The Marshall Bluesbreaker is the popular name given to the Models 1961 and 1962 guitar amplifiers made by Marshall from 1964/65 to 1972.
100-432: The Bluesbreaker, which derives its nickname from being used by Eric Clapton with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers , is credited with delivering "the sound that launched British blues -rock in the mid-1960s." It was Marshall's first combo amplifier, and was described as "arguably the most important [amplifier] in the company's history" and "the definitive rock amplifier." According to Robb Lawrence's The Early Years of
200-455: A rhythm and blues band, and stayed with them until March 1965. Synthesising influences from Chicago blues and leading blues guitarists such as Buddy Guy , Freddie King , and B.B. King , Clapton forged a distinctive style and rapidly became one of the most talked-about guitarists in the British music scene. The band initially played Chess / Checker / Vee-Jay blues numbers and began to attract
300-419: A 2011 Vintage Guitar article ranking the twenty-five "most valuable amplifiers", the 1966/1967 Bluesbreaker is seventh on the list, with solid original examples fetching prices between US$ 8,300 and US$ 10,000. Marshall reissued the 2×12" Bluesbreaker in 1989; the 4×10" was never reissued. This version used 6L6 tubes. In 1991, Marshall began making a Bluesbreaker overdrive pedal that was intended to emulate
400-436: A concert of the group's second headlining US tour was another significant factor in the trio's demise, and it affected Clapton profoundly. Clapton has also credited Music from Big Pink , the debut album of The Band , and its revolutionary Americana sound as influencing his decision to leave Cream. Cream's farewell album, Goodbye , comprising live performances recorded at The Forum , Los Angeles, on 19 October 1968,
500-423: A copy of which Ian Dallas had given to Clapton. The book moved Clapton profoundly, as it was the tale of a young man who fell hopelessly in love with a beautiful, unavailable woman and went crazy because he could not marry her. The two parts of "Layla" were recorded in separate sessions: the opening guitar section was recorded first, and for the second section, laid down a few weeks later, drummer Jim Gordon played
600-559: A duo with fellow blues enthusiast Dave Brock in pubs around Surrey. When he was 17, he joined his first band, an early British R&B group, the Roosters, whose other guitarist was Tom McGuinness . He stayed with them from January until August 1963. In October of that year, he performed a seven-gig stint with Casey Jones & the Engineers . In October 1963, Clapton joined the Yardbirds,
700-732: A guest on Crow's Central Park Concert. The duo performed a Cream hit single, " White Room ". Later, Clapton and Crow performed an alternate version of "Tulsa Time" with other guitar legends at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in June 2007 as well as Robert Johnson 's blues classic " Crossroads " at London's Hyde Park in August 2008 with John Mayer and Robert Randolph . At the 41st Annual Grammy Awards on 24 February 1999, Clapton received his third Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance , for his song " My Father's Eyes ". In October 1999,
800-665: A large cult following when they took over the Rolling Stones ' residency at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond , London. They toured England with American bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson II ; a joint LP album, recorded in December 1963, was issued in 1965. Yardbirds' rhythm guitarist, Chris Dreja , recalled that whenever Clapton broke a guitar string during a concert, he would stay on stage and replace it. The English audiences would wait out
900-470: A large number of drinks, for fear he would never be able to drink again. Clapton wrote in his autobiography: In the lowest moments of my life, the only reason I didn't commit suicide was that I knew I wouldn't be able to drink any more if I was dead. It was the only thing I thought was worth living for, and the idea that people were about to try and remove me from alcohol was so terrible that I drank and drank and drank, and they had to practically carry me into
1000-410: A live version of Robert Johnson 's "Cross Road Blues". Though Cream were hailed as one of the greatest groups of its day, and the adulation of Clapton as a guitar legend reached new heights, the supergroup was short-lived. Drug and alcohol use escalated tension between the three members, and conflicts between Bruce and Baker eventually led to Cream's demise. A strongly critical Rolling Stone review of
1100-455: A low-key touring band that included Radle, Miami guitarist George Terry , keyboardist Dick Sims (who died in 2011), drummer Jamie Oldaker , and vocalists Yvonne Elliman and Marcy Levy (also known as Marcella Detroit). With this band Clapton recorded 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974), an album with an emphasis on more compact songs and fewer guitar solos; the cover version of " I Shot the Sheriff "
