Eric Clapton

Bio:
Eric Clapton (born Eric Patrick Clapton on March 30, 1945 in Ripley, Surrey, England) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. Eric received his first guitar for a thirteenth birthday present. He developed his skills at the instrument by playing along to blues records. Eric attended the Kingston College of Art but was dismissed due to his focus being more on music than art. At age 16, Eric began busking around Kingston, Richmond and the West End. He joined the Yardbirds, a blues-influenced rock and roll band, who had a hit with the song “For Your Love.” The success made the band go towards a pop sound, which led to Eric quitting the group. Eric formed Cream in 1966, along with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. The band found success both in Europe and the US, with major hits “Sunshine of Your Love” and “White Room.” The group’s life was a short one, as drug and alcohol use led to the band’s breakup. While in the band Derek and the Dominos, Eric wrote the song “Layla,” a song inspired by Eric’s love for George Harrison’s wife, Pattie Boyd. Eric would re-record a blues version of the song for his MTV Unplugged session in 1993. Eric has won 18 Grammy Awards, the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution for music and, in 2004, he was awarded a Commander of the British Empire.

Best Known For:
Eric Clapton is best known as a rock and guitar legend.

Personal Life:
Eric and Pattie were married in 1979. In 1984, he began a relationship with Yvonne Kelly. They were married to other people at the time that Yvonne gave birth to their daughter, Ruth Kelly Clapton, in 1985. Eric and Patti divorced in 1988, following his affair with Italian model Lory Del Santo, who gave birth to their song, Conor, in 1986. Conor died after falling out of an open bedroom window on the 53rd floor of a Manhattan apartment building. The death inspired Eric’s “Tears in Heaven” song. He married Melia McErney in Jan. 2002. They have three daughters together. Eric is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, getting in as a solo artist, with the Yardbirds and Cream.