The Guitar BUZZ...

...Totally Random 6-String Discussion...

  • Home Page
  • Great Players
    • Should Be (more) Famous
    • Guitarist Birthdays
    • Guitar Faces
  • Backing Tracks
  • Guitars
    • Guitar Gear
    • Amps
    • Pedals & Effects
    • Instruction
      • Practice Tips
    • Guitar Art
    • Rare Guitars
    • Travel Guitars
  • CDs, DVDs
    • Movies
  • Video
    • Technology
    • Sunday Afternoon Blues
    • Rig Rundown
    • Apps
  • Books
    • Web Sites
  • Twitter
    • Guitar Jokes
  • About Me
    • Personal Gear
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy

Clapton: The Autobiography

January 23, 2009 By GuitarDaddy

I have read my copy through two times… and I am sure one day there will be a third.

Editorial Review: 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.

clapton_bookBorn 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.

  •  

Related posts:

  1. Eric Clapton Announces 21st Studio Album “Old Sock”
  2. Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood Announce 2010 Tour
  3. Clapton 2011 Crossroads Auction
  4. Guitar Aficionado – The Eric Clapton Issue

Filed Under: Books, Great Players, Inspiration Tagged With: Books, Eric Clapton

Guitar Backing, Practice and JAM Tracks!

Tom Noll – The Rock n’ Roll Portrait Artist

Take The GuitarBuzz Poll

Follow TheGuitarBuzz on Twitter!

Tweets by @TheGuitarBuzz

Tags

Art Billy Gibbons Birthdays Black Country Communion Blues Books Carlos Santana CDs Cool Guitars Derek Trucks DVD Eric Clapton Eric Johnson Gary Hoey Gary Moore Great Guitarists Inspiration Instruction iPad iPhone It Might Get Loud Jeff Beck Joe Bonamassa Joe Satriani Joe Walsh Jonny Lang Kenny Wayne Shepherd King of the Blues Learning To Play Les Paul NAMM Orianthi Robben Ford Ronnie Earl Rory Gallagher Santana Seymour Duncan Slash SRV Steve Senes The Beatles The Blues Foundation Tom Noll Warren Haynes ZZ Top

Categories

  • Amps (13)
  • Apps (11)
  • Backing Tracks (4)
  • Bands (8)
  • Books (12)
  • CDs, DVDs (109)
  • Concerts (40)
  • Contests (13)
  • General (95)
  • Great Players (114)
  • Guitar Art (40)
  • Guitar Blogs (1)
  • Guitar Faces (4)
  • Guitar Gear (16)
  • Guitar Jokes (3)
  • Guitar Photo of the Week (2)
  • GuitarDaddy Polls (2)
  • Guitarist Birthdays (16)
  • Guitars (49)
  • Inspiration (22)
  • Instruction (13)
  • Movies (14)
  • NAMM (7)
  • Pedals & Effects (9)
  • Practice Tips (12)
  • Random BUZZ (2)
  • Rare Guitars (4)
  • Rig Rundown (2)
  • Should Be (more) Famous (3)
  • Software (6)
  • Sunday Afternoon Blues (4)
  • Technology (2)
  • Top Six (2)
  • Travel Guitars (2)
  • Video (118)
  • Web Sites (16)

Blogroll

  • Bonamassa Live
  • Gilmourish
  • Guitar Collecting
  • Guitar Lifestyle
  • I Heart Guitar
  • Rock House Method
  • Stevie Snacks

Websites

  • Backing Tracks
  • Best Travel Guitars
  • Freelance Cartoonist
  • Guitar Lessons

Recent Posts

  • A Duke Robillard Masterclass – Blues for T-Bone
  • I Hear the Music…
  • Cream, Clapton and a Stormy Monday Blues
  • Jeff Beck Band and Billy Gibbons play “Foxy Lady”
  • Jonny Lang Gives a Rig Rundown to Premier Guitar

Pages

  • About Me
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Personal Gear
  • Privacy Policy
  • Twitter

Recent Comments

  • Dean Danbury on CONTEST: Name This Joe Walsh Painting to WIN A FREE ART PRINT!
  • John Heckel on CONTEST: Name This Joe Walsh Painting to WIN A FREE ART PRINT!
  • Sheila Clark on CONTEST: Name This Joe Walsh Painting to WIN A FREE ART PRINT!
  • Michael Di Girolamo on CONTEST: Name This Joe Walsh Painting to WIN A FREE ART PRINT!
  • John Daniels on CONTEST: Name This Joe Walsh Painting to WIN A FREE ART PRINT!

Spam Blocked

685,110 spam blocked by Akismet

Copyright (c) 2014 Metro Fox Media