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#17328442327221200-765: A member of Lennon's Plastic Ono Band at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival in September 1969, a recording from which was released as the album Live Peace in Toronto 1969 . On 30 September, Clapton played lead guitar on Lennon's second solo single, " Cold Turkey ". On 15 December that year, Clapton performed with Lennon, Harrison and others as the Plastic Ono Supergroup at a fundraiser for UNICEF in London. Delaney Bramlett encouraged Clapton in his singing and writing. Using
1300-566: A member of the Bluesbreakers, Clapton briefly collaborated on a side project with Jack Bruce and Steve Winwood among others, recording only a few tracks under the name Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse . During his second Bluesbreakers stint, Clapton gained a reputation as the best blues guitarist on the club circuit. Although Clapton gained fame for playing on the influential album, Blues Breakers – John Mayall – With Eric Clapton , this album
1400-498: A number of different local bands, Clapton joined the Yardbirds from 1963 to 1965, and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers from 1965 to 1966. After leaving Mayall, he formed the power trio Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce , in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and "arty, blues-based psychedelic pop ". After four successful albums, Cream broke up in November 1968. Clapton then formed
1500-511: A number of successful solo albums and songs over the next several decades, including a 1974 cover of Bob Marley 's " I Shot the Sheriff " (which helped reggae reach a mass market), the country -infused Slowhand album (1977) and the pop rock of 1986's August . Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton's grief was expressed in the song " Tears in Heaven ", which appeared on his Unplugged album. In 1996 he had another top-40 hit with
1600-621: A number of tracks that were retroactively credited to The Immediate All-Stars . In the summer of 1965 he left for Greece with a band called the Glands, which included his old friend Ben Palmer on piano. After a car crash that killed the bassist and injured the guitarist of the Greek band the Juniors, on 17 October 1965 the surviving members played memorial shows in which Clapton played with the band. In October 1965 he rejoined John Mayall. In March 1966, while still
1700-466: A party for Armani at New York City's Lexington Armory with Greg Phillinganes , Nathan East and Steve Gadd . Sheryl Crow appeared on one number, performing " Tearing Us Apart ", a track from August , which was first performed by Tina Turner during the Prince's Trust All-Star Rock show in 1986. It was Clapton's sole US appearance that year, following the open-air concert held at Hyde Park. The concert
1800-545: A slot close to peak viewing hours, he was apparently flattered. His album output continued in the 1980s, including two produced with Phil Collins, 1985's Behind the Sun , which produced the hits "Forever Man" and "She's Waiting", and 1986's August . August was suffused with Collins's trademark drum and horn sound, and became Clapton's biggest seller in the UK to date, matching his highest chart position, number 3. The album's first track,
1900-457: A smaller version of the Bluesbreaker, and is sometimes referred to as its "little brother". The output of a typical Bluesbreaker was only about 35 watts, and thus the sound would break up at more moderate volumes as compared to larger amplifiers. It was precisely this distortion that Eric Clapton was after. Reportedly, Clapton told the engineer during the Bluesbreakers sessions that he should mic
2000-448: A song dedicated to him, called "Mr. Bluesman". He contributed guitar and vocals to "Runaway Train", a duet with Elton John on the latter's The One album the following year. I almost subconsciously used music for myself as a healing agent, and lo and behold, it worked ... I have got a great deal of happiness and a great deal of healing from music. —Clapton on the healing process in writing "Tears in Heaven". Clapton's grief
2100-749: Is certified Diamond by the RIAA for selling over 10 million copies in the US. It reached number two in the UK Albums Chart and is certified four times platinum in the UK. On 9 September 1992, Clapton performed "Tears in Heaven" at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards , and won the award for Best Male Video. In 1992, Clapton received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors . In October 1992 Clapton
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#17328442327222200-595: Is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. He ranked second in Rolling Stone ' s list of the " 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time " and fourth in Gibson ' s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". He was named number five in Time magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009. In 2023, Rolling Stone named Clapton the 35th best guitarist of all time. After playing in
2300-595: The Music for Montserrat concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, performing "Layla" and "Same Old Blues" before finishing with "Hey Jude" alongside fellow English artists Paul McCartney , Elton John , Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler and Sting . That autumn, Clapton released the album Pilgrim , the first record containing new material for almost a decade. In 1996, Clapton had a relationship with singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow . They remain friends, and Clapton appeared as
