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“I found a pattern in my behavior that had been repeating itself for years, decades even. Bad choices were my specialty, and if something honest and decent came along, I would shun it or run the other way.”
With striking intimacy and candor, Eric Clapton tells the story of his eventful and inspiring life in this poignant and honest autobiography. More than a rock star, he is an icon, a living embodiment of the history of rock music. Well known for his reserve in a profession marked by self-promotion, flamboyance, and spin, he now chronicles, for the first time, his remarkable personal and professional journeys.
Born illegitimate in 1945 and raised by his grandparents, Eric never knew his father and, until the age of nine, believed his actual mother to be his sister. In his early teens his solace was the guitar, and his incredible talent would make him a cult hero in the clubs of Britain and inspire devoted fans to scrawl “Clapton is God” on the walls of London’s Underground. With the formation of Cream, the world's first supergroup, he became a worldwide superstar, but conflicting personalities tore the band apart within two years. His stints in Blind Faith, in Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, and in Derek and the Dominos were also short-lived but yielded some of the most enduring songs in history, including the classic “Layla.”
During the late sixties he played as a guest with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, as well as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and longtime friend George Harrison. It was while working with the latter that he fell for George’s wife, Pattie Boyd, a seemingly unrequited love that led him to the depths of despair, self-imposed seclusion, and drug addiction. By the early seventies he had overcome his addiction and released the bestselling album 461 Ocean Boulevard, with its massive hit “I Shot the Sheriff.” He followed that with the platinum album Slowhand, which included “Wonderful Tonight,” the touching love song to Pattie, whom he finally married at the end of 1979. A short time later, however, Eric had replaced heroin with alcohol as his preferred vice, following a pattern of behavior that not only was detrimental to his music but contributed to the eventual breakup of his marriage.
In the eighties he would battle and begin his recovery from alcoholism and become a father. But just as his life was coming together, he was struck by a terrible blow: His beloved four-year-old son, Conor, died in a freak accident. At an earlier time Eric might have coped with this tragedy by fleeing into a world of addiction. But now a much stronger man, he took refuge in music, responding with the achingly beautiful “Tears in Heaven.”
Clapton is the powerfully written story of a survivor, a man who has achieved the pinnacle of success despite extraordinary demons. It is one of the most compelling memoirs of our time.
- Sales Rank: #22209 in Books
- Brand: Clapton, Eric
- Published on: 2008-05-27
- Released on: 2008-05-27
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.00" h x .90" w x 5.20" l, .74 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 345 pages
From Publishers Weekly
Readers hoping for sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll won't be disappointed by the legendary guitarist's autobiography. As he retraces every step of his career, from the early stints with the Yardbirds and Cream to his solo successes, Clapton also devotes copious detail to his drug and alcohol addictions, particularly how they intersected with his romantic obsession with Pattie Boyd. His relationship with the woman for whom he wrote Layla culminated in a turbulent marriage he describes as drunken forays into the unknown. But he genuinely warms to the subject of his recovery, stressing its spiritual elements and eagerly discussing the fund-raising efforts for his Crossroads clinic in Antigua. His self-reckoning is filled with modesty, especially in the form of dissatisfaction with his early successes. He professes ambivalence about the famous Clapton is God graffiti, although he admits he was grateful for the recognition from fans. At times, he sounds more like landed gentry than a rock star: bragging about his collection of contemporary art, vigorously defending his hunting and fishing as leisure activities, and extolling the virtues of his quiet country living. But both the youthful excesses and the current calm state are narrated with an engaging tone that nudges Clapton's story ahead of other rock 'n' roll memoirs. (Oct. 9)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“Like the bluesmen who inspired him, Clapton has his share of scars . . . his compelling memoir is . . . a soulful performance.”
—People
“An absorbing tale of artistry, decadence, and redemption.”
—Los Angeles Times
“One of the very best rock autobiographies ever.”
— Houston Chronicle
“A glorious rock history.”
—New York Post
“This book does what many rock historians couldn’t: It debunks the legend . . . puts a lie to the glamour of what it means to be a rock star.”
—Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune
“Strong stuff. Clapton reveals its author’s journey to self-acceptance and manhood. Anyone who cares about the man and his music will want to take the trip with him.”
