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Sultan of strings
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The single constant in Eric Clapton's life, through genres and various rock groups, has been his virtuosity on the guitar
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WHETHER HE was with Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos, the Yardbirds, Cream or his own bands, Eric Patrick Clapton carved a niche for himself, constantly crafting his own brand of the blues.
Born in Ripley, Surrey on March 30, 1945, he not only shared his birthday with Vincent Van Gogh, but also the bold expressionist's passion to strike his own path. Brought up by his grandparents after his mother deserted him when he was quite young, Clapton would claim in later years that he was a nasty kid.
From studying stained glass design at Kingston Art School, he started playing the guitar at age 15 and two years later with groups that included future members of Manfred Mann and McGuiness Flint and the Rolling Stones. In 1963, he joined the Yardbirds that had Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page but quit two years later when the group shed power blues for psychedelic pop.
In 1966 he stepped in and out of Powerhouse, a studio band featuring Steve Winwood, John Mayall and Jack Bruce. With bassist Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, he formed Cream, where he indulged in lengthy solo excursions, often with his back to the crowd. When Cream collapsed in 1968, Clapton combined with Baker, Winwood and Rick Grech to form super group Blind Faith, whose success was however short lived.
After moving to New York in 1969, with friends Stephen Stills of CSNY, Leon Russell and members of the Bramletts, Clapton cut his first solo album, Eric Clapton, that produced a US No. 18 hit, the J.J. Cale song, After Midnight. Layla, with Derek and the Dominos and the little-known slide guitar genius Duane Allman, a tale of unrequited love inspired by ex-Beatle George Harrison's wife Patti Boyd (whom he married later), stayed in the US top ten charts for two years after its release in 1970.
Harrison, however, persuaded Clapton to perform at the benefit concert for Bangladesh. A heroin habit he kicked in 1974, marked by 461 Ocean Boulevard, was followed by his cover rendition of Bob Marley's I shot the sheriff. During that decade, he cut down on his guitar solos, giving prominence to his vocals instead, turning out original hits, Lay down Sally (1978, No. 3) and Promises (1979, No. 9).
The heroin-habit gave way to alcoholism and separation from Patti in 1985. A year after, his son Conor was born to Italian actress Lori Del Santo. Clapton's popularity seemed to have waned in the 80s, his singles verging more on balladry than blues.
The turn of the decade saw the release of Crossroads, a 73-song box set that went on to double platinum and was a reminder of his greatness.
In 1990, he lost members of his road crew and friend Stevie Ray Vaughan in a helicopter crash. Clapton himself had opted out of the fatal trip in the last minute. Tragedy struck again a year later, when four-and-a-half year old Conor fell out of the window of his mother's 51st floor Manhattan apartment, left open mistakenly by a maintenance worker. Clapton made poignant public announcements urging parents to protect their children by installing grills over staircases and windows. Tears in Heaven, in tribute to his son, went on to become his biggest ever single hit. In 1994, he released From the Cradle, a telling testimony of pure electric blues and his guitar virtuosity. The double platinum set went on to become the best-selling traditional blues recording ever.
Change the World with Rhythm and Blues wizard Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds became a runaway hit as soundtrack for the John Travolta starrer, Phenomenon. Retail Therapy and Pilgrim did fairly well, but his Riding with the King, joining forces with blues legend B.B. King saw Clapton return to the riffs of his early career. His most recent album, curiously titled Reptile, saw him not only retracing his roots in the blues, but his steps to his native village of Ripley, where reptile is a term of endearment!
The only triple inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of both The Yardbirds and Cream and as a solo artist) and with over 2000 concerts and live appearances behind him, Clapton continues to bestride the music world like a Colossus.
A. GEORGE ANTONY
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