Eric Clapton - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Overview

Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

, (born 1945) is an English guitarist

Guitarist

A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...

and singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...

: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds

The Yardbirds

- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...

and Cream

Cream (band)

Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...

. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in Gibson's

Gibson Guitar Corporation

The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...

Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.

In the mid 1960s, Clapton departed from the Yardbirds to play blues with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are a pioneering English blues band, led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall, OBE. Mayall used the band name between 1963 and 1967, but then dropped it for some fifteen years. However, in 1982 a 'Return of the Bluesbreakers' was announced and...

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Unanswered Questions

Did Eric's grandmother have any Irish ancestry? And did his father have any German ancestry?

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Discussions

Who were some of Clapton's influences?

Controversy

Which musicians have Clapton influenced?

Personal life

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Quotations

Tell me why, must I fall in love with you?

Fall Like Rain (from the album Pilgrim (1998 album)|Pilgrim - 1997)

Layla, you got me on my knees. Layla, I'm begging, darling please. Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

Layla|Layla (by Derek and the Dominos - 1970)

Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same If I saw you in heaven?

Tears in Heaven (from the album Unplugged (Eric Clapton album)|Unplugged - 1992)

And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."

Wonderful Tonight (from the album Slowhand - 1977)

All I am certain of right now is that I don't want to go anywhere, and that's not bad for someone who always used to run.

"Clapton: The Autobiography"

Music will always find its way to us, with or without business, politics, religion, or any other bullshit attached. Music survives everything, and like God, it is always present. It needs no help, and suffers no hindrance.

"Clapton: The Autobiography"

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