Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton was born on March 30, 1945, in the small village of Ripley, in the county of Surrey, located on the outskirts of London. At the time of his birth, American and Canadian troops occupied the area to aid the Allied effort during the final stages of World War II.

It was in this context that her young mother, Patricia Molly Clapton, at the age of 16, met her father, Edward Walter Fryer, a 25-year-old Canadian aviator. After a short period punctuated by a few brief encounters, Patricia discovered she was pregnant, but Edward had to return to Canada and did not get to witness the birth of his son.

Thus, the future guitarist was born in secret at the home of his maternal grandparents, Rose and Jack, and grew up believing that they were his real parents. To complete the lie, his real mother, Patricia, was presented as his older sister! 

At around the age of 9, when Clapton finally discovered the truth, he was deeply shaken, as one might expect. Years later, his biological mother Patricia ended up marrying another Canadian officer and moved to Canada, leaving young Eric Clapton to be raised by his grandparents in England. 

FIRST CONTACTS WITH MUSIC 

Later, when he entered Ripley Anglican Church Primary School, Eric Clapton proved to be a quiet, shy student who struggled with most traditional subjects. Even then, Clapton showed an interest in art, and his books and notebooks were always filled with drawings.

One of his first encounters with music was through traditional English carols like "Jesus Bids Us Shine"—his favorite at the time. Still in this phase of discovery, he learned the recorder, and on his thirteenth birthday he finally received his first guitar from his grandmother—a Hoyer—which would be his faithful companion during moments of loneliness and anguish. 

Amidst his arduous work as a postman, young Eric Clapton made time for what became his greatest passion: learning blues classics and traditional songs on the guitar. Although this process was challenging at first, it was fundamental to the beginning of what would become a career full of successes and achievements. 

In 1961, at the age of 16, Eric Clapton enrolled at Kingston College of Art, but was expelled shortly afterward because his interests were more related to the world of music than to art in general. During this intense period of adolescence, Clapton developed as a guitarist and began playing with friends in his small town. The following year would hold numerous surprises for the young musician, who would witness his first more consistent experiences in the world of music. 

Adolescence, First Bands and The Yardbirds 

With his passion for music pulsing ever stronger through his veins, Eric Clapton began playing in his first bands at the age of 17. In 1962, he started performing with his friend Dave Brock in local pubs. That same year, he joined The Roosters, an R&B band that included guitarist Tom McGuinness. He also briefly played with Casey Jones & the Engineers.

Back in 1963, Eric Clapton joined The Yardbirds – a band heavily influenced by blues and rock. This experience was crucial for the guitarist to develop his unique playing style. After a series of shows and the recording of the singles "I Wish You Would," "Good Morning, School Girl," and "For Your Love," Clapton decided to leave the band, claiming that the sound was beginning to stray from the blues roots he was seeking. 

Even during this period, Eric Clapton began to be called Slowhand. His time with The Yardbirds opened the world to the young guitarist, who began to associate with important figures such as Jimmy Page and the Rolling Stones – artists who were seeking their place in the vibrant London music scene. 

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Cream

All the experiences our Slowhand has gone through so far seem to have served as preparation for the intense experience in Cream, one of the first supergroups on record. The band, formed in 1966, was completed by drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce. Already more comfortable taking on the role of vocalist, Clapton released four classic albums with the band: "Fresh Cream" (1966), "Disraeli Gears" (1967), "Wheels of Fire" (1968) and "Goodbye" (1969).

This period elevated Eric Clapton to the status of a major rock idol and saw the birth of absolute classics such as "White Room" and "Sunshine of Your Love". Another highlight is the song "Badge", from the last album "Goodbye", composed by Clapton in partnership with the Beatle and his friend George Harrison. 

Interestingly, around this time the guitar world was shaken by the emergence of Jimi Hendrix – Clapton's only worthy rival, who came from the USA to revolutionize the rock scene not only in England but throughout the world. Hendrix's arrival also revolutionized Clapton's life – the guitarist adopted a more relaxed playing style influenced by the American and even recorded "Little Wing," a Jimi classic, later in his career. 

Derek and the Dominos: the success of "Layla" 

The turn of the decade into the 1970s brought many new developments to Eric Clapton's biography. Always seeking new bands and constantly evolving his career, the musician played in several important groups such as Blind Faith and Delaney and Bonnie and Friends.

None of these experiences, however, came close to the explosion that was Derek and the Dominos – a blues rock band formed by Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock (keyboardist and vocalist), Carl Radle (bassist) and Jim Gordon (drummer). 

The band's only studio album – "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" – was released in November 1970 and featured guitarist Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band. 

In addition to heartbreak, Clapton was going through a period of depression and drug addiction. To complete the turmoil, the musician was still trying to establish himself after being in groups like the Yardbirds and Cream. The name "Layla" – which titles the album and the song – was inspired by the Persian tale "Layla and Mainum," written by the poet Nezami in the 12th century.

