Slowhand Eric Clapton - Behind The Music

With seven decades in music, 3 time Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Eric Clapton has reached both the highs and lows of rock, while creating controversy along the way.

Eric Clapton (Credit, Matt Gibbons)

Born 30th March 1945, Eric Clapton would grow up believing that his grandmother, Rose, and her second husband, Jack Clapp, were his parents, and that his mother was actually his older sister.

The truth was that Clapton was born to 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton and Edward Walter Fryer, a 25-year-old soldier from Montreal, Quebec. Fryer was drafted to war before Clapton's birth and then returned to Canada.

The truth would be revealed when Clapton was nine years of age leaving him deeply effected over the revelation.

Years later, his mother Patricia married another Canadian soldier and moved to Germany, leaving Eric with his Rosie and Jack in England.

Clapton would escape the world around him through music and would get his first acoustic guitar in his early teens. Influenced by blues music from an early age, Clapton would obsess and practice for hours learning the chords of blues music by playing along to the records.

Claptons Early Years, The Roosters

By the age of 16, Clapton was beginning to get noticed around his local town. Having spent a short spell at Kingston College of Art, until he was expelled, he began busking around Kingston, Richmond, and the West End of London.

Clapton form a duo with fellow blues enthusiast Dave Brock, performing around pubs in Surrey eventually joining his full first band, an early British R&B group, The Roosters.

Clapton spell with The Roosters would be brief however he was now gaining a reputation for around town for his guitar skills.

The Yardbrids 1963

Following his departure from The Roosters Claptons next move would be to The Yardbirds who were influenced by Chicago blues artists such as Buddy Guy, Freddie King, and B.B. King.

Being pushed into the limelight, due to his playing abilities, Clapton would forge a distinctive style and rapidly became one of the most talked-about guitarists in the British music scene.

The Yardbirds quickly developed a large cult following which gave them the opportunity to take over the The Rolling Stones residency at the famous Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, London.

While being the resident band of the hottest blues club in Britain The Yardbirds would get the chance to play with one of their heroes when they got the opportunity to tour around England with American bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson II.

The Yardbirds would record their first major hit, the pop-styled For Your Love, and wanting to capitalise on their chart success the group decided to move towards a pop-orientated sound, much to the annoyance of Clapton.

Clapton was so annoyed with their new musical direction that on the day For Your Love was released to the general public, he announced his departure, being replaced by Jeff Beck.

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers 1965

Clapton was a guitarist in high demand after his departure from The Yardbirds and he was sought after by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.

Claptons first spell with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers would be short lived before he abruptly left to travel around Greece with friends.

On his return to England Clapton would rejoin The Bluesbreakers reclaiming his reputation as the best blues guitarist on the live scene.

It would be his work in the studio that Clapton would gain fame beyond the club circuit. The album, Blues Breakers – John Mayall – With Eric Clapton, often called The Beano Album by fans because of its cover photograph showing Clapton reading the British children's comic The Beano, would become a major influence on guitar players decades after its release.

Clapton had now become a guitar hero with his distinct sound, inspiring the famous slogan Clapton is God, spray-painted by an unknown admirer on a wall in Islington, North London in 1967.

Clapton would change musical direction again before The Beano Album was released to the public. Once again Clapton seemed to be avoiding fame.

Cream 1968

Following his departure from The Bluesbreakers Clapton decided that he wanted a new musical format. He had recently seen bluesman Buddy Guy perform as a three-piece and felt that this would be the best way forward.

At the same time, drummer Ginger Baker was in the process of forming his own band and invited Clapton to join, along with another Bluesbraker, Jack Bruce, who had also played with Baker in a previous band.

Both Bruce and Baker had been notorious for their quarrelling and decided to try and put aside their differences.

Cream would make their debut in 1966. With no original songs the group performed blues reworkings and extended improvised jams that thrilled the audience.

Having secured a record deal Cream would release their debut album, Fresh Cream (1996), which reached No.6 in the UK charts and No.39 in the US.

Fresh Cream consisted of a mixture of originals and blues covers, including Four Until Late, Rollin' and Tumblin', Spoonful, I'm So Glad and Cat's Squirrel.

After completing a short 9 date tour of the US Cream would begin working on what would become their second album, Disraeli Gears.

Released in November 1967 Disraeli Gears reached the top five in the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, with many considering it to be the band's defining moment, successfully blending psychedelic British rock with American blues.

Disraeli Gears would spawn the hit Sunshine of Your Love, becoming the group's unofficial anthem.

With their US hit singles White Room and Crossroads Cream were hailed as one of the greatest groups of its day, however the supergroup would be short-lived.

Drug and alcohol use, escalating tension between the three members and conflicts between Bruce and Baker eventually led to Cream's demise.

Cream would record their farewell album, Goodbye which contained the hit single Badge, co-written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison.

Blind Faith

Following the demise of Cream Claptons next supergroup, Blind Faith, formed in 1969 with drummer Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood of Traffic, and Ric Grech of Family.

Blind Faith debuted before 100,000 fans in London's Hyde Park on 7 June 1969, followed by several dates in Scandinavia and a sold-out American tour before releasing their only album, the self titled Blind Faith.

The stand out tracks on the album would be the hit song Can't Find My Way Home, and the song Presence of the Lord, the first original song credited to Clapton.

Tensions began when the group decided to tour with barely enough songs to fill an hour. Clapton was against the idea of lengthly jams, which had become his trademark.

With tension between band members, and a badly organised tour of America, the band would split leaving Clapton without a band once again.

Delaney and Bonnie

While Clapton toured with Blind Faith he became friendly with the American group Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, who were the support act.

