In the mid-1960s, Clapton left the Yardbirds to play with. Immediately after leaving Mayall, Clapton joined, a with drummer and bassist in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and 'arty, blues-based psychedelic pop'. For most of the 1970s, Clapton's output bore the influence of the mellow style of and the of. His version of Marley's ' helped reggae reach a mass market. Two of his most popular recordings were ', recorded while he was a member of band; and 's ', recorded by band Cream. Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton's grief was expressed in the song ', which featured in his album.

Greatest Hits is a compilation album of songs by The Police, released in 1992. Description from ektorasclub.wordpress.com. I searched for this on bing.com/images. Mar 30, 2015 Eric Patrick Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey, England, the son of 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton (7 January 1929 – March 1999) and Edward Walter.

Eric Patrick Clapton was born in, England, the son of 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton ( 7 January 1929 – March 1999) and Edward Walter Fryer ( 21 March 1920 – 15 May 1985), a 25-year-old soldier from, Quebec. Fryer shipped off to war prior to Clapton's birth and then returned to Canada.

Clapton grew up with his grandmother, Rose, and her second husband, Jack Clapp, who was stepfather to Patricia Clapton and her brother Adrian, believing they were his parents and that his mother was actually his older sister. The similarity in surnames gave rise to the erroneous belief that Clapton's real surname is Clapp (Reginald Cecil Clapton was the name of Rose's first husband, Eric Clapton's maternal grandfather). Years later, his mother married another Canadian soldier and moved to Germany, leaving young Eric with his grandparents in. Clapton received an acoustic, made in Germany, for his thirteenth birthday, but the inexpensive steel-stringed instrument was difficult to play and he briefly lost interest. Two years later Clapton picked it up again and started playing consistently.

Clapton was influenced by the from an early age, and practised long hours to learn the of blues music by playing along to the records. He preserved his practice sessions using his portable reel-to-reel tape recorder, listening to them over and over until he felt he'd got it right. In 1961, after leaving in, Clapton studied at the but was dismissed at the end of the academic year because his focus remained on music rather than art. His guitar playing was so advanced that, by the age of 16, he was getting noticed. Around this time, Clapton began around,, and the.

In 1962, Clapton started performing as a duo with fellow blues enthusiast in pubs around Surrey. When he was seventeen years old, Clapton joined his first band, an early British group, the Roosters, whose other guitarist was. He stayed with this band from January through August 1963. In October of that year, Clapton did a seven- stint with. Career [ ] Early career, breakthrough, and international success [ ] The Yardbirds and the Bluesbreakers [ ]. In October 1963, Clapton joined The Yardbirds, a blues-influenced band, and stayed with them until March 1965.

Synthesising influences from and leading blues guitarists such as,, and, Clapton forged a distinctive style and rapidly became one of the most talked-about guitarists in the British music scene. The band initially played // blues numbers and began to attract a large when they took over the ' residency at the in. They toured England with American bluesman; a joint LP album, recorded in December 1963, was issued in 1965. Yardbirds' rhythm guitarist,, recalled that whenever Clapton broke a guitar string during a concert, he would stay on stage and replace it. The English audiences would wait out the delay by doing what is called a '. Clapton told his official biographer, Ray Coleman, that, 'My nickname of 'Slowhand' came from. He coined it as a good pun.

He kept saying I was a fast player, so he put together the slow handclap phrase into Slowhand as a play on words'. In December 1964, Clapton made his first appearance at the, London with The Yardbirds. Since then, Clapton has performed at the Hall almost 200 times and has stated that performing at the venue is like 'playing in my front room'. In March 1965, Clapton and the Yardbirds had their first major hit, ', written by songwriter, who would also write hit songs for and. In part because of its success, the Yardbirds elected to move toward a pop-oriented sound, much to the annoyance of Clapton, who was devoted to the blues and not commercial success.

He left Yardbirds on the day that 'For Your Love' went public, a move that left the band without its lead guitarist and most accomplished member. Clapton suggested fellow guitarist to be his replacement, but Page declined out of loyalty to Clapton, putting forward.

While Beck and Page played together in the Yardbirds, the trio of Beck, Page, and Clapton were never in the group together. However, the three did appear on the 12-date benefit tour for Action for Research into in 1983. Clapton joined in April 1965, only to quit a few months later.

In the summer of 1965 he left for Greece with a band called The Glands, which included his old friend Ben Palmer on piano. In November 1965 he rejoined John Mayall. During his second Bluesbreakers stint, Clapton gained a reputation as the best blues guitarist on the club circuit. Although Clapton gained world fame for his playing on the influential album,, this album was not released until he had left the band for the last time. Having swapped his and amplifier for a 1960 guitar and, Clapton's sound and playing inspired a well-publicised that with the famous 'Clapton is God'.

The phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in an station in the autumn of 1967. The graffiti was captured in a now-famous photograph, in which a dog is. Clapton is reported to have been embarrassed by the slogan, saying in his profile in 1987, 'I never accepted that I was the greatest guitar player in the world. I always wanted to be the greatest guitar player in the world, but that's an ideal, and I accept it as an ideal'.

The phrase began to appear in other areas of Islington throughout the mid-1960s. Clapton left the Bluesbreakers in July 1966 (replaced by ) and was invited by drummer to play in his newly formed band Cream, one of the earliest, with on bass (previously of the Bluesbreakers, the and ). Before the formation of Cream, Clapton was not well known in the United States; he left the Yardbirds before 'For Your Love' hit the, and had yet to perform there. During his time with Cream, Clapton began to develop as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, though Bruce took most of the lead vocals and wrote the majority of the material with lyricist. Cream's first gig was an unofficial performance at the in Manchester on 29 July 1966 before their full debut two nights later at the in. Cream established its enduring legend with the high-volume blues jamming and extended solos of their live shows. By early 1967, as fans of the emerging blues-rock sound in Britain had begun to portray Clapton as Britain's top guitarist; however, he found himself rivalled by the emergence of, an -infused guitarist who used wailing and to create new sounds for the instrument.

Hendrix attended a performance of the newly formed Cream at the on 1 October 1966, during which Hendrix sat in on a double-timed version of '. Top UK stars, including Clapton,, and members of and, avidly attended Hendrix's early club performances. Hendrix's arrival had an immediate and major effect on the next phase of Clapton's career, although Clapton continued to be recognised in UK music polls as the premier guitarist. Clapton first visited the United States while touring with Cream.

In March 1967, Cream performed a nine-show stand at the RKO Theater in New York. They recorded in New York from 11–15 May 1967. Cream's repertoire varied from hard rock (') to lengthy blues-based instrumental jams ('). Disraeli Gears featured Clapton's searing guitar lines, Bruce's soaring vocals and prominent, fluid bass playing, and Baker's powerful, polyrhythmic jazz-influenced drumming. Together, Cream's talents secured them as an influential. In 28 months, Cream had become a commercial success, selling millions of records and playing throughout the US and Europe.

They redefined the instrumentalist's role in rock and were one of the first blues-rock bands to emphasise musical virtuosity and lengthy jazz-style improvisation sessions. Their US hit singles include ' (#5, 1968), ' (#6, 1968) and ' (#28, 1969) – a live version of 's 'Cross Road Blues'. Though Cream was hailed as one of the greatest groups of its day, and the adulation of Clapton as a guitar legend reached new heights, the was short-lived.

Drug and alcohol use escalated tension between the three members, and conflicts between Bruce and Baker eventually led to Cream's demise. A strongly critical Rolling Stone review of a concert of the group's second headlining US tour was another significant factor in the trio's demise, and it affected Clapton profoundly. Harrison also released his solo debut album,, in 1968. It became the first of many Harrison solo records to feature Clapton on guitar. Clapton would go largely uncredited for his contributions to Harrison's albums due to contractual restraints, and Harrison was credited as 'L'Angelo Misterioso' for his contributions to the song 'Badge' on Goodbye. The pair would often play live together as each other's guest. A year after Harrison's death in 2001, Clapton helped organise a, for which he was musical director.

In 1969, when The Beatles were recording/filming what became, tensions became so acute that Harrison quit the group for several days, prompting the others to consider replacing him with Clapton, an idea that particularly appealed to, who was captured on tape saying that if: 'George doesn’t come back by Monday or Tuesday, we ask Eric Clapton to play', and that this would be congenial to Clapton in that The Beatles, unlike Cream, 'would give him full scope to play his guitar'. Years later, Clapton commented on the absurdity of this idea: 'There may have been [a suggestion that I would be asked to join The Beatles in January 1969]. The problem with that was I had bonded or was developing a relationship with George, exclusive of them. I think it fitted a need of his and mine, that he could elevate himself by having this guy that could be like a gunslinger to them.

Lennon would use my name every now and then for clout, as if I was the fastest gun. So, I don’t think I could have been brought into the whole thing because I was too much a mate of George’s'. This is not to say that Clapton was not on good terms with the other Beatles; previously he had backed up Lennon at the as part of the one-off group in December, 1968.

Clapton's next group, (1969), was composed of Cream drummer, of, and of, and yielded one LP and one arena-circuit tour. The supergroup debuted before 100,000 fans in London's on 7 June 1969. They performed several dates in Scandinavia and began a sold-out American tour in July before their only album was released. The LP consisted of just six songs, one of them a 15-minute jam entitled 'Do What You Like'. The album's jacket image of a topless pubescent girl was deemed controversial in the United States and was replaced by a photograph of the band. Blind Faith dissolved after less than seven months. Using the Bramletts' backing group and an all-star cast of session players (including and ), Clapton recorded his first solo album during two brief tour hiatuses, fittingly named.

