Clapton, Eric (1945—)

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Clapton, Eric (1945—)

Eric Clapton, a lifelong student of the blues, has been in more bands that he himself formed than any other guitarist in rock music. He first distinguished himself with the group, the Yardbirds, where he earned the ironic nickname, "Slowhand," for his nimble leads. When the Yardbirds went commercial, Clapton left them to pursue pure blues with John Mayall, a singer, guitarist, and keyboard player who was regarded as the Father of British Blues for his discovery and promotion of luminary musicians in the field. Clapton proved to be Mayall's greatest discovery. On John Mayall's Blues Breakers, Featuring Eric Clapton (1966) Clapton displayed an unprecedented fusion of technical virtuosity and emotional expressiveness, giving rise to graffiti scribbled on walls in London saying, "Clapton is God."

When jazz-trained bassist Jack Bruce joined the Blues Breakers, Clapton grew intrigued by his improvisational style. He recruited Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker to form the psychedelic blues-rock power-trio Cream. They became famous for long, bombastic solos in concert, and established the "power trio" (guitarist-bassist-drummer) as the definitive lineup of the late 1960s, a form also assumed by Blue Cheer, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Rory Gallagher's band, Taste. Cream disbanded after four excellent studio albums, having set a new standard for rock musicianship and Clapton, bored with the improvisational style, became interested in composing songs.

Blind Faith, a band comprised of established musicians from other famous bands and often called the first "supergroup," was formed by Clapton in 1969. He retained Ginger Baker, and recruited guitarist/pianist Steve Winwood (from the recently disbanded Traf-fic) and bassist Rick Grech. They produced only one album (Blind Faith, 1969), for Clapton soon transferred his interest to the laid-back, good-vibes style of Delaney and Bonnie, who had opened for Blind Faith on tour. Delaney and Bonnie encouraged him to develop his singing and composing skills, and joined him in the studio to record Eric Clapton (1970). Clapton then formed Derek and the Dominos with slide guitarist Duane Allman in 1970 and released Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, one of the finest blues-rock albums ever made. Unfortunately, the band, beset with intense personal conflicts and drug problems, was dissolved and Clapton, increasingly reliant on heroin, became a recluse.

In 1973 Pete Townsend organized the Rainbow Concert with Steve Winwood and other stars to bring Clapton back to his music.Clapton kicked the heroin habit, and in 1974 resumed his solo career with the classic 461 Ocean Boulevard. Although Layla could never be surpassed on its own terms, 461 was a worthy follow-up, mature and mellow, and set the tone for the remainder of Clapton's career. He had become attracted to minimalism, in search of the simplest way to convey the greatest amount of emotion. Developments in the 1980s included work on film soundtracks and a regrettable tilt toward pop under producer Phil Collins, but the 1990s found him once again drawn to the blues, while still recording some beautiful compositions in the soft-rock vein.

The subtleties of the mature Clapton are not as readily appreciated as the confetti-like maestro guitar work of Cream or Derek and the Dominos. Once regarded as rock's most restlessly exploring musician, too complex to be contained by any one band, by the 1990s Clapton had become the "Steady Rollin' Man," the self-assured journeyman of soft rock. A younger generation, unaware of his earlier work, was often puzzled by the awards and adulation heaped upon this singer of mainstream hits like "Tulsa Time," but a concert or live album showed Clapton displaying the legendary flash of old. Except for a few low points (No Reason to Cry, 1976), and the Phil Collins-produced albums Behind the Sun (1985) and August (1986), Eric Clapton aged better than many of his contemporaries, finding a comfortable niche without pandering to every new trend.

—Douglas Cooke