Clapton Eric, *30 March 1945 Ripley (Surrey), English guitarist, composer and singer. Fascinated by R&B and blues, he began learning to play the guitar at the age of 13. He quickly gained recognition as a member of the Yardbirds (1963–1965) and J. Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (1965–1966). Cream, a blues-rock trio, was formed in July 1966 by Ginger Baker (drums) and Jack Bruce (bass guitar). A varied repertoire ranging from pop and soul (I Feel Free) to improvised rock (Spoonful), combined with the musicians’ virtuosity, brought the group enormous commercial success – the trio recorded four albums, which sold over 15 million copies worldwide: Fresh Cream (1966), Disraeli Gears (1967), Wheels of Fire (1968), Goodbye (1969). Following the break-up of Cream in 1969, the quartet Blind Faith was formed: Eric Clapton (guitar), Ginger Baker (drums), Stevie Winwood (piano, organ, vocals) and Ric Grech (bass guitar). Clapton wrote his first original song, Presence of the Lord, for Blind Faith. His work from this period solidified his position as a talented blues-rock guitarist. After moving to the United States, Clapton collaborated with, amongst others, Dr John, Leon Russell, John Lennon, Billy Preston, Stephen Stills, Ringo Starr and Howlin’ Wolf. In 1970, the artist released his solo album Eric Clapton and formed the quartet Derek and The Dominos: Eric Clapton (guitar, vocals), Bobby Witlock (piano, organ, vocals), Carl Radle (bass guitar) and Jim Gordon (drums). Clapton’s biggest hit, Layla (1970), was written during this period. The artist recorded less frequently, focusing on live performances and honing his guitar technique. He collaborated with, among others, P. Townshend, G. Harrison, J. Beck, R. Waters, P. Collins, J.J. Cal, E. John, T. Turner, C. Santana, B.B. King and Sting. In the 1990s, Clapton enjoyed a resurgence in his career following the release of his acoustic album Unplugged. Clapton has received 18 Grammy Awards, including for his performance of the song Bad Love (1991), for the albums Unplugged (1993), From the Cradle (1995) and The Road to Escondido (2008), and for the songs Layla (1992) and Tears in Heaven (1993). He has been twice awarded the Order of the British Empire (1994, 2004). He has appeared in films including: Tommy (dir. K. Russell, 1974), The Last Waltz (dir. M. Scorsese, 1978), Water (dir. D. Clement, 1986), Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (dir. L.F. Zanuck, 2017); he composed the music for the films: Lethal Weapon 1, 2 and 3 (dir. R. Donner, 1987, 1989 and 1992), Homeboy (dir. M. Seresin, 1988), Rush (dir. L.F. Zanuck, 1992) and Roswell: The U.F.O. Cover-Up (dir. J. Kagan, 1994). He recorded the albums, including: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs 1970, Rainbow Concert 1973, Eric Clapton Was Here 1975, Slowhand 1977, Backless 1978, Just One Night 1980, Another Ticket 1981, Money and Cigarettes 1983, Behind the Sun 1985, August 1986, Journeyman 1989, 24 Nights 1991, Unplugged 1992, From the Cradle 1994, Pilgrim 1998, Riding with the King, with B.B. King, 2000, Reptile 2001, Back Home 2005, I Still Do 2016, Meanwhite 2024. He is the owner of the Duck Records. Clapton has performed several times in Poland: Warsaw (1979), Katowice (1979), Gdynia (2008), Łódź (2013), Oświęcim (2014), Krakow (2026).
Literature: J. Pidgeon Eric Clapton. A Biography, London 1976; H. Shapiro Slowhand. The Story of Eric Clapton, London 1984; M. Roberty Eric Clapton. A Visual Documentary, London 1985; R. Coleman Survivor. The Authorized Biography, London 1986, 21994; H. Shapiro Eric Clapton. Lost in Blues, London 1992; M. Roberty Eric Clapton. The New Visual Documentary, London 1992; C. Sandford Clapton. Edge of Darkness London 1994, M. Schumacher Crossroads. The Life and Music of Eric Clapton, London 1997, E, Clapton Clapton: The Autobiography London 2007.