Delaney Bramlett co-wrote six of the songs with Clapton, also producing the LP. And co-wrote 'Let It Rain'. The album yielded the unexpected US No. 18 hit, 's 'After Midnight'. Clapton also worked with much of Delaney and Bonnie's band to record George Harrison's in spring 1970.

During this busy period, Clapton also recorded with other artists including Dr. John,, Plastic Ono Band,, and. Other notable recordings from this period include Clapton's guitar work on 'Go Back Home' from '. 'Layla' and solo career [ ] Derek and the Dominos [ ]. With the intention of counteracting the 'star' cult faction that had begun to form around him, Clapton assembled a new band composed of Delaney and Bonnie's former, as keyboardist and vocalist, as the bassist, and drummer, with Clapton playing guitar. It was his intention to show that he need not fill a starring role, and functioned well as a member of an ensemble.

During this period, Clapton was increasingly influenced by and their album, saying, 'What I appreciated about The Band was that they were more concerned with songs and singing. They would have three- and four-part harmonies, and the guitar was put back into perspective as being accompaniment. That suited me well, because I had gotten so tired of the virtuosity—or pseudo-virtuosity—thing of long, boring guitar solos just because they were expected. The Band brought things back into perspective. The priority was the song'.

Clapton's close friendship with George Harrison brought him into contact with Harrison's wife,, with whom he became deeply infatuated. When she spurned his advances, Clapton's unrequited affections prompted most of the material for the Dominos' album, (1970). Heavily blues-influenced, the album features the twin lead guitars of Duane Allman and Clapton, with Allman's as a key ingredient of the sound. Working at in Miami with producer, who had worked with Clapton on Cream's Disraeli Gears, the band recorded a double album. The album features the hit love song ', inspired by the classical poet of, 's, a copy of which had given to Clapton. The book moved Clapton profoundly, as it was the tale of a young man who fell hopelessly in love with a beautiful, unavailable woman and who went crazy because he could not marry her. The two parts of 'Layla' were recorded in separate sessions: the opening guitar section was recorded first, and for the second section, laid down several months later, drummer Jim Gordon played the piano part for the melody which he claimed to have written (though Bobby Whitlock stated that Rita Coolidge wrote it).

The Layla LP was actually recorded by a five-piece version of the group, thanks to the unforeseen inclusion of guitarist of. A few days into the Layla sessions, Dowd—who was also producing the Allmans—invited Clapton to an Allman Brothers outdoor concert in Miami. The two guitarists met first on stage, then played all night in the studio, and became friends. Duane first added his to ' and '. In four days, the five-piece Dominos recorded ', ' (a popularised by and others), and 'Why Does Love Got to be So Sad'. In September, Duane briefly left the sessions for gigs with his own band, and the four-piece Dominos recorded 'I Looked Away', ', and 'Keep on Growing'.

Duane returned to record 'I am Yours', 'Anyday', and 'It's Too Late'. On 9 September, they recorded Hendrix's ' and the title track. The following day, the final track, 'It's Too Late', was recorded. Tragedy dogged the group throughout its brief career. During the sessions, Clapton was devastated by news of the death of Jimi Hendrix; eight days previously the band had cut a cover of 'Little Wing' as a tribute to Hendrix. On 17 September 1970, one day before Hendrix's death, Clapton had purchased a that he had planned to give to Hendrix as a birthday gift. Adding to Clapton's woes, the Layla album received only lukewarm reviews upon release.

The shaken group undertook a US tour without Allman, who had returned to the Allman Brothers Band. Despite Clapton's later admission that the tour took place amidst a veritable blizzard of drugs and alcohol, it resulted in the live double album. A second record was in the works when a clashing of egos took place and Clapton walked, thus disbanding the group. Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident on 29 October 1971. Clapton wrote later in his autobiography that he and Allman were inseparable during the sessions in Florida; he talked about Allman as the 'musical brother I'd never had but wished I did'. Although Radle would remain Clapton's bass player until the summer of 1979 (Radle died in May 1980 from the effects of alcohol and narcotics), it would be 2003 before Clapton and Whitlock appeared together again (Clapton guested on Whitlock's appearance on the show). Another tragic footnote to the Dominos story was the fate of drummer, who was an undiagnosed and years later murdered his mother during a.

Gordon was confined to 16-years-to-life imprisonment, later being moved to a mental institution, where he remains today. Personal challenges and early solo success [ ]. Clapton's career successes in the 1970s were in stark contrast with the struggles he coped with in his personal life, which was troubled by romantic longings and drug and alcohol addiction. He became infatuated with Pattie Boyd, who at the time was married to close friend, he withdrew from recording and touring to isolation in his Surrey, England, residence as the band broke up.

There he nursed a, which resulted in a lengthy career hiatus interrupted only by the in August 1971 (where he passed out on stage, was revived, and managed to finish his performance). In January 1973, 's organised a comeback concert for Clapton at London's, aptly titled the ', to help Clapton kick his addiction. Clapton would return the favour by playing 'The Preacher' in of The Who's in 1975; his appearance in the film (performing 'Eyesight to the Blind') is notable as he is clearly wearing a fake beard in some shots, the result of deciding to shave off his real beard after the initial takes in an attempt to force the director to remove his earlier scene from the movie and leave the set. In 1974, Clapton was partnered with Pattie Boyd (they would not actually marry until 1979) and no longer using heroin (although he gradually began to drink heavily). He assembled a low-key touring band that included Radle, Miami guitarist, keyboardist Dick Sims (who died in 2011 ), drummer, and vocalists and (also known as Marcella Detroit). With this band Clapton recorded (1974), an album with an emphasis on more compact songs and fewer guitar solos; the cover version of ' was Clapton's first No. 1 hit and was important in bringing and the music of to a wider audience.

The 1975 album continued this trend. The album's original title, The World's Greatest Guitar Player (There's One in Every Crowd), was changed before pressing, as it was felt its ironic intention would be misunderstood. The band toured the world and subsequently released the 1975 live LP,. Clapton continued to release albums and toured regularly. Highlights of the period include (a collaboration with and );, which featured ' and a second JJ Cale cover, '. In 1976 he performed as one of a string of notable guests at the farewell performance of The Band, filmed in a documentary called.

Continued success [ ]. In 1981 Clapton was invited by producer to appear at the benefit. Clapton accepted the invitation and teamed up with Jeff Beck to perform a series of duets—reportedly their first-ever billed stage collaboration. Three of the performances were released on the album of the show, and one of the songs was featured in the film. The performances heralded a return to form and prominence for Clapton in the new decade.

Many factors had influenced Clapton's comeback, including his 'deepening commitment to Christianity', to which he had converted prior to his heroin addiction. After an embarrassing fishing incident, Clapton finally called his manager and admitted he was an alcoholic. In January 1982 Roger and Clapton flew to; Clapton would be checked in at, located in. On the flight over, Clapton indulged in a large number of drinks, for fear he would never be able to drink again.

Clapton is quoted as saying from his autobiography, 'In the lowest moments of my life, the only reason I didn't commit suicide was that I knew I wouldn't be able to drink any more if I was dead. It was the only thing I thought was worth living for, and the idea that people were about to try and remove me from alcohol was so terrible that I drank and drank and drank, and they had to practically carry me into the clinic'. In 1984 he performed on member ' solo album,, and went on tour with Waters following the release of the album. Since then Waters and Clapton have had a close relationship. In 2005 they performed together for the Tsunami Relief Fund.

In 2006 they performed at the Highclere Castle, in aid of the Countryside Alliance, playing two set pieces of ' and '. Clapton, now a seasoned charity performer, played at the concert on 13 July 1985. When offered a slot close to peak viewing hours, he was apparently flattered. As Clapton recovered from his addictions, his album output continued in the 1980s, including two produced with, 1985's, which produced the hits 'Forever Man' and 'She's Waiting', and 1986's. August was suffused with Collins's trademark drum and horn sound, and became Clapton's biggest seller in the UK to date, matching his highest chart position, number 3. The album's first track, the hit 'It's in the Way That You Use It', was featured in the – movie. The horn-peppered 'Run' echoed Collins' 'Sussudio' and rest of the producer's Genesis/solo output, while 'Tearing Us Apart' (with ) and the unimpressed 'Miss You' echoed Clapton's angry sound.

This rebound kicked off Clapton's two-year period of touring with Collins and their August collaborates, bassist and keyboard player/songwriter Greg Phillinganes. While on tour for August, two concert videos were recorded of the four-man band, Eric Clapton Live from Montreux and Eric Clapton and Friends. Clapton later remade 'After Midnight' as a single and a promotional track for the beer brand, which had also marketed earlier songs by Collins and.

Clapton won a for his collaboration with on the score for the 1985 thriller serial. In 1989, Clapton released, an album which covered a wide range of styles including blues, jazz, soul and pop. Collaborators included George Harrison, Phil Collins,,,, and. At the in London, Clapton was awarded the prize for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Resurgence and stardom [ ]. The 1990s brought a series of 32 concerts to the Royal Albert Hall, such as the series of concerts that took place around January through February 1990, and February to March 1991.