Delaney would encourage Clapton to start singing and writing his own material resulting with Claptons first solo album Eric Clapton, using the Bramletts' backing group and an all-star cast of session players.

Eric Clapton (The Album) would spawn an unexpected US hit with J. J. Cale's After Midnight, reaching No.18 in the charts.

During this period, Clapton would work with a number of artists such as George Harrison Dr. John, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr and played on the sessions for Chicago blues artist Howlin' Wolf, recording The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions.

Derek and the Dominos

Clapton was still reluctant to consider himself as a frontman and began to assemble his next group with Bobby Whitlock (keyboardist), Carl Radle (bassist) and Jim Gordon (drummer).

Influenced by the sound of Canadian-American rock group, The Band, Clapton wanted to record music that wasnt based around his guitar virtuosity. Instead he wanted his sound to incorporate other musicans and vocal harmonies.

Clapton was going through personal issues at the same time. His close friendship with George Harrison had led to his obsession with Patti Boyd, Harrisons wife.

A large bulk of the songs that would feature on Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs would be written about Boyd, with Layla being a codded message of love for his friends wife.

Tragedy followed the the group throughout its brief career. The death of Jim Hendrix devastated Clapton, who had recently purchased a left-handed Stratocaster that he had planned to give Hendrix as a birthday gift.

The sessions would be a blizzard of drugs and alcohol resulting in lukewarm reviews when Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs was released.

Efforts were made to record a follow up album when a clash developed within the group, prompting Clapton to walk out, disbanding Derek and the Dominos.

Clapton Through The 1970's

In the aftermath of the Derek and the Dominos split, still infatuated with Boyd and torn by his friendship with Harrison, Clapton withdrew from recording and touring, diving deep into heroin addiction.

In an effort to free his friend from heroin Pete Townshend (The Who) organised a comeback concert in London featuring an all star line-up including Steve Winwood, Ronnie Wood and Jim Capaldi.

A year later Clapton kicked his heroin habit only to replace it with alcohol. By 1974 Claptons constant approaches to Boyd paid off and by 1974 they were a couple and living together.

Clapton returned to the studio in 1974 to recored 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974), once again focusing on more compact songs and fewer guitar solos. The album would spawn the single I Shot the Sheriff.

I Shot the Sheriff would be Clapton's first No.1 in addition to playing an important role in bringing reggae and the music of Bob Marley to a wider audience.

Clapton would continue to release albums and toured regularly through the 1970's. The album There's One in Every Crowd would be released a year after (461 Ocean Boulevard (1974) following in the same musical style.

1977 would be one of the most commercial and critically successful years for Clapton with the release of Slowhand, producing two hit singles, Lay Down Sally and Wonderful Tonight.

While Clapton was still having success in the studio his live performances were going from worse to worse and his struggles with alcohol dominated his life.

Clapton Through The 1980's

By the end of the 1970's Claptons health was in decline due to heavy drinking and drug taking. After admitting he was an alcoholic Clapton would go into recovery, however his soberity would be short lived.

Following his first stint in rehab Clapton returned to the studio, releasing Money and Cigarettes, which was moderately successful commercially, reaching Top 20 chart, but critical reception was lukewarm.

Claptons output continued for the rest of the 1980s, including the release of 1985's Behind the Sun, which produced the hits Forever Man and She's Waiting.

1985 would see the release of August, Claptons tenth solo album and biggest seller in the UK to date, matching his highest chart position, No.3.

The album's first track, the hit It's in the Way That You Use It, appeared in the film The Color of Money, while Tearing Us Apart (with Tina Turner) and Miss You continued Clapton's aggressive sound.

As the 1980's came to an end Clapton would release Journeyman (1989), an album that covered a wide range of styles, releasing the hit single Bad Love, which won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.

Tragedy, Tears in Heaven

Claptons drug and alcohol addiction would end with his return to rehab in 1987. The 1990s would bring a series of 32 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, including the recording of the famous 24 Nights series of concerts.

With his demons behind him tragedy lay ahead. On 27 August 1990, fellow blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, and three members of their road crew were killed in a helicopter crash between concerts.

Vaughan had been touring with Clapton and the elder guitarist had been championing Vaughan similar to his relationship with Hendrix back in the 1960's. The death of another guitar wizard would deeply effect Clapton.

The following year Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor, died after falling from the 53rd-floor window of his mother's friend's New York City apartment. Conor's funeral took place on 28 March at St Mary Magdalene's Church in Clapton's home village in Ripley, Surrey, with Conor buried in the church graveyard.

After isolating himself following the death of Conor, Clapton began working again, writing Tears in Heaven, with Will Jennings for the film Rush (1991).

Clapton would perform Tears in Heaven live in front of a small audience on 16 January 1992 at Bray Film Studios in Windsor, Berkshire, as part of his Unplugged album.

Clapton received six Grammys for Tears in Heaven and Eric Clapton Unplugged, would reach No.2 in the UK Albums Chart. Later that year Clapton performed Tears in Heaven at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, winning the Best Male Video category.

Clapton 2000's Onwards

While Claptons most commercial days are behind him, he has continued to record and perform live while also collaborating with musicians, young and old.

At times Claptons views and actions have been controversial, however his place is forever cemented in rock history.

Chart Success

Eric Clapton has been involved in 24 recorded with various groups and singers including The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Blues Breakers, Cream, John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band as well as Derek and the Dominos.

As a solo performer, Clapton has released 91 singles, his most commercially successful being Lay Down Sally, Wonderful Tonight, Change the World, Tears in Heaven and I Shot the Sheriff, his Bob Marley cover that became a Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit.