Did you know that Eric (http://www.mtvindia.com/mtv/music/index796.php3) was raised by his grandparents? His mother was young (16) and unmarried, so her parents took him and raised him as her brother. His real name is Eric Patrick Clapp.

He once dreamed of being a stained glass artist, and even started college to follow that dream. He was expelled for playing guitar in class.

Clapton has founded a drug rehabilitation center called Crossroads. Possibly inspired by his own battles with heroin and alcohol....

Clapton has inadvertantly been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame three times - - as a member of Yardbirds, as a member of Cream, and as a solo artist.

What do you know about Eric Clapton? :)

Originally posted by ValJ

What do you know about Eric Clapton? :)

Eric Clapton was a mentor to many of the rock bands today...Thanks for sharing some of that info Val ;)

The title for Cream's "Disraeli Gears" album was a kind of inside joke, born when Eric was thinking of getting a racing bicycle and a roadie discussing bike performance mangled the pronunciation of "derailleur gears".

Clapton was one of the early artists to release a CD box set, "Crossroads" in 1988. Commemorating his 25th anniversary as a recording artist, it became the first box set in history to go multi-platinum.

On March 20, 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son was killed in a fall. While he mourned, he prepared a movie soundtrack, Rush (January 1992). The soundtrack featured a song written for his son, "Tears in Heaven," that became a massive hit single.

In March 1992, Clapton recorded a concert for MTV Unplugged that, when released on an album in August, became his biggest-selling record ever.

He also had a huge crush on George Harrison's wife, and asked her to leave George to be with him. She wouldn't do it. The song "Layla" was written about her, though her name is Pattie.

Patti eventually did leave George for Eric, she married Eric in 1979.

Yardbirds also included two other guitar greats, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck.

Blind Faith also included Steve Winwood

US charts:

Yardbirds:
#6 For your love 1965
#9 Heart full of soul 1965
#17 I'm a man 1965
#11 Shape of things 1966
#13 Over under sideways down
#30 Happenings ten years time ago
#51 Little games 1967
#45 Ha Ha said the clown 1967
#96 Ten little indians 1967
(bubbling under):
#127 Goodnight sweet Josephine 1968


Cream:
#5 Sunshine of your love 1968
#64 Anyone for tennis 1968
#6 White room 1968
#28 Crossroads 1969
#60 Badge 1969
(bubbling under):
#116 I feel free 1967

Blind Faith:
(never charted)

Derek and the Dominoes:
#91 Bell bottom blues 1971
#51 Layla 1971
#10 Layla 1972
(bubbling under):
#120 Why does love got to be so sad 1973

Eric Clapton:
#84 Comin' home 1970 (credited to Delaney and Bonnie and friends with Eric Clapton)
#18 After midnight 1970
#48 Let it rain 1972
#78 Bell bottom blues 1973
#1 I shot the sheriff 1974
#26 Willie and the hand jive 1974
#24 Hello old friend 1976
#3 Lay down Sally 1978
#16 Wonderful tonight 1978
#9 Promises 1979
#40 Watch out for Lucy 1979
#30 Tulsa time (live) 1980
Cocaine (live) (charted as b-side of "Tulsa time")
#76 Blues power 1980
#10 I can't stand it 1981
#78 Another ticket 1981
#18 I've got a Rock N' Roll heart 1983
#26 Forever man 1985
#89 See what love can do 1985
#55 Pretending 1989
#88 Bad love 1990
#2 Tears in heaven 1992
#12 Layla (acoustic live version) 1992
#5 Change the world 1996
#16 (airplay charts) My father's eyes 1998
(my book only goes to 1999)

Bubbling under the US charts:
#128 Teasin' (w/King Curtis and Delaney and Bonnie and Friends)
#114 Motherless child 1994

UK charts:

Yardbirds:
#44 Good morning little school girl 1964
#3 For your love 1965
#2 Heart full of soul 1965
#3 Evil hearted you/Still I'm sad 1965
#3 Shape of things 1966
#10 Over under sideways down 1966
#43 Happenings ten years time ago