On 27 August 1990, fellow blues guitarist, who was touring with Clapton, and three members of their road crew were killed in a helicopter crash between concerts. Then, on 20 March 1991, 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 at 117 East 57th Street. Conor's funeral took place on 28 March at St Mary Magdelene's Church in Clapton's home village in, Surrey.

While Unplugged featured Clapton playing, his 1994 album contained new versions of old, highlighted by his electric guitar playing. Clapton's 1996 recording of the // tune 'Change the World' (featured in the soundtrack of the film ) won the in 1997, the same year he recorded Retail Therapy (an album of with under the pseudonym ). On 15 September 1997, Clapton appeared at the concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, performing 'Layla' and 'Same Old Blues' before finishing with 'Hey Jude' alongside fellow English artists,,, and. That autumn, Clapton released the album, the first record featuring new material for almost a decade.

Following the release of the 2001 record, in June 2002, Clapton performed 'Layla' and 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' at the concert in the grounds of. On 29 November 2002, the was held at the, a tribute to George Harrison, who had died a year earlier of lung cancer. Clapton was a performer and the musical director. The concert featured, Ringo Starr,,,,, Billy Preston, and. In 2004, Clapton released two albums of covers of songs by bluesman, and. Guitarist worked on the album with Clapton (after opening Clapton's 2001 tour with his band Smokestack) and would join him on his 2004 tour. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Clapton No. 53 on their list of the '100 Greatest Artists of All Time'.

A collaboration with guitarist J. Cale, titled, was released on 7 November 2006, featuring and Billy Preston (Preston had also been a part of Clapton's 2004 touring band). The 14-track CD was produced and recorded by the duo in August 2005 in California. He invited Trucks to join his band for his 2006–2007 world tour. Bramhall remained in the band as well, giving Clapton three elite guitarists in his band and thus allowing him to revisit many Derek and the Dominos songs that he hadn't played in decades.

Trucks became the third member of the Allman Brothers Band to tour supporting Clapton, the second being pianist/keyboardist, who appeared on the album and the performances at the Royal Albert Hall theatre of London in 1990 and 1991, as well as Clapton's 1992 US tour. In 2007 Clapton learned more about his father, a Canadian soldier who left the UK after the war. Although Clapton's grandparents eventually told him the truth about his parentage, he only knew that his father's name was Edward Fryer. This was a source of disquiet for Clapton, as witnessed by his 1998 song '.

A journalist named Michael Woloschuk researched Canadian Armed Forces service records and tracked down members of Fryer's family, and finally pieced together the story. He learned that Clapton's father was Edward Walter Fryer, born 21 March 1920, in and died 15 May 1985 in. Fryer was a musician (piano and saxophone) and a lifelong drifter who was married several times, had several children, and apparently never knew that he was the father of Eric Clapton. Clapton thanked Woloschuk in an encounter at Macdonald Cartier Airport, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In March 2009, the Allman Brothers Band (amongst many notable guests) celebrated their 40th year, dedicating their string of concerts to the late Duane Allman on their annual run at the. Eric Clapton was one of the performers, with drummer remarking that the performance was not the typical Allman Brothers experience, given the number and musical styles of the guests who were invited to perform. Songs like ' were punctuated with others, including ', with; sitting in on Hendrix's '; and 'Layla'.

On 4 May 2009 Clapton appeared as a featured guest at the Royal Albert Hall, playing ' with. Clapton performed a two-night show with at on 13–14 February 2010. The two former Yardbirds extended their 2010 tour with stops at Madison Square Garden, the in Toronto, and the in Montreal. Clapton performed a series of concerts in 11 cities throughout the United States from 25 February to 13 March 2010, including as opening act. His third European tour with Steve Winwood began on 18 May and ended 13 June, including as opening act. He then began a short North American tour lasting from 26 June to 3 July, starting with his third Crossroads Guitar Festival on 26 June at in.

Clapton released a new studio album,, on 27 September 2010 in the United Kingdom and 28 September 2010 in the United States. On 17 November 2010, Clapton performed as guest on the rock gala held at the Royal Albert Hall, supported by the house band for the evening, which included, and. On 24 June 2011, Clapton was in concert with in stadium, Italy, with an audience of 15,000 people before performing a series of concerts in South America from 6 to 16 October 2011.

He spent November and December 2011 touring Japan with, playing 13 shows in various cities throughout the country. On 24 February 2012 Clapton,,,,, and other artists performed together in the Howlin' For Hubert Tribute concert held at the of honouring blues guitarist who died at age 80 in 4 December 2011. On 29 November 2012, Clapton joined the at London's O2 Arena during the band's second of five arena dates celebrating their 50th anniversary. He played guitar on ' Champagne and Reefer.

On 12 December 2012, Clapton performed at Madison Square Garden, broadcast live via television, radio, cinemas and the Internet across six continents. Clapton scheduled two shows at in New York on 1 and 2 May 2015 followed by a 7-night residency at London's from 14 to 23 May 2015 to celebrate his 70th birthday on 30 March. The shows also mark 50 years since Clapton first played at the Royal Albert Hall – his debut was on 7 December 1964 when he performed as part of for BBC-2 TV’s “Top Beat Show.” Clapton returned to the venue four years later for 's UK Farewell Concerts on 26 November 1968. The 2-night concerts in the US will mark the 46th anniversary since Clapton, with the band Cream, opened the “new” Madison Square Garden on 2 November 1968. Clapton has performed more times at Madison Square Garden than any other US venue, a total of 45 times. Influences [ ].

Clapton's choice of electric guitars has been as notable as the man himself; alongside, and Jimi Hendrix, Clapton exerted a crucial and widespread influence in popularising particular models of electric guitar. With the Yardbirds, Clapton played a, a, a double-cutaway, and a 1964 Cherry-Red.

He became exclusively a Gibson player for a period beginning in mid-1965, when he purchased a used sunburst guitar from a guitar store in London. Clapton commented on the slim profile of the neck, which would indicate it was a 1960 model. Early during his stint in Cream, Clapton's first Les Paul Standard was stolen. He continued to play Les Pauls exclusively with Cream (one bought from was almost identical to the stolen guitar) until 1967, when he acquired his most famous guitar in this period, a 1964. Just before Cream's first US appearance in 1967,, Bruce's, and Baker's drum head were all repainted in psychedelic designs created by the visual art collective known as.

In 1968 Clapton bought a and started using the 1964 Cherry-Red Gibson ES-335 again. The aforementioned 1964 ES-335 had a storied career.

Clapton used it at the last Cream show in November 1968 as well as with Blind Faith, played it sparingly for slide pieces in the 1970s, used it on 'Hard Times' from, the live concert of 1996, and the sessions and tour of 1994–95. It was sold for US$847,500 at a 2004 auction. Gibson produced a limited run of 250 'Crossroads 335' replicas. The 335 was only the second electric guitar Clapton bought. In July 1968 Clapton gave George Harrison a 1957 'goldtop' Gibson Les Paul that been refinished with a red colour. The following September, Clapton played the guitar on the Beatles' studio recording of '. List Of Stories In Wattpad With Soft Copies. His SG found its way into the hands of George Harrison's friend, who subsequently sold it to musician for US$500 in 1972.

Rundgren restored the guitar and nicknamed it 'Sunny', after 'Sunshine of Your Love'. He retained it until 2000, when he sold it at an auction for US$150,000. At the 1969 Blind Faith concert in Clapton played a Custom, which was fitted with ' '​s neck. In late 1969 Clapton made the switch to the. 'I had a lot of influences when I took up the Strat. First there was, and. Hank Marvin was the first well known person over here in England who was using one, but that wasn't really my kind of music.

Steve Winwood had so much credibility, and when he started playing one, I thought, oh, if he can do it, I can do it'. The first—used during the recording of —was 'Brownie', which in 1973 became the backup to the most famous of all Clapton's guitars, '.

In November 1970 Eric bought six Fender Stratocasters from the Sho-bud guitar shop in while on tour with the Dominos. He gave one each to George Harrison, Steve Winwood, and Pete Townshend. Clapton assembled the best components of the remaining three to create 'Blackie', which was his favourite stage guitar until its retirement in 1985. It was first played live 13 January 1973 at the. Clapton called the 1956/57 Strat a 'mongrel'.

On 24 June 2004, Clapton sold 'Blackie' at Auction House, New York, for US$959,500 to raise funds for his for drug and alcohol addictions. 'Brownie' is now on display at the.

The has since produced a limited run of 275 'Blackie' replicas, correct in every detail right down to the 'Duck Brothers' flight case, and artificially aged using Fender's 'Relic' process to simulate years of hard wear. One was presented to Eric upon the model's release and was used for three numbers during a concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 17 May 2006. In 1988 Fender honoured Clapton with the introduction of his signature. This, and the Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster, were the first two artist models in the Stratocaster range. Since then, the artist series has grown to include models inspired by Clapton's contemporaries such as,, Jeff Beck, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and by those who have influenced him, such as.

Clapton uses Slinky and Super Slinky strings, gauge.10 to.46. Clapton has been honoured with several signature-model 000-sized acoustic guitars made by the American firm of. The first, of these, introduced in 1995, was a limited edition 000-42EC Eric Clapton signature model with a production run of 461. For the single (1996) and the album (1998) he used a Martin 000-28 EC Eric Clapton signature model, which he subsequently gave to guitarist. As of December 2007, Martin had produced seven EC signature models.

