Clapton's early days
The Yardbirds & the Bluesbreakers
Cream
Blind Faith & Delaney and Bonnie and Friends
Derek and the Dominos
Solo career
Controversy
Comeback
Tragedy again
Slowhand re-emerging
Clapton's early days
Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey, England the son of unwed parents 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton and Edward Walter Fryer, a 24-year-old soldier from Montréal. Fryer shipped off to war prior to Clapton's birth and then returned to Canada.
Clapton grew up with his grandmother, Rose, and her second husband Jack, believing they were his parents and that his mother was his older sister. (Their surname was Clapp, which has given rise to the widespread but erroneous belief that Eric's real name is Clapp.) Years later, his mother married another Canadian soldier, moved to Canada and left Eric with his grandparents. When Clapton was 9 years old, he discovered this family secret when his mother and 6 year old half-brother, Brian, returned to England for a visit. The experience became a defining moment in his life. He stopped applying himself at school and became moody and distant from his family. Brian died in 1974 in a road accident, but Clapton also has two half-sisters from this relationship, Cheryl (born in May 1953) and Heather (born in September 1958).
Clapton grew up quiet, shy, lonely and in his words a "nasty kid", who was very serious about his musical goals. However he is also known to have a sense of humour as well.
During his secondary school years he attended the Hollyfield School in Surbiton. His first job was as a postman. At 13, Clapton received an acoustic Spanish Hoya guitar, as well as a marimba, for his birthday, but he found learning the instruments so difficult he nearly gave up. Influenced by the blues from an early age, he practiced for hours on end, struggling to learn chords and trying to copy the exact sounds of black blues artists such as Big Bill Broonzy that he had on his little Grundig Cub tape recorder.
After leaving school, Clapton completed a one-year foundation art course in 1962 at the Kingston College of Art but he did not go on to undertake an art degree. Around this time Clapton began busking around Kingston, Richmond and the West End of London. Clapton joined his first band at 17 and stayed with this band - the early British R&B outfit The Roosters - from January through to August 1963. Clapton did a seven-gig stint with Casey Jones and the Engineers in October 1963.
Clapton grew up with his grandmother, Rose, and her second husband Jack, believing they were his parents and that his mother was his older sister. (Their surname was Clapp, which has given rise to the widespread but erroneous belief that Eric's real name is Clapp.) Years later, his mother married another Canadian soldier, moved to Canada and left Eric with his grandparents. When Clapton was 9 years old, he discovered this family secret when his mother and 6 year old half-brother, Brian, returned to England for a visit. The experience became a defining moment in his life. He stopped applying himself at school and became moody and distant from his family. Brian died in 1974 in a road accident, but Clapton also has two half-sisters from this relationship, Cheryl (born in May 1953) and Heather (born in September 1958).
Clapton grew up quiet, shy, lonely and in his words a "nasty kid", who was very serious about his musical goals. However he is also known to have a sense of humour as well.
During his secondary school years he attended the Hollyfield School in Surbiton. His first job was as a postman. At 13, Clapton received an acoustic Spanish Hoya guitar, as well as a marimba, for his birthday, but he found learning the instruments so difficult he nearly gave up. Influenced by the blues from an early age, he practiced for hours on end, struggling to learn chords and trying to copy the exact sounds of black blues artists such as Big Bill Broonzy that he had on his little Grundig Cub tape recorder.
After leaving school, Clapton completed a one-year foundation art course in 1962 at the Kingston College of Art but he did not go on to undertake an art degree. Around this time Clapton began busking around Kingston, Richmond and the West End of London. Clapton joined his first band at 17 and stayed with this band - the early British R&B outfit The Roosters - from January through to August 1963. Clapton did a seven-gig stint with Casey Jones and the Engineers in October 1963.
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