clapton jointly produced and recorded
   the album, each playing and singing on the tracks. Cale wrote 11 of the
   songs, Clapton wrote "Three Little Girls," John Mayer wrote "Hard To
   Thrill" and the duo cover the blues classic "Sporting Life Blues." J.J.
   Cale's touring band accompanies them on the album as well as guest
   musicians including, Taj Mahal, John Mayer, Derek Trucks, Doyle
   Bramhall II, Albert Lee, Nathan East, Willie Weeks and Steve Jordan.
   Particularly special is the involvement of Billy Preston, who donated
   his classic keyboard talents throughout the album. The album is
   dedicated to Preston and Clapton's late friend Brian Roylance.

   The rights to Clapton's official memoirs, to be written by Christopher
   Simon Sykes and to be published in 2007, were reportedly sold at the
   2005 Frankfurt Book Fair for USD $4 million. Clapton initiated the
   revival of Cream, playing at London's Royal Albert Hall in May and New
   York's Madison Square Garden in October 2005.

   It was announced via the BBC website in October 2006 that Clapton would
   add JJ Cale's "Cocaine" to his live set, having previously refused to
   play it. He now sees it as an anti-drugs song.

The search for his father

   Although Clapton's grandparents had eventually told him the truth about
   his parentage—that he was the illegitimate son of a Canadian
   serviceman—the precise identity of his father remained a mystery for
   many years. Clapton knew that his father's name was Edward Fryer, but
   few other details were known. This was a source of disquiet and
   speculation for Clapton, as witnessed by his 1998 song "My Father's
   Eyes" in which he writes "How did I get here? When will all my hopes
   arrive?...When I look in my father's eyes".

   A Toronto journalist named Michael Woloschuk set about solving the
   mystery. He researched Canadian Armed Forces service records and
   tracked-down members of Edward Fryer's family, finally piecing together
   the story that Clapton's father was Edward Walter Fryer, born 21 March
   1920, in Montreal and died 15 May 1985 in North York, Ontario. Fryer
   was a musician (piano and saxophone) and a lifelong drifter, who was
   married several times, had several children and apparently never knew
   that he was the father of Eric Clapton.

Clapton's Guitars

   Clapton's choice of electric guitars have been as notable as the man
   himself, and alongside Hank Marvin, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix,
   Clapton has exerted a crucial and widespread influence in popularising
   particular models of the electric guitar.

   Early on in his career, Clapton used both Gibson and Fender guitars,
   but became exclusively a Gibson player in mid-1965, when he purchased a
   used 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar, and was largely responsible
   for Gibson's reintroduction of the original Les Paul body style after
   it was replaced by the Gibson SG.

   During his stint in Cream, Clapton continued to play Gibson guitars,
   including Les Paul models, a Gibson Firebird and a Gibson ES-335, but
   his most famous guitar in this period was a 1964 Gibson SG. The guitar
   was noted for its remarkable, psychedelic appearance. In early 1967,
   just before their first US promotional tour, Clapton's SG, Bruce's
   Fender VI and Baker's drum head were repainted in eye-popping
   psychedelic designs created by the visual art collective known as The
   Fool.

   Clapton played a Les Paul on the Beatles' studio recording of "While My
   Guitar Gently Weeps." He later lent his SG to singer Jackie Lomax, who
   subsequently sold it to musician Todd Rundgren for US$500 in 1972.
   Rundgren restored the guitar and nicknamed it "Sunny," after "Sunshine
   Of Your Love." Rundgren played the guitar extensively on record and in
   concert in the mid-1970s, eventually retiring it in 1977. He retained
   it until 2000, when he sold it at an auction for US$150,000.

   During Clapton's heroin addiction from 1969 to 1974, he began to sell
   off his collection of guitars to pay for his drug habit. Seeing Clapton
   selling his most treasured possessions was one of the reasons Pete
   Townshend was prompted to assist him get over his addiction.

   Another moment involving Clapton's guitars and Pete Townshend resulted
   in Hard Rock Cafe's unique and gigantic collection of memorabilia. In
   1971, Clapton, a regular at the original Hard Rock Cafe in Hyde Park,
   London, gave a signed guitar to the cafe to designate his favorite bar
   stool. Pete Townshend, in turn, donated one of his own guitars, with a
   note attached: "Mine's as good as his! Love, Pete." From there, the
   collection of memorabilia grew, resulting in Hard Rock Cafe's
   atmosphere.

