Eric Clapton

English blues/rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter

• Born: March 30, 1945
• Place of Birth: Ripley, England

As lead guitarist for the Yardbirds and Cream, and as a solo artist, Clapton pioneered virtuosic technique and controlled distortion in rock music.

MEMBER OF Yardbirds; John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers; the Glands; Blind Faith; Cream; Derek and the Dominos

The Life

Born at the home of his maternal grandparents, Eric Clapton was the son of Patricia Clapton and Edward Fryer, a Canadian airman stationed in England. He was raised by his grandparents, and they gave him his first guitar when he turned fifteen. Immediately drawn to American blues, Clapton was strongly influenced by the recordings of Big Bill Broonzy, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and Blind Boy Fuller. He was later attracted to the sound of Chicago blues and the recordings of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. He was also inspired by the recordings of Mississippi blues legend Robert Johnson, who would be an influence throughout Clapton’s career.

He joined his first band as lead guitarist; it was a London-based rhythm-and-blues group known as the Roosters, whose membership also included future Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones and future Manfred Mann singer Paul Pond (Paul Jones). Clapton left the Roosters to play lead guitar for the group Casey Jones and the Engineers; he remained with this group for two weeks before replacing Anthony “Top” Topham as lead guitarist for the Yardbirds. Other group members were Keith Relf (vocals, harmonica), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar), Paul Samwell-Smith (bass), and Jim McCarty (drums).

The Yardbirds played mostly rhythm-and-blues and blues covers, along with a few original songs. While performing with the Yardbirds, Clapton helped develop the rave-up, an extended improvisation based on the twelve-bar blues progression. The rave-up was an integral part of the Yardbirds’ live performances and became an important aspect of Clapton’s later group, Cream. Clapton remained with the Yardbirds until March 1965, when he left because of artistic differences.

After a brief retirement to the country, Clapton was hired by British blues performer John Mayall to play in the Bluesbreakers. The Bluesbreakers with Clapton, consisting of Clapton (guitar, vocals), Mayall (keyboards, vocals), John McVie (bass), and Hughie Flint (drums), recorded only one album, but John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers is considered to be one of the top British blues albums. Upon leaving the Bluesbreakers, Clapton played in a small blues group called the Glands in 1966; later that year, he formed the Powerhouse with Steve Winwood (formerly with the Spencer Davis Group), with whom he would later form the group, Blind Faith. In late 1966 Clapton began rehearsing with fellow Bluesbreakers alumni Peter “Ginger” Baker and Jack Bruce, forming the first power trio and supergroup Cream.

Cream was an international success, one of Clapton’s most successful groups. However, artistic differences among the members led to their breakup in 1968. At this point, Clapton formed another supergroup with Baker and Winwood, Blind Faith. After one album and an unsuccessful U.S. tour, Clapton found himself looking for a new band. He found this in 1969 with a U.S. group, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. Clapton became a touring member of the group and simultaneously embarked on a solo career, releasing his first solo album, Eric Clapton, with the hit “After Midnight.” Drawing on Delaney and Bonnie’s rhythm section—Carl Radle (bass), Bobby Whitlock (keyboards, vocals), and Jim Gordon (drums)—Clapton next formed Derek and the Dominos. The Dominos is best described as a talented but drug-troubled blues-based rock group. After recording sessions began, the group was augmented by the slide-guitar sounds of Southern rocker Duane Allman. After releasing two albums, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, and a live album, the Dominos disbanded in 1971. In 1972 Clapton retired, dealing with his major heroin problem. Eventually, several friends, led by the Who’s Pete Townshend, coaxed Clapton into cleaning himself up so he could return to playing. The result was an all-star Rainbow Concert featuring Clapton, Townshend, Winwood, Ron Wood, and other Clapton friends and bandmates.