—Anthony DeCurtis, Rolling Stone
“Clapton is honest . . . even searing and often witty, with a hard-won survivor’s humor . . . an honorable badge of a book.”
—Stephen King, New York Times Book Review
“Riveting”
—Boston Herald
“An even, unblinking sensibility defines the author’s voice.”
—New York Times
“An unsparing self-portrait.”
—USA Today
From the Back Cover
THE BESTSELLING ROCK AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Eric Clapton is far more than a rock star. 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'. Now for the first time, Eric tells the story of his personal and professional journeys in this pungent, witty and painfully honest autobiography.
‘Gold-plated tales of sex, drink, drugs and fame and moments of musical incandescence’ Observer
‘Eric Clapton has produced a gem of a rock memoir, in which he lays bare the painful roots of his music. It's extremely moving’ Evening Standard
'An inspiring story of struggle, setback and redemption' Daily Telegraph 'A compelling, down-to-earth document of the man behind the guitar-hero mask' Q
Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Want Ad: "Young Brit Needed to Present Blues Riffs to the Masses."
By M on Amazon
This is one case where I arrived with more respect than I came away with. There is their story and then there is the person depicted in the story. Once I got used to the simple "I did this then I did that" writing style I quickly learned that Eric Clapton is a guy who probably should have never been famous and successful. I give Clapton credit as a song writer, At least Layla is a great song. Its success depended on everything leading up to it and surrounding it through the years thereafter. It is impossible to separate a song from its circumstances. There have been many good songs crippled by unfavorable situations. Clapton had a stage to present the song. However, I have never considered him a guitarist worthy of the praise he has received. Many musicians borrow riffs from originating blues musicians. It is the way they are played that makes a difference. For the most part Clapton's musicianship bored me. He just happened to grow up in the right place at the right time with an interest in blues music. At the time ripe for the picking Clapton was the Brit destined to bring blues oriented music to the young masses. He professes how he was "serious" about the music....meaning he has always had a profound respect and intent to be true to the music. Yet every aspect of his life illustrates a shallow, selfish, indulgent wastrel incapable of respect who ended up famous and popular. He treated all of his mates like they were expendable. He speaks of a deep friendship with George Harrison yet he went after his wife when they still had a healthy marriage. Threatening a would-be lover with "If you don't leave your husband and come with me I will devote my life to heroin" is ridiculously childish. He speaks of stylish clothing and circles of cool people to hang around with revealing his superficiality. For him it was all about looking cool, not what you were. He wanted to dress a certain way and spend time with certain people because they were cool not because he enjoyed their company. He even admits that initially his fascination with the love of his life, Pattie Boyd, may have been due to her being the mate of the rich and famous George Harrison. One would think he would have at least made sure that the supposed love of his life was on her feet financially after their divorce. He certainly could afford it. Yet apart from writing a few good songs and being an active musician during the British invasion, who is this guy but a self-indulgent slob? The whole Crossroads charity thing strikes me as more selfishly motivated than altruism. It is just something to divert his indulgent tendency away from the mess he left in his wake.
241 of 277 people found the following review helpful.
A Soul Bared for All to See
By George McAdams
I love biographies, especially of celebrities, having read them all my life. As I have gotten older, though, my attention span wanes, and I read less and less. This book, Clapton:The Autobiography, is an exceptional one, and as a pseudo musician (I can play several instruments, but I certainly wouldn't say I play any well), the prospect of reading about Eric Clapton, from the source, so-to-speak, was a prospect that excited me. I feel blessed that one can pre-order a book and have it on ones doorstep the day it hits the streets, as was the case with this book and the accompanying CD.
First of all, this is an exceptional book, but unlike some biographies, and fewer autobiographies, it is not one that would be a "page turner" for everyone because it is not full of cute anecdotes that make for sharing stories around the water cooler the next day.