   Later (due to fellow Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood's influence,
   and Clapton's love of Buddy Guy's sound), Clapton began using Fender
   Stratocasters. First was " Brownie" used during the recording of Layla
   and Other Assorted Love Songs which in 1971 became the backup to the
   most famous of all Clapton's guitars, " Blackie" (a concoction of
   Clapton's favorite parts from several other Strats), which he used
   until 1985 when it wore out.

   In 1988 Clapton, along with fellow Strat player Yngwie Malmsteen, was
   honored by Fender with the introduction of his signature Eric Clapton
   Stratocaster. These were the first two artist models in the
   Stratocaster range and since then the artist series has grown to
   include models inspired by both Clapton's contemporaries such as Mark
   Knopfler, Jeff Beck and those who have influenced him such as Buddy
   Guy. The late Stevie Ray Vaughan also has an artist series model.
   Clapton has also been honoured with a signature-model acoustic guitar
   made by the famous American firm of C.F. Martin & Co..

   In 1999 Clapton auctioned off some of his guitar collection to raise
   money for his Crossroads Centre he founded in Antigua in 1997. The
   Crossroads Centre is a treatment base for addictive disorders like
   drugs and alcohol. The total revenue raised by the auction at
   Christie's was US $7,438,624.

Discographies

     * Album Discography
     * Singles Discography

Band

2006 tour band

   European Tour
     * Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals
     * Doyle Bramhall II - guitar, backing vocals
     * Derek Trucks - guitar
     * Chris Stainton - keyboards
     * Tim Carmon - keyboards
     * Willie Weeks - bass
     * Steve Jordan - drums
     * The Kick Horns ( Simon Clarke, Roddy Lorimer, and Tim Sanders) -
       brass
     * Michelle John - backing vocals
     * Sharon White - backing vocals

   US / Canada - Eastern Region, Japan, Australia and New Zealand
     * Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals
     * Doyle Bramhall II - guitar, backing vocals
     * Derek Trucks - guitar
     * Chris Stainton - keyboards
     * Tim Carmon - keyboards
     * Willie Weeks - bass
     * Steve Jordan - drums
     * Michelle John - backing vocals
     * Sharon White - backing vocals

   Support act for European and US / Canada : The Robert Cray Band

Previous band members

     * Albert Lee - guitar
     * Jack Johnson - guitar
     * Mark Knopfler - guitar
     * Andy Fairweather Low - guitar, backing vocals
     * Phil Palmer - guitar
     * George Terry - guitar, backing vocals
     * Gary Brooker - keyboards
     * Chuck Leavell - keyboards
     * Greg Phillinganes - keyboards, Hammond organ, backing vocals
     * Billy Preston - Hammond B3 Organ
     * David Sancious - keyboards, guitar, harmonica, backing vocals
     * Chris Stainton - piano, keyboards
     * Nathan East - bass guitar
     * Pino Palladino - bass guitar
     * Carl Radle - bass guitar
     * Paulinho Da Costa - percussion
     * Phil Collins - drums, vocals
     * Ray Cooper - percussion
     * Steve Ferrone - drums
     * Steve Gadd - drums
     * Ricky Lawson - drums
     * Andy Newmark - drums
     * Jamie Oldaker - drums
     * Jim Price - trumpet, trombone, keyboards
     * Bobby Keys - sax
     * Yvonne Elliman - backing vocals
     * Katie Kissoon - backing vocals
     * Marcy Levy - backing vocals
     * Tessa Niles - backing vocals