Despite not being a huge success upon its release, "Layla" became a hit after being included in compilations and live performances by Eric Clapton in the 1970s. The song ranked 27th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". 

Personal Problems and Solo Careers 

Amidst a constant struggle with heroin and alcoholism, Eric Clapton's career went through a hiatus where the musician found himself embroiled in personal problems. Eventually, the guitarist married Pattie Boyd (in 1979) and remained with the model until 1989. While the musician reduced his heroin use, alcohol was still a huge problem in his life. 

Despite the challenges ahead, Clapton finally launched his solo career with the release of the album "Eric Clapton" (1970). From this period, the song "I Shot The Sheriff," a cover of reggae star Bob Marley, stands out on his second album "461 Ocean Boulevard" (1974). The guitarist's cover was a significant factor in the dissemination and popularity of reggae as a whole.

In the following years, Eric Clapton released "No Reason To Cry" (1976), a collaboration with Bob Dylan, and the iconic "Slowhand," one of the biggest hits of his career, featuring absolute successes such as "Cocaine" (a cover of the original by J. J. Cale), "Lay Down Sally," and the beautiful and sentimental "Wonderful Tonight." 

During the 1980s, Eric Clapton was still going through a dark period where drugs left him deeply debilitated. While recording the album "Behind The Sun" (1985), the guitarist met Yvonne Kelly, manager of AIR Studios Montserrat, and although both were married, they ended up having an affair and a daughter named Ruth. Eric Clapton, who was still married to Pattie, ended up being a distant father to his daughter. 

Eric and Pattie tried to have children, but were unsuccessful. The couple even resorted to in-vitro fertilization clinics, but amidst the chaos of their personal and professional lives, they ended up divorcing in 1989. The main reason for the separation was Eric Clapton's relationship with the Italian model Lory Del Santo. In 1986, Conor, the couple's only child, was born, and he would later die in the tragic accident that inspired his father to compose the hit "Tears in Heaven".

Although the English composer had fewer hits in the 1980s than in previous decades, the period was fruitful for Clapton. In total, there were five studio albums: "Another Ticket" (1981), "Money and Cigarettes" (1983), "Behind The Sun" (1985), "August" (1986) and "Journeyman" (1989).

The 1990s marked a resurgence in Eric Clapton's biography, following a decade of divorces and an unstable career. But not before a new tragedy shook his life: the death of his friend and guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. 

Eric Clapton was one of the last to see Stevie live. The two played at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre along with Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, and Jimmie Vaughan on the night Stevie died. Shortly after the show, he boarded a helicopter bound for Chicago (USA) and suffered the tragic accident that took his life. 

It was during this time, however, that Clapton resurfaced in the media with the ballad "Tears in Heaven," one of the high points of his career, but which was inspired by the tragedy of the death of his son Conor, at the age of 4, after falling from the 53rd floor of a building in New York, on March 20, 1991. 

Another important event in Eric Clapton's life during this period was his marriage to graphic artist Melia McEnery in 2002. The two had three daughters: Julia Rose (2001), Ella May (2003), and Sophie, born in 2005. 

In recent years, Eric Clapton has revealed that he suffers from peripheral neuropathy, a disease that affects the nervous system, the movement of the feet and hands, and causes difficulty playing the guitar. In an interview with the BBC, the guitarist confessed that he is also afraid of going deaf. 

"The only thing that worries me is that I'm going deaf, I've been having tinnitus, but my hands still work. It's hard to work playing guitar. I've had to accept the fact that this isn't going to get better. I'm still going to work. Getting old, man, is tough. It's hard to play guitar," he said. 

Recently, Clapton has been accused of an anti-vaccine stance during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is because the musician has stated that he doubts the effectiveness of vaccines and has released songs with lyrics that explain his controversial position on the subject.

The unreleased song "This Has Gotta Stop," for example, emerged after the musician was criticized for his stance against restrictive rules during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it doesn't directly mention the coronavirus, some fans are interpreting certain parts as a kind of outburst from Eric Clapton against the constant criticism he has been receiving.

With a 60-year career, Eric Clapton's biography includes awards such as the Grammy and the American Music Awards, and millions of fans worldwide. Today, the musician remains firmly established as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. His legacy to the world of guitar is undeniable, and numerous artists who came after him have mentioned being directly influenced by his unique playing style. 

Regardless of how many more years we will see Clapton's chords and solos in new compositions or live performances, the music world in general already owes tributes to the bluesman who left a small town outside London to conquer audiences on every continent, influencing generations and certainly profoundly marking the lives of many fans with his music. 

ERIC CLAPTON - FUTPEDIAMUSIC SELECTION

Eric Clapton

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Biography of Eric Clapton: Discover the career of one of the greatest guitarists in history." Guitarload. December 22, 2021. Accessed April 2, 2023.