A case in point is the time when Eric first met Jimi Hendrix. Chas Chandler of the Animals was trying to develop a career as a promoter and came across Hendrix in New York. Promising him a chance to meet Eric Clapton, he took Jimi to London. After meeting several musicians (Eric Burton, Andy Summers, et. al.), Chas took Jimi to hear Cream play. Backstage, Chas introduced Jimi, and they asked if Jimi could sit in with them for a few numbers, which seemed kind of ballsey. In CLAPTON, Eric writes that Jimi played Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" in true Hendrix fashion playing "the guitar with his teeth, behind his head, lying on the floor, doing the splits, the whole business. It was amazing.....They (the crowd) loved it, and I loved it, too, but I remember thinking that here was a force to be reckoned with. It scared me, because he was clearly going to be a huge star, and just as we were finding our own speed, here was the real thing." In other accounts I have read and heard about from others, Eric after seeing and hearing Jimi perform, goes over and sits down, looking rejected. Another musician comes over to ask him, "What's wrong?" In some accounts it's Jack Bruce, in other accounts it's Peter Townsend. Eric replies, "I'm (expletive-deleted). If I'm "God," who's he?" Which to me would have been a funny anecdote.
It is still an exceptional book because it is so personal.... Filled with the flaws and mistakes of an exceptionally talented man who carried around for most of his life the baggage of being a "bastard" to some in his own family, for his mother had had an affair with a soldier during WWII and left him as a child to be raised by his grandparents. While learning that his "parents" were actually his grandparents, he writes at length of the insecurities of not having his mom there, and, the heartbreak of finally meeting her, and asking her if he could call her "Mummy now?" Only to be told, ""I think it's best, after all they've done for you, that you go on calling your grandparent Mum and Dad." Of that moment, he wrote, "In that moment I felt total rejection."
Growing-up wasn't all that bad, though. Eric showed some talent in art, and music was something that his Grandmother Rose loved. He wasn't a diligent student, but in art, and later in the guitar, he worked long and hard at learning and later creating.
This is a very thorough book, almost a true musician's book because it leaves out nothing of the ups-and-downs that seem to be the norm for all musicians. In the book, he talks of why some tunes were written a certain way, how he evolved in his musical craft, and what he was wanting to achieve in each group he played with. He mentions names on individuals in even the earliest of groups he played in, what they did together, and is very thorough in providing the reader his a written history of their achievements.
One wonders, though, where all this would have led had Eric not had so much alcohol and drugs in his early life, of if in some way, this was the catalyst to help him overcome those insecurities of his youth (Actually, he states this in a roundabout way that it was, but one still wonders just how much of what we have now would there have been with less alcohol and drugs.)
I can't think of any aspect of Eric's life that he doesn't discuss in ERIC: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY: His love life, particularly his infatuation with Patti Boyd, George Harrison's wife; His relationships with other musicians and what he respected them for; His heartbreaks such as the loss of his son Conor.
I've given this book four stars, not because it is not exceptional, but because it isn't one that will be readable and enjoyable to all. However, if you are a lover of rock and blues music, or one who really wonders just what has gone through the head of someone as influential as Eric Clapton, I would recommend it to you.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Especially for fans of E.C.
By Amazon Customer
I've been listening to this guy's music since 1969. He's been part of some of the most revered and influential bands since the beginning of his career. So, I thought this autobiography would be interesting to read. Not just to get the skinny on his 'lost years' of being a junkie and an alcoholic; let's face it, this is an autobiography. Alot of the stuff that went on he doesn't remember. And I take away that he regrets it but has come to terms with it.
He was very immature, socially, and acted like he had no accountability for most of his life. He's been on a pedestal his whole adult life; not put there by himself, but by everyone around him. It appears he was spoiled rotten. He pined away for years because he was in love with his best friend's wife, and once she left George (Harrison) and went to Eric, he ignored the fact that he won her over, and was a playboy while on the road. I got tired of reading about all of his cheating and came to dislike that part of him during this book.
But he redeemed himself. I think losing Conor, his toddler son, forced him to take a good hard look at his life. He was an absentee dad for Conor. He was split with Patti when that happened. He met his future wife, Melia, and he seemed to grow up. And as they had children together, he wanted to be a real dad. He is happy with this life as a family man now.
Overall, it's a very well-written story. He has incredible insight into his life but then, hindsight's always 20/20. I think he's giving an honest account of this crazy life of his. Imagine playing music with the people he's played with, it's phenomenal! We music lovers are lucky to enjoy such a great talent as Eric Clapton in our lives. He's stayed loyal to his love of the blues; he's a purist. And I admire that about him.
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