Eric Clapton Turns 70: Fifty Years Of Great Music
Eric Clapton turned 70 today. It's a milestone birthday for anyone. For a rock musician even more so.
Here's what he's overcome to make it to this day: Heroin addiction, alcohol addiction, the death of a child, Pattie Boyd and the Ginger Baker-Jack Bruce feud.
He saw his good friend George Harrison die fourteen years ago at age 58. Jimi Hendrix died almost fory-five years ago at age 27. There's a lot to be said for longevity. It's tough to be a rock legend and make it 70.
If you're in my age group, you first heard Clapton on the Yardbirds hit single "For Your Love". That was 50 years ago!!!
After a short time with John Mayall, he joined Cream with Baker & Bruce. Lot's of hard driving, blues based rock music. Lots of bitter infighting among the three.
One album with Steve Winwood and Blind Faith followed. Then came what I consider the key moments in Clapton's career. He was so affected by the music of The Band that he went to meet them hoping to join the group. When that didn't happen, he hooked up with Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett and they went on tour.
The tour included musicians such as Leon Russell, Jim Gordon, Bobby Whitlock, Dave Mason, Carl Radle, Jim Keltner and George Harrison. The group bonded and they were responsible for putting out some of the greatest albums of the early 1970's.
Clapton was the beneficiary of this on "Layla And Other Love Songs".
He had fallen in desperate love with Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, and the double album was Clapton in pain and angst over his situation.
It's hard to get any better than Clapton and Duane Allman on guitar with songs about unrequited love. It was easy to relate to this 45 years ago and even more today. Everyone has a painful love story.
His first solo album was released around the same time. The songs were a lot lighter than "Layla" but it featured the same great musicians making incredible music.
I was hooked. "Eric Clapton" was the only album I took home at Christmas break, my freshman year at college. Other than The Beatles, there isn't a musician I like more or have followed as long.
I'm not the only one. My fellow blogger, Music Mom, told me about her relationship with Clapton.
I can't tell you how many times I listened to the Slowhand and Behind the Sun albums growing up. He is amazing. I can't even articulate why he was so meaningful to me in high school and college. I was literally obsessive about listening to his music.
So what's the future look like for Eric Clapton?
He'll be doing some birthday celebration concerts in London followed by some shows in New York City. There's been rumors of retirement or at least slowing down.
We'll see. Many of his contemporaries are still playing and I wonder if he'll be able to keep away.
Happy Birthday EC. Here's to many more years of great music. Hopefully we'll both be around so I can write another one of these on your 80th birthday.
Layla, you've got me on my knees Layla, I'm begging darling please Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
Here are some other pieces I've done on Music
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