Trivia

     * Clapton employs Lee Dickson to take care of his guitars. They are
       kept in a controlled environment and at the moment he has about 750
       guitars. Back when he was at his prime he had some 2,000 guitars.
     * Clapton was ranked 4th in Rolling Stone’s list of The 100 Greatest
       Guitarists of All Time.
     * According to the aforementioned list, Clapton is the second
       greatest living guitarist (behind B.B. King).
     * Early in his career, Clapton used a 1960 model Gibson Les Paul, and
       was partially responsible for Gibson's reintroduction of the
       original Les Paul body style after it was replaced by the Gibson
       SG.
     * Although many sources give his surname at birth as Clapp, this is
       incorrect. Though his grandmother's second husband's name was
       Clapp, his mother's name was Clapton; his grandparents never
       legally adopted him.
     * Eric Clapton is credited on Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms album,
       as he loaned Mark Knopfler one of his guitars for the album.
     * Clapton played lead guitar on The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking,
       Roger Waters' debut solo album after leaving Pink Floyd.
     * Clapton was banned from driving in France and had his British
       driving license confiscated after being clocked driving at 216 km/h
       (134mph) in a Porsche 911 Turbo on a French motorway in October
       2004.
     * Clapton claims to have slept with over 1,000 women. He supposedly
       once ordered a fellow musician to let him sleep with his
       girlfriend.
     * Minor Planet 4305 is named 4305 Clapton to honour him. It is an
       asteroid between Mars and Jupiter.
     * The soundtrack of Goodfellas contains two of his songs: "Layla" (by
       Derek and the Dominos) and " Sunshine of Your Love" (by Cream).
       Both of these songs have immediately recognizable guitar riffs
       (even to those who have never heard the songs in their entirety),
       although the portion of "Layla" used is the piano coda, and not the
       riff for which the song is best known.
     * Clapton performed at The Band's farewell show, which is chronicled
       in The Last Waltz, a film by Martin Scorsese. While performing the
       beginning of "Further On Up the Road," his guitar strap came
       undone. To cover for him while he fixed it, Robbie Robertson
       improvised a guitar solo.
     * Clapton played two farewell concerts on November 26: Cream in 1968,
       and The Last Waltz in 1976. Ironically, The Band's music is partly
       what inspired him to leave Cream in the first place.
     * Clapton and Cream bandmates Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce have all
       played with each other in other groups. Clapton and Baker played
       together in the short-lived supergroup Blind Faith, Baker and Bruce
       played together with the Graham Bond Organisation and Blues
       Incorporated, and Bruce and Clapton played together near the end of
       Clapton's tenure with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.
     * Prior to the Cream reunion at the Royal Albert Hall, the band had
       never played " Badge" live, since the song was included on Goodbye,
       the band's last original album before their break-up. However,
       Clapton, as a solo artist, has played the song live, as indicated
       on The Cream of Eric Clapton.
     * Before the formation of Cream in 1966, Clapton was all but unknown
       in the United States. He left The Yardbirds before "For Your Love"
       hit the American Top 10.
     * Once while playing a Cream concert, he and Ginger Baker suddenly
       stopped playing; Jack Bruce, apparently due to the volume of his
       amplification, did not notice.
     * Even though all three were band members of The Yardbirds, Clapton,
       Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck never played in the band all at the same
       time. The three guitarists did however all play on stage at the
       same time at the ARMS charity concerts in 1983 in honour of Ronnie
       Lane. Clapton and Page had previously played together with The
       Immediate All-Stars in 1965. And, as noted above, Clapton and Beck
       played together in 1981 at The Secret Policeman's Other Ball.
     * According to an interview with Ginger Baker on the Cream reunion
       DVD, the reunion was Clapton's idea.
     * When "Layla" from Unplugged hit #12 on the U.S. charts, Clapton
       became one of only two artists (the other being Neil Sedaka) to
       have made the Billboard Hot 100 with two versions of the same song.
     * Upon his return to England after recording Layla and Other Assorted
       Love Songs, he was supporting a £1,000-per-week heroin addiction.
     * Clapton holds the #10 ranked guitar solo for the song "Crossroads"
       in Guitar World magazine's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos. While this is
       his highest ranked solo, he also boasts four others.
     * Clapton is the only person inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of
       Fame in Cleveland, Ohio three times ( The Yardbirds, Cream, and
       solo).
     * Clapton wrote the score to the film Rush. That film featured Gregg
       Allman, whose brother, Duane, was a guest musician who helped
       Clapton record Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.
     * His name has appeared on some albums distributed in Japan as Eric
       Crapton, though this is most likely a case of bad Engrish rather
       than sabotage.
     * Clapton was good friends with fellow 1960's guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
       Both musicians went to the same concert the night Hendrix died;
       Clapton had bought a left-handed Stratocaster to give to his friend
       after the performance, but he never got the chance.
     * Neon Genesis Evangelion character designer, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, did
       the cover to Clapton's album "Pilgrim."

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