TV
In the sixties he was hailed as 'God' in a prominent piece of London graffiti. The Surrey-born boy is worshipped by fans as the best blues guitarist in the world. With a brand new album released this year, Clapton's talent still burns brightly.
Did you know...?
* Clapton was born out of wedlock at a time when this was considered something of a stigma. He was brought up by his grandparents and believed that his mother was his sister until he was nine. Discovery of the truth shattered his identity and gave him the outsider complex that was to play a part in his pursuit of the blues.
* He received a guitar for his 13th birthday but didn't take to it immediately. He began playing again when he started college - and the rest is history.
* 'Layla' was inspired by Clapton's unrequited love for George Harrison's wife Pattie. He married Pattie in 1979 but they divorced in 1988. Their daughter is Ruth Kelly Clapton, born in 1985.
* All his album titles have very personal significance: Money and Cigarettes are the two most important items he remembers to take before he leaves the house; Backless is a reference to fellow legend Bob Dylan - when he was on stage, his band playing behind him felt he was aware of their every move even though he was facing the audience.
* The nickname 'Slowhand' was earned for Clapton when he played with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck in 60s group The Yardbirds. He often had to replace broken guitar strings on stage due to his forceful string bending technique. Audiences would fill the pause with slow hand-clapping.
* Clapton tragically lost his four-year-old son Conor in 1991. The child fell 49 storeys from the Manhattan apartment block where he lived with his mother, the model Lori Del Santo. Clapton tried to express some of the grief he felt for the loss of his son in the tribute song 'Tears in Heaven'.
* During the sixties and seventies, Clapton played with the Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominoes. Despite - or maybe because of - his legendary status, his musical career has not been an easy ride. The clash of powerful egos and the band break-ups, compounded by the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, may have contributed to the strain that led Clapton to take refuge in drugs and alcohol. Songs like 'Cocaine' reflect his most dangerous addiction. He has since kicked the habits and has, through concerts and auctions of his guitars, contributed millions to the running of the Crossroads Centre, a rehabilitation facility for addicts among the poorest people of the Caribbean.
Biography: Eric Clapton plays on Saturday 17 March at 21.00 on The Biography Channel
Did you know...?
* Clapton was born out of wedlock at a time when this was considered something of a stigma. He was brought up by his grandparents and believed that his mother was his sister until he was nine. Discovery of the truth shattered his identity and gave him the outsider complex that was to play a part in his pursuit of the blues.
* He received a guitar for his 13th birthday but didn't take to it immediately. He began playing again when he started college - and the rest is history.
* 'Layla' was inspired by Clapton's unrequited love for George Harrison's wife Pattie. He married Pattie in 1979 but they divorced in 1988. Their daughter is Ruth Kelly Clapton, born in 1985.
* All his album titles have very personal significance: Money and Cigarettes are the two most important items he remembers to take before he leaves the house; Backless is a reference to fellow legend Bob Dylan - when he was on stage, his band playing behind him felt he was aware of their every move even though he was facing the audience.
* The nickname 'Slowhand' was earned for Clapton when he played with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck in 60s group The Yardbirds. He often had to replace broken guitar strings on stage due to his forceful string bending technique. Audiences would fill the pause with slow hand-clapping.
* Clapton tragically lost his four-year-old son Conor in 1991. The child fell 49 storeys from the Manhattan apartment block where he lived with his mother, the model Lori Del Santo. Clapton tried to express some of the grief he felt for the loss of his son in the tribute song 'Tears in Heaven'.
* During the sixties and seventies, Clapton played with the Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominoes. Despite - or maybe because of - his legendary status, his musical career has not been an easy ride. The clash of powerful egos and the band break-ups, compounded by the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, may have contributed to the strain that led Clapton to take refuge in drugs and alcohol. Songs like 'Cocaine' reflect his most dangerous addiction. He has since kicked the habits and has, through concerts and auctions of his guitars, contributed millions to the running of the Crossroads Centre, a rehabilitation facility for addicts among the poorest people of the Caribbean.
Biography: Eric Clapton plays on Saturday 17 March at 21.00 on The Biography Channel