At that point, Clapton resumed a successful career, releasing several albums. Besides albums with a pop-rock sound such as 461 Ocean Boulevard, Slowhand, and Reptile, Clapton remained true to his blues roots with releases such as From the Cradle, Riding with the King (a collaboration with venerated bluesman B. B. King), and Me and Mr. Johnson (a tribute to Mississippi bluesman Robert Johnson). His later albums include Back Home (2005), Clapton (2010), and Still Do (2016). In 2018, he released the Christmas music album Happy Xmas.

The Music

Although Clapton found a strong voice as a singer and songwriter, he was revered for his guitar technique. His earliest recordings with the Yardbirds were originally released as singles and demonstrated the beginnings of his blues technique. Songs such as “Baby What’s Wrong” and “Good Morning Little School Girl” featured Clapton as a lead soloist, imitating his Chicago blues influences. His playing featured frequent slides and discrete bent strings, as well as a prevalent use of descending minor pentatonic scales. The smoothness of his finger slides led his fans to call him Slowhand.

As he moved on to the Bluesbreakers, his melodic approach became smoother and cleaner, as demonstrated in his solo on “All Your Love.” Here, Clapton retained his fluid technique, adding an even, slow vibrato on long-held notes. This vibrato and his ability to bend strings almost to the point of feedback are trademarks of Clapton’s guitar style.

Cream. In his performances with Cream, Clapton was influenced by the psychedelic guitar sounds of acid rock and especially the grand technique of Jimi Hendrix. With Cream, Clapton explored the possibilities of sound distortion, with effects such as wah-wah, fuzz tone, and natural feedback. Though Clapton usually preferred the sound of the solid-body Fender Stratocaster, with Cream, he often soloed on his Gibson Les Paul guitar for a more biting sound. Exemplary solos during this period included the minor blues performance on “Sunshine of Your Love” from Disraeli Gears, the live “Crossroads” on Wheels of Fire, and his uncredited guest spot on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on the Beatles’ White Album. One of the most notable aspects of Cream’s sound was the juxtaposition of Bruce’s jazz-influenced bass lines, Baker’s busy but clear jazz-based drumming, and Clapton’s raw-edged, psychedelic-distorted blues-based guitar sound.

Blind Faith. Beginning with his days with Blind Faith, Clapton more frequently employed an acoustic guitar on his recordings, played with a folklike fingerpicking style as on “Can’t Find My Way Back Home.” While he recorded primarily on electric instruments, Clapton also used his acoustic guitar to change mood. Other notable acoustic guitar performances included “Tears in Heaven,” a tribute written after the tragic death of his four-year-old son in 1991; his performance on MTV’s Unplugged series, which featured an excellent acoustic reconstruction of “Layla”; and a rare acoustic guitar duet with B. B. King on Broonzy’s “Key to the Highway” on the album Riding with the King.

Derek and the Dominos. For the heavily blues-influenced Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs with Derek and the Dominos, Clapton returned to his favorite Stratocaster sound. Sharing solos with slide guitarist Allman, Clapton reverted to a clean sound with less distortion and more blues techniques, such as finger slides and string bends. Particularly effective were the solos traded between Clapton and Allman on “Key to the Highway.” Although primarily a blues album, there were some raw, rough-edged rock solos heard on their cover of Hendrix’s “Little Wing,” the title cut “Layla,” and the song “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?”

Later Works. After his drug rehabilitation, Clapton’s playing became smooth and tasteful. He had successful radio singles along the way, such as “I Shot the Sheriff” from 461 Ocean Boulevard and “Lay Down Sally” and “Wonderful Tonight” from Slowhand. In the mid-1970s, Clapton shifted to a low profile, releasing an occasional Top 20 single and recording relaxed albums of pop-rock material. He composed and performed on a number of film soundtracks, including Lethal Weapon (1987), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Edge of Darkness (1985), and Rush (1991). He was a guest artist on several albums, ranging from classical guitarist Leona Boyd’s Persona (1986) to spots on rock albums by George Harrison, Sting, Leon Russell, and the Rolling Stones, to blues collaborations with blues guitarists Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf, and B. B. King.

