Eric Patrick Clapton
(born March,30th 1945)
is an English
rock and blues guitarist,
singer,
and songwriter.
He is regarded as
one of the most
successful and influential
guitarists
in rock music.
Clapton ranked second in
Rolling Stone's list
of the
"100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"
and fourth in Gibson's
"Top 50 Guitarists of All Time".
He was named number five
in Time magazine's list of
"The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players"
in 2009.
After playing in a number
of different local bands,
Clapton joined
the Yardbirds
from 1963 to 1965,
and
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
from
1965 to 1966.
After leaving Mayall,
he formed the power trio
Cream
with
drummer
Ginger Baker
and
bassist/vocalist
Jack Bruce,
in which Clapton
played sustained
blues improvisations and
"arty, blues-based
psychedelic pop".
After four successful albums,
Cream broke up
in November 1968.
Clapton then formed
the blues rock band
Blind Faith
with Baker,
Steve Winwood,
and
Ric Grech,
recording one album
and performing
on one tour
before they broke up.
Clapton then toured
with
Delaney & Bonnie
and recorded his
first solo album
in 1970,
before forming
Derek and the Dominos
with
Bobby Whitlock,
Carl Radle
and
Jim Gordon.
Like
Blind Faith,
the band only
lasted one album,
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,
which includes
"Layla",
one of Clapton's
signature songs.
Clapton continued to
record a number of
successful solo albums
and songs over
the next several decades,
including a
1974 cover of
Bob Marley's
"I Shot the Sheriff"
which helped reggae
reach a mass market
the country-infused
Slowhand album
(1977)
and the pop rock
of 1986's
August.
Following the death
of his son
Conor in 1991,
Clapton's grief was
expressed in the song
"Tears in Heaven",
which peaked at
number two
on the
Billboard Hot 100
and appeared on his
Unplugged album.
In 1996
he had another
top-40 hit
with the
R&B crossover
"Change the World".
In 1998,
he released the
Grammy award-winning
"My Father's Eyes".
Since 1999,
he has recorded a
number of
traditional blues
and blues rock albums
and hosted the
periodic
Crossroads Guitar Festival.
His latest studio album,
Meanwhile,
was released in 2024.
Clapton has received
18 Grammy Awards
as well as the
Brit Award