Cream:
#34 Wrapping paper 1966
#11 I feel free 1966
#17 Strange brew 1967
#40 Anyone for tennis 1968
#25 Sunshine of your love 1968
#28 White room 1969
#18 Badge 1969
#42 Badge (re-issue) 1972

Blind Faith:
(never charted)

Derek and the Dominoes:
#7 Layla 1972
#4 Layla (re-issue) 1982

Eric Clapton:
#16 Comin' home (w/Delaney and Bonnie and Friends) 1969
#9 I shot the sheriff 1974
#19 Swing low sweet chariot 1975
#38 Knockin' on heavens door 1975
#39 Lay down Sally 1977
#37 Promises 1978
#64 I shot the sheriff (re-issue) 1982
#75 The shape you're in 1983
#51 Forever man 1985
#65 Edge of darkness 1986
#15 Behind the mask 1987
#56 Tearing us apart 1987
#25 Bad love 1990
#53 No alibis 1990
#30 Wonderful tonight (live) 1991
#50 Tears in heaven 1992
#5 Tears in heaven (re-entry) 1992
#31 Runaway train (w/ Elton John) 1992
#30 It's probably me (w/ Sting) 1992
#45 Layla (live acoustic) 1992
#63 Motherless child 1994
#1 Love can build a bridge (w/ Cher, Chrissie Hynde, and Neneh Cherry) 1995
#18 Change the world 1996
#33 My father's eyes 1998
#39 Circus 1998
(my book only goes to 1999)

Album rock charts:
#1 I can't stand it (the very first ever #1 album rock track) 1981
#18 Rita Mae 1981
#23 Catch me if you can 1981
#24 Blow wind blow 1981
#24 I've got a Rock N' Roll heart 1983
#32 Ain't going down 1983
#1 Forever man 1985
#11 She's waiting 1985
#20 See what love can do 1985
#1 It's in the way that you use it 1987
#5 Tearing us apart 1987
#9 Miss you 1987
#21 Run 1987
#4 After midnight 1988
#1 Pretending 1989
#1 Bad love 1990
#4 No alibis 1990
#9 Before you accuse me 1990
#40 Run so far 1990
#21 Watch yourself 1991
#9 Tears in heaven 1992
#6 Help me up 1992
#20 It's probably me (w/Sting) 1992
#10 Runaway train (w/Elton John) 1992
#9 Layla (live, acoustic) 1992
#15 Running on faith 1993
#26 My back pages (w/Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Neil Young, and George Harrison) 1993
#4 Stone free 1993
#5 I'm tore down 1994
#23 Motherless child 1994
(my book only goes to 1996)

Adult contemporary charts:

#25 Lat down Sally 1978
#39 Wonderful tonight 1978
#6 Promises 1978
#6 I've got a Rock N' Roll heart 1983
#1 Tears in heaven 1992
#47 It's probably me (w/Sting) 1992
#8 Layla (live, acoustic) 1992
#28 Running on faith 1993
(my book only goes to 1993)

R&B charts:
#33 I shot the sheriff 1974
#4 Knockin' on heaven's door (w/Randy Crawford and David Sanborn) 1989
#54 Change the world 1996

Country charts:
#26 Lay down Sally 1978
#82 Promises 1978

Wow! what a chart performance. He was on every major Billboard chart except the Modern Rock charts!

Lay Down Sally was written by Marcella Detroit who was 16 at the time. She later formed Shakespears Sister with Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama fame.

Clapton quit the Yardbirds in 1965 after "For Your Love" charted because he felt that the direction they were taking was too commercial. The man they got to replace him was Jeff Beck. The Yardbirds later metamorphosised into Led Zeppelin and are one of my favourite bands of the 60's.

He later formed Cream with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce and were famed for their long improvisational solos on stage, sometimes lasting up to 20 mins, each member competing against one another. Their final gig, Live at the Albert Hall is an absolute Classic to get on Video or DVD and one I would SERIOUSLY recommend to all rock fans.

:D