2400-563: The 1987 Brit Awards in London, Clapton was awarded the prize for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 1987, he played on George Harrison 's album Cloud Nine , contributing guitar to "Cloud 9", "That's What It Takes", "Devil's Radio" and "Wreck of the Hesperus". Clapton also got together with the Bee Gees for charity. The supergroup called itself the Bunburys , and recorded a charity album with
2500-508: The Amnesty International benefit The Secret Policeman's Other Ball in London. Clapton accepted the invitation and teamed up with Jeff Beck to perform a series of duets – reportedly their first ever billed stage collaboration. Three of the performances were released on the album of the show, and one of the songs appeared in the film. The performances at London's Drury Lane theatre heralded a return to form and prominence for Clapton in
2600-624: The Layla sessions in Florida; he talked about Allman as the "musical brother I'd never had but wished I did". Although Radle remained Clapton's bass player until the summer of 1979 (Radle died in May 1980 from the effects of alcohol and narcotics), it was not until 2003 that Clapton and Whitlock appeared together again; Clapton guested on Whitlock's appearance on the Later with Jools Holland show. Another tragic footnote to
2700-902: The Party at the Palace concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace . On 29 November 2002, the Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall , a tribute to George Harrison, who had died a year earlier of lung cancer. Clapton was a performer and the musical director. The concert included Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne , Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers , Ravi Shankar , Gary Brooker , Billy Preston, Joe Brown and Dhani Harrison . In 2004, Clapton released two albums of covers of songs by bluesman Robert Johnson , Me and Mr. Johnson and Sessions for Robert J . Guitarist Doyle Bramhall II worked on
2800-478: The Rolling Stones , Winwood and Starr. Despite the superstar line-up, critic Cub Koda noted: "Even Eric Clapton, who usually welcomes any chance to play with one of his idols, has criticized this album repeatedly in interviews, which speaks volumes in and of itself." Other noted recordings from this period include Clapton's guitar work on "Go Back Home" from Stephen Stills' self-titled first solo album . With
2900-685: The Tsunami Relief Concert held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , in aid of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake . In May 2005, Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker reunited as Cream for a series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Concert recordings were released on CD and DVD. Later, Cream performed in New York at Madison Square Garden . Clapton's first album of new original material in nearly five years, Back Home ,
3000-643: The Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester on 29 July 1966 before their full debut two nights later at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Windsor . Cream established its enduring legend with the high-volume blues jamming and extended solos of their live shows. By early 1967, fans of the emerging blues-rock sound in the UK had begun to portray Clapton as Britain's top guitarist; however, he found himself rivalled by
3100-525: The best-selling musicians of all time . In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict , founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua , a medical facility for those recovering from substance abuse. Clapton was born on 30 March 1945 in Ripley, Surrey , England, to 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton (1929–1999) and Edward Walter Fryer (1920–1985), a 25-year-old soldier from Montreal , Quebec. Fryer
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3200-571: The blues rock band Blind Faith with Baker, Steve Winwood , and Ric Grech , recording one album and performing on one tour before they broke up. Clapton then toured with Delaney & Bonnie and recorded his first solo album in 1970, before forming Derek and the Dominos with Bobby Whitlock , Carl Radle and Jim Gordon . Like Blind Faith, the band only lasted one album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs , which includes " Layla ", one of Clapton's signature songs . Clapton continued to record
3300-473: The "White Album"). Harrison's debut solo album, Wonderwall Music (1968), became the first of many Harrison solo records to include Clapton on guitar. Clapton went largely uncredited for his contributions to Harrison's albums due to contractual restraints, and Harrison was credited as "L'Angelo Misterioso" for his contributions to the song "Badge" on Goodbye . The pair often played live together as each other's guest. A year after Harrison's death in 2001, Clapton
3400-529: The Allman Brothers Band. Despite Clapton's later admission that the tour took place amid a blizzard of drugs and alcohol, it resulted in the live double album In Concert . Recording of a second Dominos studio album was underway when a clash of egos took place and Clapton walked out, thus disbanding the group. Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident on 29 October 1971. Clapton wrote later in his autobiography that he and Allman were inseparable during