His 1939 000-42 Martin that he played on the Unplugged album sold for US$791,500 at auction. Clapton plays a custom 000-ECHF Martin these days. In 1999, Clapton auctioned off some of his guitar collection to raise more than US$5 million for continuing support of the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, which he founded in 1997.

The Crossroads Centre is a treatment base for addictive disorders such as drugs and alcohol. In 2004 Clapton organised and participated in the Crossroads Guitar Festival to benefit the Centre. A second guitar auction, including the 'Cream' of Clapton's collection – as well as guitars donated by famous friends – was held on 24 June 2004.

His acoustic guitar sold for US$41,825. The revenue garnered by this auction at Christie's was US$7,438,624. In 2010 Eric Clapton announced that he would be auctioning off over 150 items at a New York auction in 2011. Proceeds will benefit his Crossroads Centre in Antigua. Items include Clapton's guitar from the Cream reunion tour in 2005, speaker cabinets used in the early 1970s from his days with Derek and the Dominoes, and some guitars from Jeff Beck, JJ Cale, and Joe Bonamassa. In March 2011 Clapton raised more than US$2.15 million when he auctioned off key items, including a 1984 Gibson, a suit from his 1990 concert at the Royal Albert Hall, and a replica of the famous Fender Stratocaster known as 'Blackie', which fetched more than $30,000.

All proceeds from the auction were donated to Clapton's Crossroads drug and rehabilitation centre in Antigua. Woman tone [ ]. Clapton frequently appears as a guest on the albums of other musicians. For example, he is credited on '​s album, as he lent one of his guitars. He played lead guitar and synthesiser on, ' debut solo album. Other media appearances include the album, where he played guitar on the track '.

He played on 's 1985 album on the track 'Deep in your Heart'. He can also be heard at the beginning of 's album,, repeating the phrase, 'Are you hung up?' Over and over again. In 1985, Clapton appeared on the charity concert in with,,,,,, and. In 1988 he played with and at the at and the rock gala at the. On 30 June 1990,, Clapton and made a guest appearance in the charity show held.

In 1991 Clapton was featured on 's album,, in a song dedicated to him, called 'Mr. He contributed guitar and vocals to 'Runaway Train', a duet with Elton John on the latter's album the following year. Clapton was featured in the movie version of, the first full length, written. The movie version gave Clapton a as The Preacher, performing 's song, 'Eyesight to the Blind'. He appeared in as one of the Louisiana Gator Boys.

In addition to being in the band, he had a small speaking role. Clapton has appeared in an advertisement for the. In March 2007 Clapton appeared in an advertisement for. In 2010 Clapton started appearing as a spokesman for, advertising their Fender cell phone. In 2011 Clapton made a guest appearance on 's album Looking Up Feeling Down, where he played alongside legendary folk guitarist for the first time. I used to be into dope, now I'm into racism. It's much heavier, man.

Fucking wogs, man. Fucking Saudis taking over London. Bastard wogs. Britain is becoming overcrowded and Enoch will stop it and send them all back.

The black wogs and coons and Arabs and fucking Jamaicans and fucking [indecipherable] don't belong here, we don't want them here. This is England, this is a white country, we don't want any black wogs and coons living here. We need to make clear to them they are not welcome. England is for white people, man. We are a white country.

I don't want fucking wogs living next to me with their standards. This is Great Britain, a white country, what is happening to us, for fuck's sake? We need to vote for Enoch Powell, he's a great man, speaking truth.

Vote for Enoch, he's our man, he's on our side, he'll look after us. I want all of you here to vote for Enoch, support him, he's on our side. Enoch for Prime Minister! Throw the wogs out! Keep Britain white! In an interview from October 1976 with magazine, Clapton remarked, 'I thought it was quite funny actually. I don't know much about politics.

I don't even know if it would be good or bad for him to get in. I don't even know who the Prime Minister is now. I just don't know what came over me that night.

It must have been something that happened in the day but it came out in this garbled thing. I thought the whole thing was like Monty Python.

There's this rock group playing on-stage and the singer starts talking about politics. It's so stupid.

Those people who paid their money sittin' listening to this madman dribbling on and the band meanwhile getting fidgety thinking 'oh dear'. In a 2004 interview with, Clapton referred to Powell as 'outrageously brave', and stated that his 'feeling about this has not changed', because the UK is still '. Inviting people in as cheap labour and then putting them in ghettos'. In 2004, Clapton told an interviewer for, 'There's no way I could be a racist. It would make no sense'. In his 2007 autobiography, Clapton called himself 'deliberately oblivious to it all' and wrote, 'I had never really understood or been directly affected by racial conflict. When I listened to music, I was disinterested in where the players came from or what colour their skin was.

Interesting, then, that 10 years later, I would be labelled a racist. Since then, I have learnt to keep my opinions to myself. Of course, it might also have had something to do with the fact that Pattie had just been leered at by a member of the Saudi royal family'. In a December 2007 interview with on, Clapton reiterated his support for Enoch Powell and again denied that Powell's views were 'racist'.

Wealth and assets [ ]. In 2009, Surrey Life Magazine ranked Eric Clapton as number 17 in their list of richest residents, estimating Clapton's fortune at £120 million in assets. This was a compilation of property and income which include a £9 million, ' (previously owned by ), his back, his touring income, and his, which had earned him £110 million since 1989. In 2003, he purchased a 50 percent share of gentleman's outfitters Cordings Piccadilly. At the time, owner Noll Uloth was trying to save the shop from closure and thought 'I will go and talk to my best client'.

He is reported to have contacted Clapton and within five minutes he had a reply saying 'I can't let this happen'. Charitable work [ ]. Clapton's music has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows as far back as 1973's which featured the song 'I Looked Away'. Other appearances in media include in the series ('Wonderful Tonight', 'Knock on Wood', 'She's Waiting', and '), ('Heaven Is One Step Away'), ('It's In The Way That You Use It'), ('Knockin' On Heaven's Door'), ('Layla' and '), the episode ' ('Wonderful Tonight'), and ('Strange Brew'). Also, and used the guitar riff from 'Layla' in their advertising campaigns throughout 1987–95. In addition to his music appearing in media, Clapton has contributed to several movies by writing or co-writing the musical scores or contributing original songs.

These movies include (co-written with Michael Kamen),,, ('), and (co-wrote and co-performed 'It's Probably Me' with and 'Runaway Train' with Elton John). Discography [ ].

In the mid-1960s, Clapton left the Yardbirds to play with. Immediately after leaving Mayall, Clapton joined, a with drummer and bassist in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and 'arty, blues-based psychedelic pop'. For most of the 1970s, Clapton's output bore the influence of the mellow style of and the of. His version of Marley's ' helped reggae reach a mass market. Two of his most popular recordings were ', recorded by, another band he formed, and 's ', recorded by Cream. Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton's grief was expressed in the song ', which featured in his album. Eric Patrick Clapton was born in, England, the son of 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton ( 7 January 1929 – March 1999) and Edward Walter Fryer ( 21 March 1920 – 15 May 1985), a 25-year-old soldier from, Quebec.

Fryer shipped off to war prior to Clapton's birth and then returned to Canada. Clapton grew up with his grandmother, Rose, and her second husband, Jack Clapp, who was stepfather to Patricia Clapton and her brother Adrian, believing they were his parents and that his mother was actually his older sister. The similarity in surnames gave rise to the erroneous belief that Clapton's real surname is Clapp (Reginald Cecil Clapton was the name of Rose's first husband, Eric Clapton's maternal grandfather).

Years later, his mother married another Canadian soldier and moved to Germany, leaving young Eric with his grandparents in. Clapton received an acoustic, made in Germany, for his thirteenth birthday, but the inexpensive steel-stringed instrument was difficult to play and he briefly lost interest. Two years later Clapton picked it up again and started playing consistently. Clapton was influenced by the from an early age, and practised long hours to learn the of blues music by playing along to the records.

He preserved his practice sessions using his portable reel-to-reel tape recorder, listening to them over and over until he felt he'd got it right. In 1961, after leaving in, Clapton studied at the but was dismissed at the end of the academic year because his focus remained on music rather than art.

His guitar playing was so advanced that, by the age of 16, he was getting noticed. Around this time, Clapton began around,, and the. In 1962, Clapton started performing as a duo with fellow blues enthusiast in pubs around Surrey. When he was seventeen years old, Clapton joined his first band, an early British group, the Roosters, whose other guitarist was. He stayed with this band from January through August 1963. In October of that year, Clapton did a seven- stint with.

Early career, breakthrough, and international success The Yardbirds and the Bluesbreakers. In October 1963, Clapton joined The Yardbirds, a blues-influenced band, and stayed with them until March 1965. Synthesising influences from and leading blues guitarists such as,, and, Clapton forged a distinctive style and rapidly became one of the most talked-about guitarists in the British music scene. The band initially played // blues numbers and began to attract a large when they took over the ' residency at the in.

They toured England with American bluesman; a joint LP album, recorded in December 1963, was issued in 1965. It was during this time period that Clapton's Yardbirds rhythm guitarist,, recalled that whenever Clapton broke a guitar string during a concert, he would stay on stage and replace it. The English audiences would wait out the delay by doing what is called a '.

