Eric Clapton
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eric Patrick Clapton (born on March 30, 1945, in The Green, Ripley, Surrey, England), was an English guitarist, singer and composer. Clapton was the illegitimate son of a 16-year-old, Patricia Clapton, and Edward Fryer, a Canadian soldier stationed in England.
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[edit] Early Years
Clapton's father, who already had a wife, returned to Canada after World War II. His mother, was not able to bear the shame of raising an illegitimate child (a child of unmarried parents) in post-war Britain. She left Clapton with his grandparents Jack and Rose Clapp (Clapton by her first marriage) and moved to Germany where she married another Canadian soldier. Clapton was raised believing his mother was his sister. His grandmother did not tell him the truth until he was nine years old.
A polite and well-behaved boy, the young Clapton was an above-average student. He liked art very much. He wanted to learn to play the guitar after watching Jerry Lee Lewis on television. His obsession with playing Blues music caused him to be expelled from Kingston College of Art because he was playing the guitar in class.
Working as a labourer to pay his way, Eric spent most of his free time playing his electric guitar. Eventually he joined a local band, The Roosters. He lated joined Casey Jones And The Engineers with fellow band member Tom McGuiness. In 1963, Clapton was asked to join The Yardbirds. It was in the Yardbirds that he earned his nickname of 'Slowhand'. The name came from his forceful string-bending that often caused broken guitar strings. He would replace the strings on stage while the crowd slowly clapped their hands.
After about 18 months with the Yardbirds, musical differences led Eric to move on to John Mayall's Bluesbreakers where his talent grew even more. It was at this part in his career that Eric's fans gave him his second, and ultimate, nickname - "God"!
[edit] Cream
In mid-1966 he left the Bluesbreakers, whose members had grown to include Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. The band he formed with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker would become Eric's best-known band - Cream. Cream became the "pre-eminent rock trio of the Sixties" (The best rock band if the 1960s). Problems between Baker and Bruce, and the increasing drug use of three members caused problems that eventually made the band breakup in 1969.
Also during 1969, Clapton worked with Beatle John Lennon and his new wife Yoko Ono. They called themselves the Plastic Ono Band. He performed with them onstage in Toronto that September. He also played guitar on "Cold Turkey", Lennon's song about heroin addiction. At that time, the Beatles were getting ready to break up. Lennon thought about asking Clapton to permanently join his and Ono's new band, but decided not to.
[edit] 1970's
Clapton and Baker joined with Rick Grech and Steve Winwood to form rock's first ever supergroup, Blind Faith. Blind Faith lasted only a few months, and released one album. After Blind Faith broke up, Clapton formed another band, called Derek and the Dominoes. Their most popular song was "Layla".
The inspiration for "Layla" was fashion model Pattie Boyd. She was married to Clapton's friend, fellow musician (and former Beatle) George Harrison. Clapton was in love with Boyd. He was not happy because he could not be with her because she was married to someone else. In time, Boyd and Harrison grew apart, and Clapton and Boyd got together. They got married in 1977. All three remained friends, and Clapton and Harrison called themselves "husbands-in-law". Clapton and Boyd were divorced in 1989, after they also grew apart.
[edit] Later Years
Along with his drug problems, Clapton had trouble with alcohol, sometimes drinking a whole bottle or more of liquor in a day. In the 1990s, he was finally able to stop drinking alcohol. He also found out more about his father, who had died, and about a half-brother (by his mother) he had never met, who was mentally challenged and lived in a hospital.
Clapton is still making music and performing, sometimes with other musicians such as B.B. King.
[edit] Bands to feature Eric Clapton
- The Roosters
- Casey Jones & the Engineers
- Yardbirds
- John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
- Cream
- Blind Faith
- Plastic Ono Band
- Derek and the Dominoes
[edit] External links
