Eric Clapton

Clapton has been married to Pattie Boyd from 1979 to 1989 and has been married to Melia McEnery since 2002. He has five children, including Ruth, Conor and three daughters with McEnery. His relationship with Boyd influenced songs including "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight".

Clapton's son Conor died in 1991 at the age of four after falling from a window in a Manhattan apartment building. Clapton expressed his grief through "Tears in Heaven," which he performed on MTV Unplugged.

He struggled with heroin addiction in the 1970s and later with alcohol and other substances. He established the Crossroads Centre in Antigua in 1998 to help people recovering from drug and alcohol dependence. He has also said that he was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy in 2013, a condition involving nerve damage and pain in the arms and legs.

Clapton joined the Yardbirds in 1963 and remained with the group until 1965. He recorded Five Live Yardbirds and Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds with the band, and left after the Yardbirds moved toward a more commercial sound with "For Your Love." His playing during this period earned him the nickname "Slowhand."

He joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers in 1965, leaving briefly to tour Greece before returning to the group. The album Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, released in 1966, established his reputation as a leading British blues guitarist. Graffiti declaring "Clapton is God" helped create another enduring nickname.

In 1966, Clapton formed Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce. The trio released Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire, combining blues, rock, jazz influences and extended improvisation. Cream's best-known recordings include "Sunshine of Your Love," "White Room," "Crossroads" and "Badge." The band broke up in 1968 and reunited for concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square Garden in 2005.

After Cream, Clapton formed Blind Faith with Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech. The group released one album and completed one major tour before disbanding. Clapton then toured with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, where Delaney Bramlett encouraged him to sing and write more of his own material.

Clapton released his self-titled debut solo album in 1970. Later that year, he formed Derek and the Dominos with Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon. The group recorded Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, with Duane Allman contributing slide guitar to several tracks. The album included "Layla," which became one of Clapton's signature songs.

Following a period of heroin addiction and withdrawal from public life, Clapton returned to the stage at the 1973 Rainbow Concert, organised by Pete Townshend. His 1974 album 461 Ocean Boulevard marked a renewed solo career and included his cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." Later albums included Slowhand, August and Journeyman.

Clapton's 1992 appearance on MTV Unplugged featured acoustic arrangements of his songs, including "Tears in Heaven" and a reworked version of "Layla." Unplugged became one of his most successful releases, and "Tears in Heaven" won multiple Grammy Awards.

He returned to blues material with From the Cradle in 1994 and released the soul-influenced album Pilgrim in 1998. His collaborations included Riding with the King with B.B. King, The Road to Escondido with J. J. Cale and The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale with various artists. He also recorded two albums of Robert Johnson songs, Me and Mr. Johnson and Sessions for Robert J.

Clapton's later studio albums include Back Home, Clapton, Old Sock, I Still Do, Happy Xmas and Meanwhile. He has continued to perform at selected concerts and festivals, including the Crossroads Guitar Festival and the 2023 tribute concerts for Jeff Beck.

Clapton has received 18 Grammy Awards and the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2004 and has received an Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement.

He is the only person inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times, as a member of the Yardbirds, as a member of Cream and as a solo artist. He has also been recognised at the Royal Albert Hall, where he has performed more than 200 times since his first appearance there in 1964.

Clapton has identified Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Holly and Little Walter among his influences. His use of instruments including the Gibson SG known as "the Fool," the Stratocasters "Brownie" and "Blackie," and his Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster helped make particular guitar models prominent in popular music.