Clapton told his official biographer, Ray Coleman, that, 'My nickname of 'Slowhand' came from. He coined it as a good pun. He kept saying I was a fast player, so he put together the slow handclap phrase into Slowhand as a play on words'. In December 1964, Clapton made his first appearance at the, London with The Yardbirds. Since then, Clapton has performed at the Hall almost 200 times, and has stated that performing at the venue is like 'playing in my front room'. In March 1965 the Yardbirds had their first major hit, ', on which Clapton played guitar. The Yardbirds elected to move toward a pop-oriented sound, in part because of the success of 'For Your Love', written by pop songwriter-for-hire (who would achieve success as a member of ), who had also written hit songs for and.

Still musically devoted to the blues, Clapton was opposed to the move, and left the band. He recommended fellow guitarist as his replacement, but Page declined out of loyalty to Clapton, putting forward. While Beck and Page played together in the Yardbirds, the trio of Beck, Page, and Clapton were never in the group together. However, the trio did appear on the 12-date benefit tour for Action for Research into in 1983. Clapton joined in April 1965, only to quit a few months later. In the summer of 1965 he left for Greece with a band called The Glands, which included his old friend Ben Palmer on piano. In November 1965 he rejoined John Mayall.

During his second Bluesbreakers stint, Clapton gained a reputation as the best blues guitarist on the club circuit. Although Clapton gained world fame for his playing on the influential album,, this album was not released until he had left the band for the last time. Having swapped his and amplifier for a 1960 guitar and, Clapton's sound and playing inspired a well-publicised that with the famous 'Clapton is God'. The phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in an station in the autumn of 1967. The graffiti was captured in a now-famous photograph, in which a dog is.

Clapton is reported to have been embarrassed by the slogan, saying in his profile in 1987, 'I never accepted that I was the greatest guitar player in the world. I always wanted to be the greatest guitar player in the world, but that's an ideal, and I accept it as an ideal'. The phrase began to appear in other areas of Islington throughout the mid-1960s. Clapton left the Bluesbreakers in July 1966 (to be replaced by ) and was invited by drummer to play in his newly formed band Cream, one of the earliest, with on bass (previously of the Bluesbreakers, the and ). Before the formation of Cream, Clapton was not well known in the United States; he left the Yardbirds before 'For Your Love' hit the, and had yet to perform there. During his time with Cream, Clapton began to develop as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, though Bruce took most of the lead vocals and wrote the majority of the material with lyricist.

Cream's first gig was an unofficial performance at the in Manchester on 29 July 1966 before their full debut two nights later at the in. Cream established its enduring legend with the high-volume blues jamming and extended solos of their live shows. By early 1967, as fans of the emerging blues-rock sound in Britain had begun to portray Clapton as Britain's top guitarist; however, he found himself rivalled by the emergence of, an -infused guitarist who used wailing and to create new sounds for the instrument. Hendrix attended a performance of the newly formed Cream at the on 1 October 1966, during which Hendrix sat in on a double-timed version of '.

Top UK stars, including Clapton,, and members of and, avidly attended Hendrix's early club performances. Hendrix's arrival had an immediate and major effect on the next phase of Clapton's career, although Clapton continued to be recognised in UK music polls as the premier guitarist. Clapton first visited the United States while touring with Cream.

In March 1967, Cream performed a nine-show stand at the RKO Theater in New York. They recorded in New York from 11–15 May 1967. Cream's repertoire varied from hard rock (') to lengthy blues-based instrumental jams ('). Disraeli Gears featured Clapton's searing guitar lines, Bruce's soaring vocals and prominent, fluid bass playing, and Baker's powerful, polyrhythmic jazz-influenced drumming. Together, Cream's talents secured them as an influential. In 28 months, Cream had become a commercial success, selling millions of records and playing throughout the U.S.

They redefined the instrumentalist's role in rock and were one of the first blues-rock bands to emphasise musical virtuosity and lengthy jazz-style improvisation sessions. Hit singles include ' (#5, 1968), ' (#6, 1968) and ' (#28, 1969) – a live version of 's 'Cross Road Blues'. Though Cream was hailed as one of the greatest groups of its day, and the adulation of Clapton as a guitar legend reached new heights, the was short-lived. Drug and alcohol use escalated tension between the three members, and conflicts between Bruce and Baker eventually led to Cream's demise.

A strongly critical Rolling Stone review of a concert of the group's second headlining U.S. Tour was another significant factor in the trio's demise, and it affected Clapton profoundly. Cream's farewell album,, featuring live performances recorded at, Los Angeles, 19 October 1968, was released shortly after Cream disbanded; it also featured the studio single ', co-written by Clapton and. Clapton met Harrison and became friends with him after the Beatles shared a bill with the Clapton-era Yardbirds at the. The close friendship between Clapton and Harrison resulted in Clapton playing on Harrison's ' from the Beatles' (1968). Harrison also released his solo debut album,, in 1968. It became the first of many Harrison solo records to feature Clapton on guitar.

Clapton would go largely uncredited for his contributions to Harrison's albums due to contractual restraints. The pair would often play live together as each other's guest. A year after Harrison's death in 2001, Clapton helped organise a, for which he was musical director. In 1969, when The Beatles were recording/filming what became, tensions became so acute that Harrison quit the group for several days, prompting the others to consider replacing him with Clapton, an idea that particularly appealed to, who was captured on tape saying that if: 'George doesn’t come back by Monday or Tuesday, we ask Eric Clapton to play', and that this would be congenial to Clapton in that The Beatles, unlike Cream, 'would give him full scope to play his guitar'. Years later, Clapton commented on the absurdity of this idea: 'There may have been [a suggestion that I would be asked to join The Beatles in January 1969].

The problem with that was I had bonded or was developing a relationship with George, exclusive of them. I think it fitted a need of his and mine, that he could elevate himself by having this guy that could be like a gunslinger to them. Lennon would use my name every now and then for clout, as if I was the fastest gun.

So, I don’t think I could have been brought into the whole thing because I was too much a mate of George’s'. Clapton's next group, (1969), was composed of Cream drummer, of, and of, and yielded one LP and one arena-circuit tour. The supergroup debuted before 100,000 fans in London's on 7 June 1969. They performed several dates in Scandinavia and began a sold-out American tour in July before their only album was released. The LP consisted of just six songs, one of them a 15-minute jam entitled 'Do What You Like'. The album's jacket image of a topless pubescent girl was deemed controversial in the United States and was replaced by a photograph of the band.

Blind Faith dissolved after less than seven months. Using the Bramletts' backing group and an all-star cast of session players (including and ), Clapton recorded his first solo album during two brief tour hiatuses, fittingly named. Delaney Bramlett co-wrote six of the songs with Clapton, and co-wrote 'Let It Rain'. The album yielded the unexpected U.S. No. 18 hit, 's 'After Midnight'. Clapton went with Delaney and Bonnie from the stage to the studio with the Dominos to record George Harrison's in spring 1970. During this busy period, Clapton also recorded with other artists including Dr.

John,, Plastic Ono Band,,, and. With the intention of counteracting the 'star' cult faction that had begun to form around him, Clapton assembled a new band composed of Delaney and Bonnie's former, as keyboardist and vocalist, as the bassist, and drummer, with Clapton playing guitar.

It was his intention to show that he need not fill a starring role, and functioned well as a member of an ensemble. During this period, Clapton was increasingly influenced by and their album, saying, 'What I appreciated about The Band was that they were more concerned with songs and singing. They would have three- and four-part harmonies, and the guitar was put back into perspective as being accompaniment. That suited me well, because I had gotten so tired of the virtuosity—or pseudo-virtuosity—thing of long, boring guitar solos just because they were expected.

The Band brought things back into perspective. The priority was the song'. Clapton's close friendship with George Harrison brought him into contact with Harrison's wife,, with whom he became deeply infatuated. When she spurned his advances, Clapton's unrequited affections prompted most of the material for the Dominos' album, (1970). Heavily blues-influenced, the album features the twin lead guitars of Duane Allman and Clapton, with Allman's as a key ingredient of the sound.

Working at in Miami with producer, who had worked with Clapton on Cream's Disraeli Gears, the band recorded a double album. The album features the hit love song ', inspired by the classical poet of, 's, a copy of which had given to Clapton. The book moved Clapton profoundly, as it was the tale of a young man who fell hopelessly in love with a beautiful, unavailable woman and who went crazy because he could not marry her.

The two parts of 'Layla' were recorded in separate sessions: the opening guitar section was recorded first, and for the second section, laid down several months later, drummer Jim Gordon played the piano part for the melody which he claimed to write (though Bobby Whitlock claimed that Rita Coolidge wrote it). The Layla LP was actually recorded by a five-piece version of the group, thanks to the unforeseen inclusion of guitarist of. A few days into the Layla sessions, Dowd—who was also producing the Allmans—invited Clapton to an Allman Brothers outdoor concert in Miami. The two guitarists met first on stage, then played all night in the studio, and became friends. Duane first added his to ' and '. In four days, the five-piece Dominos recorded ', ' (a popularised by and others), and 'Why Does Love Got to be So Sad'. In September, Duane briefly left the sessions for gigs with his own band, and the four-piece Dominos recorded 'I Looked Away', ', and 'Keep on Growing'.