3500-466: The Blind") is notable as he is clearly wearing a fake beard in some shots, the result of deciding to shave off his real beard after the initial takes in an attempt to force the director to remove his earlier scene from the film and leave the set. In 1974, Clapton started living with Boyd (they would not marry until 1979) and was no longer using heroin (although he gradually began to drink heavily). He assembled
3600-960: The Bramletts' backing group and an all-star cast of session players (including Leon Russell and Stephen Stills ), Clapton recorded his first solo album during two brief tour hiatuses, titled Eric Clapton . Delaney Bramlett co-wrote six of the songs with Clapton, also producing the LP, and Bonnie Bramlett co-wrote "Let It Rain". The album yielded the unexpected US No. 18 hit, J. J. Cale 's "After Midnight". Clapton also worked with much of Delaney and Bonnie's band to record George Harrison's All Things Must Pass in spring 1970. During this period, Clapton also recorded with artists such as Dr. John , Leon Russell , Billy Preston , Ringo Starr and Dave Mason . With Chicago blues artist Howlin' Wolf , he recorded The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions , that also included long-time Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin and members of
3700-450: The Cradle contained new versions of old blues standards , highlighted by his electric guitar playing. In 1995, Clapton for the first and only time appeared on a UK No. 1 single, collaborating with Cher , Chrissie Hynde , and Neneh Cherry on a solo to a cover of " Love Can Build a Bridge " released in aid of the British charity telethon Comic Relief . On 12 September 1996 Clapton played
3800-425: The Dominos story was the fate of drummer Jim Gordon , who had undiagnosed schizophrenia and years later murdered his mother during a psychotic episode . Gordon was confined to 16-years-to-life imprisonment, later being moved to a mental institution, where he remained for the rest of his life. Clapton's career successes in the 1970s were in stark contrast with the struggles he coped with in his personal life, which
3900-644: The Highclere Castle, in aid of the Countryside Alliance, playing two set pieces of " Wish You Were Here " and " Comfortably Numb ". Clapton, now a regular charity performer, played at the Live Aid concert at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia on 13 July 1985, playing with Phil Collins , Tim Renwick , Chris Stainton , Jamie Oldaker , Marcy Levy , Shaun Murphy and Donald 'Duck' Dunn . When offered
4000-470: The Les Paul Legacy , Jim Marshall initially gave Clapton a Model 1961 with 4×10" speakers, which was soon replaced with a 2×12" Model 1962. Clapton used the combo amplifier with his 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard, allegedly. Marshall's Model 1961/1962 combo amplifier entered the market at an affordable price—one third cheaper than a Vox AC30 and half the price of a Fender Bassman combo. Its reputation
4100-600: The Les Paul well, especially when recording blues . Since the Bluesbreaker ultimately derives from the Fender Bassman, it is possible to create an approximate reproduction of a Bluesbreaker by modifying a Bassman; in February 1993 Guitar Player magazine published this modification. Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He
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4200-565: The Money , on the tracks " Are You Hung Up? " and "Nasal Retentive Calliope Music". In 28 months, Cream had become a commercial success, selling millions of records and playing throughout the US and Europe. They redefined the instrumentalist's role in rock and were one of the first blues-rock bands to emphasise musical virtuosity and lengthy jazz-style improvisation sessions. Their US hit singles include " Sunshine of Your Love " (No. 5, 1968), " White Room " (No. 6, 1968) and " Crossroads " (No. 28, 1969) –
4300-627: The R&;B crossover " Change the World ". In 1998, he released the Grammy award-winning " My Father's Eyes ". Since 1999, he has recorded a number of traditional blues and blues rock albums and hosted the periodic Crossroads Guitar Festival . His latest studio album, Meanwhile , was released in 2024. Clapton has received 18 Grammy Awards as well as the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004, he
4400-849: The RKO Theater. Clapton used the guitar for most of Cream's recordings after Fresh Cream , particularly on Disraeli Gears , until the band broke up in 1968. One of the world's best-known guitars, it symbolises the psychedelic era . They recorded Disraeli Gears in New York from 11 to 15 May 1967. Cream's repertoire varied from hard rock (" I Feel Free ") to lengthy blues-based instrumental jams (" Spoonful "). Disraeli Gears contained Clapton's searing guitar lines, Bruce's soaring vocals and prominent, fluid bass playing, and Baker's powerful, polyrhythmic jazz-influenced drumming. Together, Cream's talents secured them as an influential power trio . Clapton's voice can be heard on Frank Zappa 's album We're Only in It for
