Eric Clapton
Origins and Early Years
Eric Patrick Clapton was born on March 30, 1945 in Ripley, Surrey, England. Raised by his grandparents, whom he believed to be his parents (he only discovered the truth about his birth as a teenager), he turned to the American blues of Robert Johnson, B.B. King, and Muddy Waters.
He joined the Yardbirds in 1963, then John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in 1965, where his playing on the album Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (nicknamed “The Beano Album”) earned him the nickname “God”, which was graffitied on walls across London.
Cream and the Supergroup Era
He formed Cream in 1966 with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, creating the first power trio in rock history. Tracks such as “Sunshine of Your Love”, “Crossroads”, and “White Room” redefined blues-rock. Cream lasted only two years but sold more than 35 million albums.
After Cream, he formed Blind Faith (with Steve Winwood) and later Derek and the Dominos, recording “Layla” (1970), a desperate love song written for Pattie Boyd, then the wife of his friend George Harrison. The “Layla” riff, co-written with Duane Allman, is one of the most famous in rock history.
Solo Career and Legacy
His solo career produced classics such as “Wonderful Tonight” (1977) and “Tears in Heaven” (1992), written after the tragic death of his son Conor, who fell from the 53rd floor of a New York building at the age of 4. This deeply emotional song earned him 3 Grammy Awards in one night.
He has won a total of 18 Grammy Awards and is the only artist to be inducted three times into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Yardbirds in 1992, Cream in 1993, solo in 2000). He has sold over 280 million albums. His Crossroads Guitar Festivals have become major events bringing together the world’s greatest guitarists.
Iconic Guitars
Eric Clapton is associated with the 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard (“Beano”), the Fender Stratocaster “Blackie” (assembled from parts of three vintage Stratocasters), and “Brownie” (used on “Layla”), as well as the Gibson ES-335. His “Blackie” was auctioned in 2004 for $959,500.
See the Fender Stratocaster Eric Clapton Crash Crossroads Edition
