Eric Clapton was born Eric Patrick Clapton in Ripley, Surrey, England on March 30, 1945. Because his mother, Patricia Molly Clapton was only 16 and unmarried when he was born, Clapton was raised by his maternal grandmother (Rose Clapton Clapp) and step-grandfather (Jack Clapp), and told that they were his parents and his mother was his older sister.
Clapton began playing guitar at the age of 13, and joined his first group, The Roosters, four years later. He was heavily influenced by blues legends including Robert Johnson.
He began to gain fame after joining pop group The Yardbirds in 1963. However, his desire to take the band’s sound away from pop and into blues prompted his decision to leave the group in 1965, and he was replaced by Jeff Beck.
Following his stint with The Yardbirds, Clapton joined John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, which featured bassist Jack Bruce. After only a short time, Bruce and Clapton left the band in 1966 to form Cream, recruiting Ginger Baker of the Graham Bond Organization to play drums. The group released a number of successful singles throughout its short career, including “White Room” and “Sunshine of Your Love,” before breaking up in 1968.
That same year, Clapton made a guest appearance on The Beatles’ White Album, playing guitar on the track “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” at the request of George Harrison. Though he and Harrison were close friends, Clapton eventually began a relationship with Harrison’s wife, Patti Boyd-Harrison, whom he would later marry. She would later inspire him to write the song “Layla,” which Clapton recorded with Derek and the Dominos.
Briefly in 1969, Clapton formed the group Blind Faith with Baker and Traffic’s Steve Winwood. The group lasted less than a year, and Clapton soon decided that he no longer wanted to be spotlighted as the centerpiece of any band. He began touring as a backup musician with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. Forming a musical partnership with the members of the band, Clapton released his debut solo album, Eric Clapton, in 1970, backed by several members of the group as well as guest musicians like Leon Russell. The album’s single “After Midnight” broke into the top 40.
That same year, along with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon (all of Delaney and Bonnie and Friends), Clapton formed Derek and the Dominos. The group recorded one double-album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, which featured guest guitarist Duane Allman.
After Allman’s death in a motorcycle accident in 1971, Derek and the Dominos embarked on an American tour, but Clapton was crushed by Allman’s death and by the death of fellow guitarist Jimi Hendrix the year before. The band later admitted to being fueled by drugs and alcohol on their tour, though they would later release a live album titled In Concert. When they returned to the studio after the tour to record a second album, the group disbanded before the sessions were completed.
Clapton decided to take a break from touring and recording to battle heroin addiction. After Derek and the Dominos, his only musical appearances for several years were at The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 that was organized by George Harrison and at 1973’s “Rainbow Concert,” which was organized by Pete Townshend of The Who.
Ending his hiatus in 1974, Clapton released the solo albums 461 Ocean Boulevard and There’s One in Every Crowd. The former included a cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” which became a number-one single. Though his solo efforts were not nearly as successful as the albums he had released with his former groups, Clapton organized a backing band and toured the world.
In 1975, Clapton appeared in the film version of The Who’s Tommy, playing ‘The Preacher’ and singing “Eyesight to the Blind.”
Clapton released Slowhand in 1977 (the album title taken from his nickname), and it spawned some of his most famous hits, including “Cocaine,” “Lay Down Sally” and “Wonderful Tonight.”
Later that decade, Clapton was hospitalized briefly for alcohol related issues and relocated to the island of Antigua for a short time to recuperate. His time there inspired him to create the Crossroads rehabilitation center on the island in 1997.
Throughout the 1980s, Clapton continued to release successful solo albums. While only 1989’s Journeyman was praised by critics, 1981’s Another Ticket featured the hit single “I Can’t Stand It.” He and Patty Boyd divorced in 1988.
On August 27, 1990, while on tour with Clapton, guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and two members of his crew were killed in a helicopter crash. Less than a year later, Clapton’s 4-year-old son Conor died after falling from an open window in the high rise apartment of his mother, Italian model Lori Del Santo. As a tribute to his son, Clapton composed the song “Tears in Heaven,” which appeared on the soundtrack to the film Rush as well as on Clapton’s 1992 Unplugged. Clapton went on to win several Grammy Awards for the song and Unplugged.
Throughout the late 1990s and into the new century, Clapton continued to release solo albums. He won a number of Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 1997 for “Change the World.”
In 1999, Clapton auctioned off a portion of his extensive guitar collection at Christie's in London, raising over $7 million, which he donated to Crossroads.
That same year, Clapton met Melia McEnery while recording an album with BB King. The couple married in a private ceremony in 2002 and have three daughters.
Clapton continues to record and perform. His most recent release was 2004’s Me and Mr. Johnson, a collection of Clapton covers of songs by blues legend Robert Johnson.