4500-559: The Rolling Stones and the Beatles , avidly attended Hendrix's early club performances. Hendrix's arrival had an immediate and major effect on the next phase of Clapton's career. Clapton first visited the United States while touring with Cream. In March 1967, Cream performed a nine-show stand at the RKO Theater in New York. Clapton's 1964 painted Gibson SG guitar – The Fool – a "psychedelic fantasy", according to Clapton, made its debut at
4600-480: The Yardbirds for a while, but Beck, Page, and Clapton were never in the group together. They first appeared together in 1983 on the 12-date benefit tour for Action for Research into multiple sclerosis with the first date on 23 September at the Royal Albert Hall. Clapton joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers in April 1965, only to quit a few months later. In June, Clapton was invited to jam with Jimmy Page, recording
4700-535: The album with Clapton (after opening Clapton's 2001 tour with his band Smokestack) and joined him on his 2004 tour. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Clapton No. 53 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" . Other media appearances include the Toots & the Maytals Grammy award-winning album True Love , where he played guitar on the track " Pressure Drop ". On 22 January 2005, Clapton performed in
4800-539: The amplifier from across the room, because he intended to play it as loud as possible. Producer Mike Vernon is credited with allowing Clapton to play in the studio as if he were playing live, and to improvise his solos played at full volume through the Marshall 1962 combo. In comparison with the Marshall JTM45 half-stacks of the time, the open-back combo amps had less low and a bit more crisp high-end response, which suits
4900-409: The annoyance of Clapton, who was devoted to the blues and not commercial success. He left the Yardbirds on the day that "For Your Love" went public, a move that left the band without its lead guitarist and most accomplished member. Clapton suggested fellow guitarist Jimmy Page as his replacement, but Page declined out of loyalty to Clapton, putting Jeff Beck forward. Beck and Page played together in
5000-499: The ceremony inducting them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . A full reunion took place in May 2005, with Clapton, Bruce and Baker playing four sold-out concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall , and three shows at New York's Madison Square Garden that October. Recordings from the London shows, Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005 , were released on CD, LP and DVD in late 2005. Clapton's next group, Blind Faith , formed in 1969,
5100-618: The clinic. After being discharged, it was recommended by doctors of Hazelden that Clapton not partake in any activities that would act as triggers for his alcoholism or stress. But it did happen. Clapton would go back to the Hazelden Treatment Center in November 1987. He has stayed sober ever since. A few months after his discharge from his first rehab, Clapton began working on his next album, against doctors' orders. Working with Tom Dowd, he produced what he thought as his "most forced" album to date, Money and Cigarettes . Clapton chose
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#17328442327225200-412: The compilation album, Clapton Chronicles: The Best of Eric Clapton , was released, which contained a new song, " Blue Eyes Blue ", that also appears in soundtrack for the film, Runaway Bride . Clapton finished the twentieth century with collaborations with Carlos Santana and B.B. King . Clapton looked up to King and had always wanted to make an album with him, while King said of Clapton, "I admire
5300-678: The cricket club's 25th anniversary celebrations in 2011, which were held at London's Grosvenor House Hotel. In 1988, he played with Dire Straits and Elton John at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute at Wembley Stadium and the Prince's Trust rock gala at the Royal Albert Hall . In 1989, Clapton released Journeyman , an album that covered a wide range of styles, including blues, jazz, soul and pop. Collaborators included George Harrison, Phil Collins, Daryl Hall , Chaka Khan , Mick Jones , David Sanborn and Robert Cray . The song " Bad Love "
5400-431: The death of Jimi Hendrix; eight days previously the band had cut a cover of "Little Wing" as a tribute. On 17 September 1970, one day before Hendrix's death, Clapton had purchased a left-handed Fender Stratocaster that he had planned to give to Hendrix as a birthday gift. Adding to Clapton's woes, Layla received only lukewarm reviews upon release. The shaken group undertook a US tour without Allman, who had returned to
5500-470: The delay by doing what is called a "slow handclap". Clapton's nickname of "Slowhand" came from Giorgio Gomelsky , a pun on the slow handclapping that ensued when Clapton stopped playing while he replaced a string. In December 1964, Clapton made his first appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with the Yardbirds. Since then, Clapton has performed at the Hall over 200 times, and has stated that performing at
5600-609: The edge of the world" and ran to the scene. The first person to offer condolences towards Clapton was friend and fellow guitarist Keith Richards , who himself had lost his young son Tara in 1976. Conor's funeral took place on 28 March at St Mary Magdalene's Church in Clapton's home village in Ripley, Surrey , with Conor buried in the church graveyard. After his son's death Clapton began attending AA meetings . In 1991, Clapton appeared on Richie Sambora 's album, Stranger in This Town , in
