ERIC


CLAPTON

Born in England, this musician is ranked among

the greatest rock and roll guitarists of all time.

Eric Clapton grew up in a very musical

household. Already one of the most respected

guitarists on the West End pub circuit, in

1963 Clapton received an invitation to join a

band called TheYardbirds.

Later in 1965, Clapton joined the blues band

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.

Clapton soon left the Bluesbreakers as well; a

few months later, he teamed up with bassist

Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker to form

the rock trio Cream.

Cream achieved international superstar status.

After the breakup of Cream, Clapton formed yet

another band, Blind Faith, but the group broke

up after only one album and a disastrous

American tour. Then, in 1970, he formed Derek

and the Dominos, and went on to compose and

record one of the seminal albums of rock

history, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.

A concept album about unrequited love, Clapton

wrote Layla to express his desperate affection

for Pattie Boyd, the wife of the Beatles' George

Harrison.

Despite his great musical productivity during

 these years, Clapton's personal life remained in

 woeful disarray. In 1979, five years after her 

divorce from his friend George Harrison, Pattie

Boyd (of "Layla" fame) finally did marry Eric

Clapton. However, by this time Clapton had

simply replaced his heroin addiction with

alcoholism, and his drinking placed a constant 

strain on their relationship. He was an unfaithful

husband and conceived two children with other

women during their marriage.

In 1991, Eric Clapton's son Conor died when he

fell out of the window of his mother's apartment.

The tragedy took a heavy toll on Eric Clapton

and also inspired one of his most beautiful and

heartfelt songs, "Tears in Heaven."

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