Eric Clapton

BIOGRAPHY

Eric Clapton was born on March 30, 1945 in Ripley, Surrey, England with an unwed parents, 16 year old Patricia Molly Clapton and Edward Walter Fryer, a Canadian soldier. Even before Eric was born, Fryer already left and returned to his wife in Canada. As a kid, Clapton grew up with his grandparents, Rose and her second husband Jack Clapp. Clapton thought at that time that they were his real parents and her mother as her sister. Eric Clapton got his surname from Rose's first husband, Reginald Cecil Clapton. Pat left Eric with his grandparents to marry Frank McDonald. As he grew up, he wondered why was he using the surname Clapton when his "parents'" surname is Clapp. This kept Clapton from wondering. Finally he got the truth when his mother who returned to England with his half-brother to visit. This eventually affected Eric emotionally that also affected his education.

On his 13th birthday, Eric asked for a guitar. He got a Spanish Hoya guitar. Because it was just an inexpensive guitar and hard to play, Eric almost gave up guitar playing. At the age of 16, he studied at Kingston College of Art but was expelled because of lack of progress just because he was concentrating more on guitar playing and listening to the blues. At the age of 17, Eric joined his first band, The Roosters. He was with the band from January to August of 1963 then later joined Casey Jones and The Engineers but for only a month.The following month, he was recruited by Keith Relf and Paul Samwell-Smith to join The Yardbirds. It's where he got his nickname, "Slowhand" and also got his first albums Five Live Yardbirds and Sonny Boy Williamson and The Yardbirds. In March 1965, Clapton left the band because he felt the The Yardbirds was moving in a more commercial sound and Clapton just wantted to stay with blues.

In April 1965, Clapton joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. He got his second nickname as "God" which came from an admirer’s graffiti on the wall of London’s Islington Tube Station that boldly proclaimed "Clapton is God". He then left Bluesbreakers in mid-1966 and was replaced by Peter Green. He then formed Cream, a powerhouse trio composed composed of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. It was the time when Clapton had the reputation as rock's premier guitarist and as a band, influenced rock groups of modern era. But all bands have its differences and the constant arguing and ego's of the members cause them to disband in 1968. After Cream, Clapton founded Blind Faith which is composed of Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech. But only had one album and a tour and once again, disbanded. By that time, Clapton slowed down and toured as a sideman with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. This was the time where he began singing and composing more.

In 1970, Clapton formed Derek and the Dominoes with Jim Gordon, Carl Radle and Bobby Withlock. The band recorded te famous Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. After an American tour, his band would result in another break up. Having a hard time recovering from the break up of the Dominoes, Clapton's life began sinking with heroin addiction for three years. In 1973, he stood up and Pete Townshend of The Who organized a comeback concert for Clapton at London's Rainbow Theatre. And in 1974, with members Radle, George Terry, Jamie Oldaker, Yvonne Elliman and Marcy Levy, he recorded 461 Ocean Boulevard.

After the 461 Ocean Boulevard, Clapton became stronger and stronger musically. He continued touring and making albums throughout the 70's and 80's. Clapton and Pattie got divorced in 1989 because of the affair with Lory Del Santo who gave birth to Conor. Conor died at the age of four after falling from the 53rd window of his mother's apartment. Clapton expressed the sorrow and grief in the song "Tears In Heaven" which won a Grammy award. In the 1990's, he returned to his blues roots releasing the album From the Cradle. It only shows that he can still play the blues. Then in 1997, he recorded Retail Theraphy, an electronic music then followed by the album Pilgrim the following year.

In 1999, Clapton met Melia McEnery in Los Angeles while recording an album with B.B. King, Riding With The King. The two got married in 2002. After Riding With The King, he started working on a solo project, Reptile which was released March 2001. Late in 2002, he started recording until summer of 2003 and was able to release two albums in March 2004, Me & Mr. Johnson and Sessions for Robert J. In 2005, he released Back Home, an all new original material after nearly five years. The same year, he, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce re-formed Cream for four very special reunion shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall. And in August 2005, JJ Cale and Clapton produced The Road To Escondido which was released on November 2006.

With all of his albums, singles, contributions with other artists and tours in his more than 40 year career, Clapton received awards and the only triple inductee into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of Yardbirds, Cream and as a solo artist.