Courtesy
Polydor Records
Born
on March 30, 1945, Eric Clapton was raised in Ripley, Surrey England. After
attending Kingston Arts School, seasoning as a street musician, and stints
as a substitute player in British blues and blues/rock acts of the early
Sixties, he became a member of the famed Yardbirds. In 1965, he briefly
joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and soon after formed Cream. With Ginger
Baker and Jack Bruce, the trio’s two prolific years together produced timeless
hits which remain on the radio today. Clapton left Cream to form Blind
Faith with Steve Winwood, Rick Grech and Baker, contributing to their one
self-titled release. He then joined Delaney and Bonnie, recorded his first
solo album in 1970 which yielded the hit “After Midnight,” and soon after
sought anonymity through the guise of Derek and the Dominos. The collaboration
produced some amazing musical performances, classic compositions, and raging
live shows.
In
1973, following his battle with drugs, Clapton joined Pete Townsend, Ron
Wood, Jimmy Karstein, Ric Grech, Jim Capaldi, and Winwood for the famed
Rainbow Concert. The band’s overwhelming reception motivated him to return
to the live and recording scenes full time, and just one year later, he
had his first solo number one recording with Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff”
on 461 Ocean Boulevard. The mid-Seventies included long periods of touring
and the release of the albums There’s One In Every Crowd (1975), No Reason
To Cry (1976), Slowhand (1977), and Backless (1979).
In
1981, Clapton once again had a bout with personal demons. As he faced an
addiction to alcohol which left him hospitalized with perforated ulcers,
his popularity in the States began to decline. His releases in the early
Eighties: Just One Night (1980), Another Ticket (1981), and Money And Cigarettes
(1983) failed to reach the sales of 461 Ocean Boulevard.
In
1985, a revitalized and healthy Clapton began to regain his earlier mass
appeal with Behind The Sun and its’ follow-up August (1986). The boxed
set Crossroads followed, and became one of the best selling retrospectives
ever released. 1990’s Journeyman gave Clapton his first Grammy for “Bad
Love,” and 91’s 24 Nights: Live At The Royal Albert Hall showed his diversity
an instrumentalist during the record-setting 89-90 concerts at that famed
venue. Fall, 1991 produced the hit single “Tears In Heaven” from the film
Rush, and in 1992 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Clapton’s performance (and recording) on MTV’s Unplugged put him in a media
performer/performance/pantheon. His most recent release, From The Cradle,
found him returning full circle to the blues which began his career with
the Yardbirds and John Mayall. A major Spring/Summer 1995 tour of major
sheds is currently being planned for Europe and the US. |
