Eric Clapton

This article is about the musician. For his album, see Eric Clapton (album).

Eric Clapton
CBE
Clapton performing at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2017
Born
Eric Patrick Clapton

(1945-03-30) 30 March 1945 (age 79)
Ripley, Surrey, England
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1962–present
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1979; div. 1989)​
[1]
Melia McEnery
​
(m. 2002)​
Children5
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • vocals
Labels
Formerly of
Websiteericclapton.com

Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music.[2] He ranked second in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"[3] and fourth in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time".[4] He was named number five in Time magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009.[5] In 2023, Rolling Stone named Clapton the 35th best guitarist of all time.[6]

After playing in a number of different local bands, Clapton joined the Yardbirds from 1963 to 1965, and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers from 1965 to 1966. After leaving Mayall, he formed the power trio Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and "arty, blues-based psychedelic pop".[7] After four successful albums, Cream broke up in November 1968. Clapton then formed the blues rock band Blind Faith with Baker, Steve Winwood, and Ric Grech, recording one album and performing on one tour before they broke up. Clapton then toured with Delaney & Bonnie and recorded his first solo album in 1970, before forming Derek and the Dominos with Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon. Like Blind Faith, the band only lasted one album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, which includes "Layla", one of Clapton's signature songs.

Clapton continued to record a number of successful solo albums and songs over the next several decades, including a 1974 cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" (which helped reggae reach a mass market),[8] the country-infused Slowhand album (1977) and the pop rock of 1986's August. Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton's grief was expressed in the song "Tears in Heaven", which appeared on his Unplugged album. In 1996 he had another top-40 hit with the R&B crossover "Change the World". In 1998, he released the Grammy award-winning "My Father's Eyes". Since 1999, he has recorded a number of traditional blues and blues rock albums and hosted the periodic Crossroads Guitar Festival. His latest studio album, Meanwhile, was released in 2024.

Clapton has received 18 Grammy Awards as well as the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.[9][10] In 2004, he was awarded a CBE for services to music.[11] He has received four Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and of Cream. In his solo career, he has sold 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time.[12] In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for those recovering from substance abuse.[13]

  1. ^ Womack, Kenneth (2014). The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four [2 volumes]: Everything Fab Four. ABC-CLIO. p. 158. The couple were formally divorced in 1989.
  2. ^ "55 – Eric Clapton". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference RS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gibson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (14 August 2009). "The 10 Greatest Electric Guitar Players". Time. Archived from the original on 18 September 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  6. ^ "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rock Hall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Inductee: Eric Clapton". Rockhall.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  9. ^ "Eric Clapton, All Music: Grammy Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Brits was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Ex-rebel Clapton receives his CBE". The Daily Telegraph. London. 4 November 2004. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  12. ^ Bracelin, Jason (12 September 2019). "Guitar great Eric Clapton returns to Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on 26 December 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  13. ^ Kemp, Mark (2001). "Eric Clapton Biography". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 19 September 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2011.