Eric Clapton is widely considered one of the greatest blues guitarists of all time. He played with The Yardbirds, a seminal 60s blues-rock band that would go on to become Led Zeppelin, before recording an album that is known as one of the greatest blues-rock albums ever made, with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. He went on to form three supergroups in quick succession -- Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos -- before embarking on a hugely successful solo career.
Clapton joined The Yardbirds in 1963 and quickly developed a big reputation for his guitar ability and style. In 1965 he joined Mayall's band, and their album of the following year Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton is widely hailed as a classic of its style. A famous photograph of a piece of London graffiti summed up the reaction of fans: it read "Clapton Is God". In 1966 he formed Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. For the two-and-a-bit years that they existed, Cream were a massive worldwide success, selling out tours wherever they went and selling millions of albums. Clapton developed as a songwriter for classic records such as Disraeli Gears (1967) and Wheels of Fire (1968), both of which were inspirational to Led Zeppelin and the other hard rock and metal acts that followed.
After Cream broke up in 1968, Clapton's next project was Blind Faith, formed with Baker, Steve Winwood and Rick Grech. They toured to massive crowds and released one self-titled album, before splitting. Clapton released an eponymous solo album and spent 1970 guesting on albums by others, including All Things Must Pass by close friend George Harrison. He then formed Derek and the Dominos, and released Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. It was met with a mixed reception but has since been reappraised as a classic. It features the lead single "Layla", which includes one of the most famous guitar riffs ever written.
During this period Clapton declined into depression, worsened by a serious heroin habit, the deaths of close friend Jimi Hendrix and band-mate Duane Allman, and the poor initial response to the Layla album. Derek and the Dominos gave up halfway through recording a second album, and Clapton retreated from public view. He only came out to perform at Harrison's 1971 Concert for Bangladesh (during which he passed out on-stage), before The Who's Pete Townshend organised a comeback gig for him, later released as the Rainbow Concert (1973). His first album after kicking the heroin habit, 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974), was a big hit with critics and the public, and included a hit cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff". Subsequent albums were low-key, but Slowhand (1977) featured two big singles: "Wonderful Tonight" and "Cocaine".
In 1992, there was a re-emergence in Clapton's commercial fortunes, brought about by deep personal tragedy. His four year old son Conor died after falling out of a high-rise window in New York. The sorrowful song Clapton wrote about it, "Tears in Heaven", was a worldwide smash, and won three Grammy Awards. It was included on the Unplugged live album, which was widely acclaimed.
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