Clapton, Eric (1945-…), is an English rock guitarist and composer who performed in some of the leading groups in rock music. He became especially well known for his skill at improvising—that is, creating music on the spur of the moment.
Clapton was born on March 30, 1945, in Ripley, Surrey, southwest of London. His real name was Eric Patrick Clapp. He taught himself to play guitar as a teenager. His early influences were the American blues guitarists Bill Broonzy, Robert Johnson, B. B. King, and Muddy Waters. In 1963, Clapton joined the rock band the Yardbirds. He left the group in 1965 and briefly joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a group dedicated to preserving American blues music. In 1966, Clapton formed Cream, a trio with the Scottish bassist Jack Bruce and the English drummer Ginger Baker. Cream ranked as one of the leading rock bands of the 1960’s.
After Cream broke up, Clapton was briefly a member of the supergroup Blind Faith, which featured Baker and the British singer Steve Winwood. Clapton began a solo career in 1970. His first solo hit was “After Midnight” (1970). After recording his first album, he hired several of the musicians to form the band Derek and the Dominos. The group made only one studio album. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs was released in 1970 and became a rock classic. In 1974, Clapton recorded a hit version of the Jamaican singer Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff.” In 1978, Clapton recorded the album Slowhand, which included the hit song “Lay Down Sally.”
Clapton won the 1992 Grammy Award for album of the year for Unplugged. He also won the Grammy for record of the year and song of the year for “Tears in Heaven,” a song about the death of his young son. Clapton’s album Me and Mr. Johnson (2004) is dedicated to the music of the American blues singer Robert Johnson. The album Clapton was released in 2010. Clapton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as a member of the Yardbirds; in 1993 as a member of Cream; and in 2000 as a solo artist. He was the first musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times.
Clapton composed music for several films, including The Color of Money (1986), Lethal Weapon (1989), Rush (1991), and The Van (1996). He wrote the memoir Clapton: The Autobiography (2007).