Through it all, Clapton’s guitar style was based in the Chicago blues with a smooth melodic sensibility, expressive string bends, and evenly paced vibrato. He no longer depended on sound distortion, either with natural feedback or with distortion devices. Instead, Clapton’s playing featured clear and precise note placement seasoned with his blues techniques.

Musical Legacy

Clapton was one of the first musicians in the rock era to gain a strong following based on his instrumental technique rather than his singing or his looks. His fans during the Yardbirds era were so enthralled with his technique they began to spray-paint graffiti around London that read “Clapton is God.” While many of his original songs became rock classics, particularly his output with Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos, and some of his solo material, Clapton remained faithful to his blues roots. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on three separate occasions for his work with the Yardbirds (1992) and Cream (1993), as well as for his solo endeavors (2000). He was awarded six Grammy Awards for his Unplugged album in 1993, including Album of the Year and Best Song (for “Tears in Heaven”). By 2023, he had won a total of seventeen Grammy Awards. In 1998, Clapton founded the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, West Indies, a clinic for the rehabilitation of drug and alcohol abusers. In 2023, Clapton continued to tour and play live music, as well as perform and promote his annual Crossroads Guitar Festival. In 2024, Clapton released his twenty-second solo album, Meanwhile.

Principal Recordings

ALBUMS (solo): Eric Clapton, 1970; Eric Clapton’s Rainbow Concert, 1973; 461 Ocean Boulevard, 1974; E.C. Was Here, 1975; There’s One in Every Crowd, 1975; No Reason to Cry, 1976; Slowhand, 1977; Backless, 1978; Another Ticket, 1981; Money and Cigarettes, 1983; Behind the Sun, 1985; August, 1986; Crossroads, 1988; Journeyman, 1989; Twenty-four Nights, 1991; The Magic of Eric Clapton, 1993; From the Cradle, 1994; Pilgrim, 1998; Riding with the King, 2000; Reptile, 2001; Me and Mr. Johnson, 2004; Back Home, 2005; The Road to Escondido, 2006; Clapton, 2010; Old Sock, 2013; The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale, 2014; I Still Do, 2016; Meanwhile, 2024.

ALBUMS (with Blind Faith): Blind Faith, 1969.

ALBUMS (with Cream): Fresh Cream, 1966; Disraeli Gears, 1967; Wheels of Fire, 1968; Goodbye, 1969.

ALBUMS (with Delaney and Bonnie): Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, 1970.

ALBUMS (with Derek and the Dominos): Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, 1970.

ALBUMS (with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers): John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, 1966.

ALBUMS (with the Yardbirds): Five Live, 1964; Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds, 1964; For Your Love, 1965.

Bibliography

Blistein, Jon. “Eric Clapton Announces Crossroads Guitar Festival 2023 Lineup.” Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2023, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eric-clapton-crossroads-guitar-festival-2023-lineup-1234716407/. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Clapton, Eric. Clapton: The Autobiography. New York: Broadway, 2007. Print.

Clifford, Mike, ed. The Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock. 7th ed. New York: Harmony Books, 1992. Print.

Roberty, Marc. Eric Clapton: The Complete Recording Sessions, 1963-1992. New York: St. Martin’s, 1993. Print.

Roberty, Marc. Eric Clapton: Volume Two—The Later Years, 1983–2013. Milwaukee: Backbeat, 2013. Print.

Ruhlmann, William. "Eric Clapton." All Music, 2024, www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-clapton-mn0000187478. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Schumacher, Michael. Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton. New York: Hyperion, 1995. Print.

Scott, Paul. Motherless Child: The Definitive Biography of Eric Clapton. London: Headline, 2015. Print.

Shapiro, Harry. Eric Clapton: Lost in the Blues. New York: Da Capo, 1993. Print.

Welch, Chris. Eric Clapton: The World's Greatest Living Guitarist. London: Carlton, 2016. Print.