Duane returned to record 'I am Yours', 'Anyday', and 'It's Too Late'. On 9 September, they recorded Hendrix's ' and the title track. The following day, the final track, 'It's Too Late', was recorded. Tragedy dogged the group throughout its brief career. During the sessions, Clapton was devastated by news of the death of Jimi Hendrix; eight days previously the band had cut a cover of 'Little Wing' as a tribute to Hendrix. On 17 September 1970, one day before Hendrix's death, Clapton had purchased a that he had planned to give to Hendrix as a birthday gift. Adding to Clapton's woes, the Layla album received only lukewarm reviews upon release.

The shaken group undertook a U.S. Tour without Allman, who had returned to the Allman Brothers Band. Despite Clapton's later admission that the tour took place amidst a veritable blizzard of drugs and alcohol, it resulted in the live double album. The band had recorded several tracks for a second album in London during the spring of 1971 (five of which were released on the Eric Clapton box-set Crossroads), but the results were mediocre.

A second record was in the works when a clashing of egos took place and Clapton walked, thus disbanding the group. Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident on 29 October 1971.

Clapton wrote later in his autobiography that he and Allman were inseparable during the sessions in Florida; he talked about Allman as the 'musical brother I'd never had but wished I did'. Although Radle would remain Clapton's bass player until the summer of 1979 (Radle died in May 1980 from the effects of alcohol and narcotics), it would be 2003 before Clapton and Whitlock appeared together again (Clapton guested on Whitlock's appearance on the show). Another tragic footnote to the Dominos story was the fate of drummer, who was an undiagnosed and years later murdered his mother during a. Gordon was confined to 16-years-to-life imprisonment, later being moved to a mental institution, where he remains today. Personal challenges and early solo success. Clapton's career successes in the 1970s were in stark contrast with the struggles he coped with in his personal life, which was troubled by romantic longings and drug and alcohol addiction. He became infatuated with Pattie Boyd, who at the time was married to close friend, he withdrew from recording and touring as the band broke up to isolation in his Surrey, England, residence.

There he nursed a, which resulted in a lengthy career hiatus interrupted only by the in August 1971 (where he passed out on stage, was revived, and managed to finish his performance). In January 1973, 's organised a comeback concert for Clapton at London's, aptly titled the ', to help Clapton kick his addiction. Clapton would return the favour by playing 'The Preacher' in of The Who's in 1975; his appearance in the film (performing 'Eyesight to the Blind') is notable as he is clearly wearing a fake beard in some shots, the result of deciding to shave off his real beard after the initial takes in an attempt to force the director to remove his earlier scene from the movie and leave the set. In 1974, Clapton was partnered with Pattie Boyd (they would not actually marry until 1979) and no longer using heroin (although he gradually began to drink heavily).

He assembled a low-key touring band that included Radle, Miami guitarist, keyboardist Dick Sims (who died in 2011 ), drummer, and vocalists and (also known as Marcella Detroit). With this band Clapton recorded (1974), an album with an emphasis on more compact songs and fewer guitar solos; the cover version of ' was Clapton's first No. 1 hit and was important in bringing and the music of to a wider audience. The 1975 album continued this trend. The album's original title, The World's Greatest Guitar Player (There's One in Every Crowd), was changed before pressing, as it was felt its ironic intention would be misunderstood. The band toured the world and subsequently released the 1975 live LP,.

Clapton continued to release albums and toured regularly. Highlights of the period include (a collaboration with and );, which featured ' and a second JJ Cale cover, '. In 1976 he performed, alongside a string of notable guests, to pay tribute to the farewell performance of The Band, filmed in a documentary called. Continued success. In 1981 Clapton was invited by producer to appear at the benefit. Clapton accepted the invitation and teamed up with Jeff Beck to perform a series of duets—reportedly their first-ever billed stage collaboration. Three of the performances were released on the album of the show, and one of the songs was featured in the film.

The performances heralded a return to form and prominence for Clapton in the new decade. Many factors had influenced Clapton's comeback, including his 'deepening commitment to Christianity', to which he had converted prior to his heroin addiction. After an embarrassing fishing incident, Clapton finally called his manager and admitted he was an alcoholic. In January 1982 Roger and Clapton flew to; Clapton would be checked in at, located in. On the flight over, Clapton indulged in a large number of drinks, for fear he would never be able to drink again.

Clapton is quoted as saying from his autobiography, 'In the lowest moments of my life, the only reason I didn't commit suicide was that I knew I wouldn't be able to drink any more if I was dead. It was the only thing I thought was worth living for, and the idea that people were about to try and remove me from alcohol was so terrible that I drank and drank and drank, and they had to practically carry me into the clinic'.

In 1984 he performed on member ' solo album,, and went on tour with Waters following the release of the album. Since then Waters and Clapton have had a close relationship. In 2005 they performed together for the Tsunami Relief Fund. In 2006 they performed at the Highclere Castle, in aid of the Countryside Alliance, playing two set pieces of ' and '. Clapton, now a seasoned charity performer, played at the concert on 13 July 1985.

When offered a slot close to peak viewing hours, he was apparently flattered. As Clapton recovered from his addictions, his album output continued in the 1980s, including two produced with, 1985's, which produced the hits 'Forever Man' and 'She's Waiting', and 1986's. August was suffused with Collins's trademark drum and horn sound, and became Clapton's biggest seller in the UK to date, matching his highest chart position, number 3. The album's first track, the hit 'It's in the Way That You Use It', was featured in the – movie. The horn-peppered 'Run' echoed Collins' 'Sussudio' and rest of the producer's Genesis/solo output, while 'Tearing Us Apart' (with ) and the unimpressed 'Miss You' echoed Clapton's angry sound. This rebound kicked off Clapton's two-year period of touring with Collins and their August collaborates, bassist and keyboard player/songwriter Greg Phillinganes. While on tour for August, two concert videos were recorded of the four-man band, Eric Clapton Live from Montreux and Eric Clapton and Friends.

Clapton later remade 'After Midnight' as a single and a promotional track for the beer brand, which had also marketed earlier songs by Collins and. Clapton won a for his collaboration with on the score for the 1985 thriller serial. In 1989, Clapton released, an album which covered a wide range of styles including blues, jazz, soul and pop. Collaborators included George Harrison, Phil Collins,,,, and. At the in London, Clapton was awarded the prize for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Resurgence and stardom.

The 1990s brought a series of 32 concerts to the Royal Albert Hall, such as the series of concerts that took place around January through February 1990, and February to March 1991. On 27 August 1990, fellow blues guitarist, who was touring with Clapton, and three members of their road crew were killed in a helicopter crash between concerts. Then, on 20 March 1991, 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 at 117 East 57th Street. Conor's funeral took place on 28 March at St Mary Magdelene's Church in Clapton's home village in, Surrey. Clapton's grief was expressed in the song ', which was co-written. At the, Clapton received six for the single 'Tears in Heaven' and his album.

The album reached number one on the, and has since been certified by the for selling over 10 million copies in the United States. On 9 September 1992, Clapton performed 'Tears in Heaven' at the in Los Angeles, and won the award for Best Male Video. While Unplugged featured Clapton playing, his 1994 album contained new versions of old, highlighted by his electric guitar playing. Clapton's 1996 recording of the // tune 'Change the World' (featured in the soundtrack of the movie ) won the in 1997, the same year he recorded Retail Therapy (an album of with under the pseudonym ). The following year, Clapton released the album, the first record featuring new material for almost a decade. Clapton finished the twentieth century with collaborations with and. Following the release of the 2001 record, in June 2002, Clapton performed 'Layla' and 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' at the concert in the grounds of.

On 29 November 2002, the was held at the, a tribute to George Harrison, who had died a year earlier of lung cancer. Clapton was a performer and the musical director. The concert featured, Ringo Starr,,,,, Billy Preston, and. In 2004, Clapton released two albums of covers of songs by bluesman, and.

Guitarist worked on the album with Clapton (after opening Clapton's 2001 tour with his band Smokestack) and would join him on his 2004 tour. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Clapton No. 53 on their list of the '100 Greatest Artists of All Time'. A collaboration with guitarist J.

Cale, titled, was released on 7 November 2006, featuring and Billy Preston (Preston had also been a part of Clapton's 2004 touring band). The 14-track CD was produced and recorded by the duo in August 2005 in California. He invited Trucks to join his band for his 2006–2007 world tour. Bramhall remained in the band as well, giving Clapton three elite guitarists in his band and thus allowing him to revisit many Derek and the Dominos songs that he hadn't played in decades. Trucks became the third member of the Allman Brothers Band to tour supporting Clapton, the second being pianist/keyboardist, who appeared on the album and the performances at the Royal Albert Hall theatre of London in 1990 and 1991, as well as Clapton's 1992 U.S. In 2007 Clapton learned more about his father, a Canadian soldier who left the UK after the war. Although Clapton's grandparents eventually told him the truth about his parentage, he only knew that his father's name was Edward Fryer.

This was a source of disquiet for Clapton, as witnessed by his 1998 song '. A journalist named Michael Woloschuk researched Canadian Armed Forces service records and tracked down members of Fryer's family, and finally pieced together the story. He learned that Clapton's father was Edward Walter Fryer, born 21 March 1920, in and died 15 May 1985 in. Fryer was a musician (piano and saxophone) and a lifelong drifter who was married several times, had several children, and apparently never knew that he was the father of Eric Clapton.

