Eric Clapton was born in Surrey England on March 30, 1945.
He began playing music and listening to blues while at Kensington
College of Art. In 1963 he was recruited as a member of the
Yardbirds because of his reputation on the R&B pub circuit. In his 18
months with the group, he recorded the albums “Five Live Yardbirds”
and “Sonny Boy Williamson And The Yardbirds” as well as their
single “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”. Clapton left the group after
they moved to a more commercial sound with “For Your Love”.
In 1965, he joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
 
In 1966, Clapton teamed up with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker
to form Cream. Their hits included “Sunshine Of Your Love” (1967),
“White Room” (1968) and “Crossroads” (1968) and “Badge” became a
staple of FM Rock radio. In 1968 Clapton contributed the guitar solo to
the Beatle’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on their “White Album”.
 
When Cream broke up in 1968, he formed Blind Faith, regarded as
the first supergroup. In 1970, Clapton formed Derek and The
Dominos which recorded ”Layla And Other Love Songs”. The title
track became a hit single and joined “Bell Bottom Blues” from the album
a favorite of FM rock radio. He participated in “The Concert for
Bangladesh” which won a 172 Grammy as Album of the Year.
 
In 1974 Clapton’s solo album “461 Ocean Boulevard” spawned the
#1 hit “I Shot The Sheriff”. After a couple of other solo efforts,
his 1977 release, “Slowhand” produced two major hits, “Lay Down Sally”
and “Wonderful Tonight”. In 1988 Eric Clapton’s body of work
was celebrated in a four compact disc set “Crossroads”.
 
His album “Unplugged” contained “Tears In Heaven” and acoustic
version of “Layla” that returned that song to the charts and won him five
1992 Grammy Awards. In 1994 his “From The Cradle”
album contained the single “Change The World” which won a
Grammy. In 1990, Clapton won a Grammy for “Bad Love” a track
from his “Journeyman” album.
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In 2000, Eric Clapton became the only triple inductee into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, when he was inducted as a solo artist
after having been inducted as a member of the Yardbirds and Cream.