Free shipping on orders over $99
Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton

The Autobiography

by Eric Clapton
Hardback
Publication Date: 15/10/2007

Share This Book:

 
$59.95
Eric Clapton is far more than a rock star. Like Dylan and McCartney he is an icon and a living legend. He has sold tens of millions of records, played sell-out concerts all over the world and been central to the significant musical developments of his era. His guitar playing has seen him hailed as 'God'. Tracks such as Layla, Sunshine Of Your Love, Wonderful Tonight and Tears In Heaven have become anthems for generations of music fans. Now for the first time, Eric tells the story of his personal and professional journeys in this pungent, witty and painfully honest autobiography. Eric was born illegitimate in 1945 and raised by his grandparents. He never knew his father and until the age of nine believed his absentee mother to be his sister. In his teens his solace was the guitar and he soon became a cult hero in the club circuits of Britain.With the foundation of the world's first super group Cream in 1966 he became a world superstar. But the rock star lifestyle has had a darker side. In more than forty years at the forefront of his profession he has twice survived near fatal addictions to drugs and alcohol, the death of his four-year-old son, the deaths of friends such as Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon, the break-up of marriage and the disintegration of relationships with a succession of beautiful women. These are the memoirs of a survivor, someone who has reached the pinnacle of success, who has had it all, but whose demons have never left him. At the age of 62, Eric is now ready to tell his story as it is, hiding nothing, with a directness and searing honesty that will make this book one of the most compelling memoirs of our time.
ISBN:
9781846051609
9781846051609
Category:
Biography: arts & entertainment
Format:
Hardback
Publication Date:
15-10-2007
Publisher:
Random House
Country of origin:
United Kingdom
Dimensions (mm):
243x160x38mm
Weight:
0.79kg
Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton is an English musician widely revered as rock's premier guitarist, both as a solo artist and as a former member of legendary rock groups including The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos.

Born on 30 March 1945 and raised in a musical household, Clapton recieved his first guitar after hearing the electric blues of Freddie King, B.B. King, and Muddy Waters. He spent his early days in music busking around Richmond and Kingston, and in 1963, 17-year-old Eric joined his first band.

Today, with more than 50 years of touring under his belt, Clapton has played in excess of 3,000 concerts. He has performed in 58 countries and played to over 2 billion people. He can be heard on records by Gary Brooker, Bob Dylan, Bob Geldof, Elton John, Carole King, Plastic Ono Band (John Lennon and Yoko Ono), Stephen Stills, Sting, Roger Waters and many more.

Over the course of his career, Eric has received numerous awards and accolades. He has won 18 Grammy Awards, a BAFTA, and is the only triple inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Yardbirds, Cream and as a solo artist. In 1994, Queen Elizabeth II made Eric an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and in 2004, she honoured him further when he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE.

In 1998, Eric founded the Crossroads Centre, an addiction treatment centre based in Antigua which follows the 12-step model. One of the centres main principles is to provide treatment for some of the poorest people of the Caribbean, using the centre's own foundation.

To raise funds for the Crossroads Centre Foundation, Eric has held a series of Guitar Festivals and Guitar Auctions. In 1999, Clapton auctioned 100 of his guitars, including the guitar on which he recorded "Layla," which netted almost five million dollars for the foundation. A second guitar auction in June 2004 raised $6 million for the foundation and included the sale of "Blackie," his legendary Fender Stratocaster. Later, Clapton hosted a concert to benefit the Centre at New York City's Madison Square Garden, as well as planning a second fundraising effort - the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas. The first festival launched in 2004, and was hosted again by Clapton in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2019.

Click 'Notify Me' to get an email alert when this item becomes available

Reviews

Be the first to review Eric Clapton.