Clapton thanked Woloschuk in an encounter at Macdonald Cartier Airport, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In March 2009, the Allman Brothers Band (amongst many notable guests) celebrated their 40th year, dedicating their string of concerts to the late Duane Allman on their annual run at the.

Eric Clapton was one of the performers, with drummer remarking that the performance was not the typical Allman Brothers experience, given the number and musical styles of the guests who were invited to perform. Songs like ' were punctuated with others, including ', with; sitting in on Hendrix's '; and 'Layla'. On 4 May 2009 Clapton appeared as a featured guest at the Royal Albert Hall, playing ' with. Clapton performed a two-night show with at on 13–14 February 2010.

The two former Yardbirds extended their 2010 tour with stops at Madison Square Garden, the in Toronto, and the in Montreal. Clapton performed a series of concerts in 11 cities throughout the United States from 25 February to 13 March 2010, including as opening act. His third European tour with Steve Winwood began on 18 May and ended 13 June, including as opening act. He then began a short North American tour lasting from 26 June to 3 July, starting with his third Crossroads Guitar Festival on 26 June at in.

Clapton released a new studio album,, on 27 September 2010 in the United Kingdom and 28 September 2010 in the United States. On 17 November 2010, Clapton performed as guest on the rock gala held at the Royal Albert Hall, supported by the house band for the evening, which included, and.

On 24 June 2011 Clapton was in concert with in stadium, Italy, with an audience of 15,000 people before performing a series of concerts in South America from 6 to 16 October 2011. He spent November and December 2011 touring Japan with, playing 13 shows in various cities throughout the country. On 24 February 2012 Clapton,,,,, and other artists performed together in the Howlin' For Hubert Tribute concert held at the of honouring blues guitarist who died at age 80 in 4 December 2011. On 29 November 2012, Clapton joined the at London's O2 Arena during the band's second of five arena dates celebrating their 50th anniversary.

He played guitar on ' Champagne and Reefer. On 12 December 2012, Clapton performed at Madison Square Garden, broadcast live via television, radio, movie theaters and the Internet across six continents. Clapton's choice of electric guitars has been as notable as the man himself; alongside, and Jimi Hendrix, Clapton exerted a crucial and widespread influence in popularising particular models of electric guitar. With the Yardbirds, Clapton played a, a, a double-cutaway, and a 1964 Cherry-Red. He became exclusively a Gibson player for a period beginning in mid-1965, when he purchased a used sunburst guitar from a guitar store in London.

Clapton commented on the slim profile of the neck, which would indicate it was a 1960 model. Early during his stint in Cream, Clapton's first Les Paul Standard was stolen. He continued to play Les Pauls exclusively with Cream (one bought from was almost identical to the stolen guitar) until 1967, when he acquired his most famous guitar in this period, a 1964. Just before Cream's first U.S. Appearance in 1967,, Bruce's, and Baker's drum head were all repainted in psychedelic designs created by the visual art collective known as. In 1968 Clapton bought a and started using the 1964 Cherry-Red Gibson ES-335 again. The aforementioned 1964 ES-335 had a storied career.

Clapton used it at the last Cream show in November 1968 as well as with Blind Faith, played it sparingly for slide pieces in the 1970s, used it on 'Hard Times' from, the live concert of 1996, and the sessions and tour of 1994–95. It was sold for US$847,500 at a 2004 auction. Gibson produced a limited run of 250 'Crossroads 335' replicas. The 335 was only the second electric guitar Clapton bought. In July 1968 Clapton gave George Harrison a 1957 'goldtop' Gibson Les Paul that been refinished with a red colour. The following September, Clapton played the guitar on the Beatles' studio recording of '. His SG found its way into the hands of George Harrison's friend, who subsequently sold it to musician for US$500 in 1972.

Rundgren restored the guitar and nicknamed it 'Sunny', after 'Sunshine of Your Love'. He retained it until 2000, when he sold it at an auction for US$150,000. At the 1969 Blind Faith concert in Clapton played a Custom, which was fitted with ' 's neck. In late 1969 Clapton made the switch to the.

'I had a lot of influences when I took up the Strat. First there was, and. Hank Marvin was the first well known person over here in England who was using one, but that wasn't really my kind of music. Steve Winwood had so much credibility, and when he started playing one, I thought, oh, if he can do it, I can do it'. The first—used during the recording of —was 'Brownie', which in 1973 became the backup to the most famous of all Clapton's guitars, '. In November 1970 Eric bought six Fender Stratocasters from the Sho-bud guitar shop in while on tour with the Dominos. He gave one each to George Harrison, Steve Winwood, and Pete Townshend.

Clapton assembled the best components of the remaining three to create 'Blackie', which was his favourite stage guitar until its retirement in 1985. It was first played live 13 January 1973 at the. Clapton called the 1956/57 Strat a 'mongrel'. On 24 June 2004, Clapton sold 'Blackie' at Auction House, New York, for US$959,500 to raise funds for his for drug and alcohol addictions. 'Brownie' is now on display at the.

The has since produced a limited run of 275 'Blackie' replicas, correct in every detail right down to the 'Duck Brothers' flight case, and artificially aged using Fender's 'Relic' process to simulate years of hard wear. One was presented to Eric upon the model's release and was used for three numbers during a concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 17 May 2006. In 1988 Fender honoured Clapton with the introduction of his signature.

This, and the Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster, were the first two artist models in the Stratocaster range. Since then, the artist series has grown to include models inspired by Clapton's contemporaries such as,, Jeff Beck, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and by those who have influenced him, such as. Clapton uses Slinky and Super Slinky strings, gauge.10 to.46. Clapton has been honoured with several signature-model 000-sized acoustic guitars made by the American firm of. The first, of these, introduced in 1995, was a limited edition 000-42EC Eric Clapton signature model with a production run of 461.

For the single (1996) and the album (1998) he used a Martin 000-28 EC Eric Clapton signature model, which he subsequently gave to guitarist. As of December 2007, Martin had produced seven EC signature models. His 1939 000-42 Martin that he played on the Unplugged album sold for US$791,500 at auction. Clapton plays a custom 000-ECHF Martin these days. In 1999, Clapton auctioned off some of his guitar collection to raise more than US$5 million for continuing support of the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, which he founded in 1997. The Crossroads Centre is a treatment base for addictive disorders such as drugs and alcohol.

In 2004 Clapton organised and participated in the Crossroads Guitar Festival to benefit the Centre. A second guitar auction, including the 'Cream' of Clapton's collection – as well as guitars donated by famous friends – was held on 24 June 2004.

His acoustic guitar sold for US$41,825. The revenue garnered by this auction at Christie's was US$7,438,624.

In 2010 Eric Clapton announced that he would be auctioning off over 150 items at a New York auction in 2011. Proceeds will benefit his Crossroads Centre in Antigua. Items include Clapton's guitar from the Cream reunion tour in 2005, speaker cabinets used in the early 1970s from his days with Derek and the Dominoes, and some guitars from Jeff Beck, JJ Cale, and Joe Bonamassa. In March 2011 Clapton raised more than US$2.15 million when he auctioned off key items, including a 1984 Gibson, a suit from his 1990 concert at the Royal Albert Hall, and a replica of the famous Fender Stratocaster known as 'Blackie', which fetched more than $30,000. All proceeds from the auction were donated to Clapton's Crossroads drug and rehabilitation centre in Antigua. Perhaps the best example of the 'woman tone' is Clapton's famous riff and solo from Cream's 1967 hit '. Clapton has explained that he obtained the tone with his Gibson's tone control rolled all the way down, switching the neck pick-up (closest to the fretboard) and the volume all the way up, with his distortion turned all the way up.

The treble, mids and bass controls on the amplifier were also maxed out. Some versions of the 'woman tone' may also have involved strategic positioning of Clapton's. [ ] Other media appearances. Clapton frequently appears as a guest on the albums of other musicians. For example, he is credited on 's album, as he lent one of his guitars. He played lead guitar and synthesiser on, ' debut solo album. Other media appearances include the album, where he played guitar on the track '.

He played on 's 1985 album on the track 'Deep in your Heart'. He can also be heard at the beginning of 's album,, repeating the phrase, 'Are you hung up?' Over and over again.

In 1985, Clapton appeared on the charity concert in with,,,,,, and. In 1988 he played with and at the at and the rock gala at the.

On 30 June 1990,, Clapton and made a guest appearance in the charity show held. In 1991 Clapton was featured on 's album,, in a song dedicated to him, called 'Mr. He contributed guitar and vocals to 'Runaway Train', a duet with Elton John on the latter's album the following year. Clapton was featured in the movie version of, the first full length, written. The movie version gave Clapton a as The Preacher, performing 's song, 'Eyesight to the Blind'.

He appeared in as one of the Louisiana Gator Boys. In addition to being in the band, he had a small speaking role. Clapton has appeared in an advertisement for the. In March 2007 Clapton appeared in an advertisement for. In 2010 Clapton started appearing as a spokesman for, advertising their Fender cell phone. In 2011 Clapton made a guest appearance on 's album Looking Up Feeling Down, where he played alongside legendary folk guitarist for the first time. I used to be into dope, now I’m into racism.

It’s much heavier, man. Fucking wogs, man. Fucking taking over London. Bastard wogs. Britain is becoming overcrowded and Enoch will stop it and send them all back. The black wogs and coons and and fucking and fucking [indecipherable] don’t belong here, we don’t want them here. This is England, this is a white country, we don’t want any black wogs and coons living here.

We need to make clear to them they are not welcome. England is for white people, man. We are a white country. I don’t want fucking wogs living next to me with their standards. This is Great Britain, a white country, what is happening to us, for fuck's sake? We need to vote for Enoch Powell, he’s a great man, speaking truth. Vote for Enoch, he’s our man, he’s on our side, he’ll look after us.

I want all of you here to vote for Enoch, support him, he’s on our side. Enoch for Prime Minister!

Throw the wogs out! Keep Britain white! In an interview from October 1976 with magazine, Clapton remarked, 'I thought it was quite funny actually.

I don't know much about politics. I don't even know if it would be good or bad for him to get in. I don't even know who the Prime Minister is now. I just don't know what came over me that night. It must have been something that happened in the day but it came out in this garbled thing.

I thought the whole thing was like Monty Python. There's this rock group playing on-stage and the singer starts talking about politics. It's so stupid.

Those people who paid their money sittin' listening to this madman dribbling on and the band meanwhile getting fidgety thinking 'oh dear'. In a 2004 interview with, Clapton referred to Powell as 'outrageously brave', and stated that his 'feeling about this has not changed', because the UK is still '. Inviting people in as cheap labour and then putting them in ghettos'. In 2004 Clapton told an interviewer for, 'There's no way I could be a racist. It would make no sense'. In his 2007 autobiography, Clapton called himself 'deliberately oblivious to it all' and wrote, 'I had never really understood or been directly affected by racial conflict.

When I listened to music, I was disinterested in where the players came from or what colour their skin was. Interesting, then, that 10 years later, I would be labelled a racist. Since then, I have learnt to keep my opinions to myself.

Of course, it might also have had something to do with the fact that Pattie had just been leered at by a member of the Saudi royal family'. In a December 2007 interview with on, Clapton reiterated his support for Enoch Powell and again denied that Powell's views were 'racist'. Wealth and assets. In 2009 Surrey Life Magazine ranked Eric Clapton as number 17 in their list of richest residents, estimating Clapton's fortune at £120 million in assets.

This was a compilation of property and income which include a £9 million, 'Va Bene' (previously owned by ), his back, his touring income, and his, which had earned him £110 million since 1989. In 2003, he purchased a 50 percent share of gentleman's outfitters Cordings Piccadilly. At the time, owner Noll Uloth was trying to save the shop from closure and thought 'I will go and talk to my best client'. He is reported to have contacted Clapton and within five minutes he had a reply saying 'I can't let this happen'. Charitable work. In 1998, he established the in Antigua to help others overcome their addictions to drugs and alcohol and is active in its management oversight and fundraising to the present day.

Clapton has organized the in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013 to raise funds for this center. Awards and honours Year Award / Recognition 1983 Presented the Silver Clef Award from for outstanding contribution to British music. 1985 Presented with for Best Original Television Music for Score of with.

1993 'Tears in Heaven' won three Grammy awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Male Pop Vocal Performance. Clapton also won Album of the Year and Best Rock Vocal Performance for Unplugged and Best Rock Song for 'Layla'. 1994 Awarded the for services to music. 2000 Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the third time, this time as a solo artist. He was earlier inducted as a member of the bands Cream and The Yardbirds. 2004 Promoted to, receiving the award from the at Buckingham Palace as part of the New Year's Honours list. 2006 Awarded the as a member of Cream.

In 1982 he performed a concert before player 's testimonial game at, and it is often reported by various sources that Clapton is an Albion supporter. Credence for this notion can be taken from the cover pictures to the ' solo album, where he is seen on the front cover to be wearing a football scarf; the rear cover reveals the slogan 'ALBION' on the scarf. It has been reported that the club rejected his offer to invest cash in the club around this time, and that he has since expressed more of an interest in. Clapton's music in film and TV.

Clapton's music has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows as far back as 1973's which featured the song 'I Looked Away'. Other appearances in media include in the series ('Wonderful Tonight', 'Knock on Wood', 'She's Waiting', and 'Layla'), ('Heaven Is One Step Away'), ('It's In The Way That You Use It'), ('Knockin' On Heaven's Door'), (' and '), the episode ' ('Wonderful Tonight'), and ('Strange Brew'). Also, and used the guitar riff from ' in their advertising campaigns throughout 1987–95. In addition to his music appearing in media, Clapton has contributed to several movies by writing or co-writing the musical scores or contributing original songs. These movies include (co-written with Michael Kamen),,, ('), and (co-wrote and co-performed 'It's Probably Me' with and 'Runaway Train' with Elton John). Retrieved 22 July 2011. Rolling Stone.

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• with studio recordings •. Rolling Stone. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013. Further reading On Clapton's career. • • Robin Bextor, Eric Clapton: Now & Then, Carlton Books, 2006, 144 pp. • Eric Clapton, Clapton, The Autobiography, 2007 and 2008, Broadway Books, 352 pp.

/ Arrow, 400 pages / Century, 384 pp. • Eric Clapton, Derek Taylor and Peter Blake, 24 Nights, Genesis Publications, 2 volumes, 1992, 198 and 64 pp. Eric Clapton's signed limited edition books, in a Solander box with 2 live CD • Ray Coleman, Clapton!: The Authorized Biography, Warner Books, 368 pp, or Futura, 336 pages, 1986; originally publ.

As 'Survivor: The Authorized Biography', Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985, 300 pp. • Geoffrey Giuliano, Brenda Giuliano and Deborah Lynn Black, The Illustrated Eric Clapton, Sunburst Books, 1994, 96 pp. Crunch Sms Activation Key Crack. • George Harrison, Eric Clapton & al, Live in Japan: A celebration of George Harrison’s 'Rock Legends' Tour with Eric Clapton Band, Genesis Publications, 1993, 274 pp. George Harrison's signed limited black leather edition book, in a box with 2 live CD.

• Christopher Hjort w/ a foreword by John Mayall, Strange brew: Eric Clapton and the British Blues Boom, 1965–1970, Jawbone, 2007, 352 pp. • John Pidgeon, Eric Clapton: A Biography, Panther, 1976.

Vermilion, 1985 or 1987, 123 pp. • Marc Roberty, Eric Clapton: The Complete Recording Sessions 1963–1992, Blandford or St. Martin’s Press, 1993, 192 pp. • Marc Roberty, Slowhand: The Life & Music of Eric Clapton, Octopus or Harmony, 1991, 176 pp; upd. Crown, 1993, 192 pp. • Marc Roberty, Eric Clapton in His Own Words, Omnibus Press, 1993, 96 pp.

• Marc Roberty, Eric Clapton: The New Visual Documentary, Omnibus Press, 1990, 128 pp.; rev. Ed., 1994.pp.; originally publ. As Eric Clapton: A Visual Documentary, 1986. • Marc Roberty, Clapton: The Complete Chronicle, Pyramid, 1991, 176 pp. / Mitchell Beazley 1993, 192 pp. • Marc Roberty, Eric Clapton: The Man, the Music and the Memorabilia, Paper Tiger-Dragon’s World, 1994, 226 pp. • Marc Roberty, The Complete Guide to the Music of Eric Clapton, Omnibus Press, 1995, 152 pp. CD format; rev.

Ed., 2005, 128 pp. • Marc Roberty, Eric Clapton, CD Books, Orion, 1994.pp or MBS (Miami), 1996, 120 pp. CD format • Marc Roberty and Chris Welch, Eric Clapton: The Illustrated Disco/Biography, Omnibus Press, 1984, 80 pp. Or Beekman (New York), 1990.pp. • Michael Schumacher, Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton, Hyperion, 1995, 388 pp.; rev.

Ed, Time Warner p'backs, 1998, 411 pp.; new ed. Titled Eric Clapton, Sphere, 2008, 432 pp.

• Harry Shapiro, Eric Clapton: Lost in The Blues, Guinness Books or Muze, 1992, 256 pp.; rev. Da Capo press, 1193, 225 pp.; originally publ. As Slowhand: The Story of Eric Clapton, Proteus Books, 1985, 160 pp. • Dave Thompson, Cream: The World's First Supergroup, Virgin Books, 2005, 256 pp.; rev., upd. Titled Cream: How Eric Clapton Took the World By Storm, 2006, 320 pp.

• Steve Turner, Conversations with Eric Clapton, London: Abacus, 1976, 116 pp. • Fred Weiler, Eric Clapton, Smithmark-Penguin or Bison Books, 1992. • Chris Welch, Cream: Stange Brew, Castle Communications or Sanctuary or Penguin, 1994, 176 pp.; Backbeat Books, 2000, 192 pp. About Clapton's playing and sound • • David M. Brewster (2003). 'Eric Clapton'. Introduction to Guitar Tone & Effects.

Hal Leonard Corporation. Newquist and Richard Maloof (2003). 'Eric Clapton'.

The Blues-Rock Masters. Backbeat Books. • Pete Prown and Lisa Sharken (2003).

'Eric Clapton'. Gear Secrets of the Guitar Legends. Backbeat Books. External links Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Wikimedia Commons has media related to.