5700-475: The emergence of Jimi Hendrix , an acid rock -infused guitarist who used wailing feedback and effects pedals to create new sounds for the instrument. Hendrix attended a performance of the newly formed Cream at the Central London Polytechnic on 1 October 1966, during which he sat in on a double-timed version of " Killing Floor ". Top UK stars, including Clapton, Pete Townshend and members of
5800-479: The famous slogan " Clapton is God ", spray-painted by an unknown admirer on a wall in Islington , North London in 1967. The graffito was captured in a now-famous photograph, in which a dog is urinating on the wall. Clapton is reported to have been embarrassed by the slogan, saying in his The South Bank Show profile in 1987, "I never accepted that I was the greatest guitar player in the world. I always wanted to be
5900-488: The final issue. A typical issue of Guitar Player includes in-depth artist features, extensive lessons, gear and music reviews, letters to the magazine, and various front-of-book articles. In May 2006, the Music Player Network partnered with TrueFire TV to launch an internet-based television station for guitarists. It provides content similar to that of the magazine such as interviews and lessons. Guitar Player TV
6000-407: The final name became "Derek and the Dominos". Clapton's close friendship with George Harrison brought him into contact with Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd , with whom he became deeply infatuated. When she spurned his advances, Clapton's unrequited affections prompted most of the material for the Dominos' album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970). Heavily blues-influenced, the album features
6100-423: The formation of Cream, Clapton was not well known in the United States; he left the Yardbirds before "For Your Love" hit the US top ten, and had yet to perform there. During his time with Cream, Clapton began to develop as a singer, songwriter and guitarist, though Bruce took most of the lead vocals and wrote the majority of the material with lyricist Pete Brown . Cream's first gig was an unofficial performance at
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#17328442327226200-431: The four-man band: Eric Clapton Live from Montreux and Eric Clapton and Friends . Clapton later remade "After Midnight" as a single and a promotional track for the Michelob beer brand, which had also used earlier songs by Collins and Steve Winwood . Clapton won a British Academy Television Award for his collaboration with Michael Kamen on the score for the 1985 BBC television thriller series Edge of Darkness . At
6300-421: The four-piece Dominos recorded "I Looked Away", " Bell Bottom Blues " and "Keep on Growing". Allman returned to record "I Am Yours", " Anyday " and "It's Too Late". On 9 September, they recorded Hendrix's " Little Wing " and the title track. The following day, the final track, "It's Too Late", was recorded. Tragedy dogged the group throughout its brief career. During the sessions, Clapton was devastated by news of
6400-415: The greatest guitar player in the world, but that's an ideal, and I accept it as an ideal". Clapton left the Bluesbreakers in July 1966 (replaced by Peter Green ) and was invited by drummer Ginger Baker to play in his newly formed band Cream , one of the earliest supergroups , with Jack Bruce on bass (Bruce was previously of the Bluesbreakers, the Graham Bond Organisation and Manfred Mann ). Before
6500-444: The hit " Can't Find My Way Home ". Another, "Presence of the Lord", is the first song credited solely to Clapton. The album's jacket image of a topless pubescent girl was deemed controversial in the US and was replaced by a photograph of the band. Blind Faith dissolved after less than seven months. Clapton subsequently toured as a sideman for an act that had opened for Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends . He also performed as
6600-465: The hit " It's in the Way That You Use It ", appeared in the Tom Cruise – Paul Newman film The Color of Money . The songs "Tearing Us Apart" (with Tina Turner ) and "Miss You" continued Clapton's more angry sound. This rebound kicked off Clapton's two-year period of touring with Collins and their August collaborators, bassist Nathan East and keyboard player/songwriter Greg Phillinganes . While on tour for August , two concert videos were recorded of
6700-450: The inexpensive steel-stringed instrument was difficult to play and he briefly lost interest. Two years later he picked it up again and started playing consistently. He was influenced by blues music from an early age, and practised long hours learning the chords of blues music by playing along to the records. He preserved his practice sessions using his portable Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorder, listening to them over and over until he
6800-451: The intention of counteracting the "star" cult faction that had begun to form around him, Clapton assembled a new band composed of Delaney and Bonnie's former rhythm section , Bobby Whitlock as keyboardist and vocalist, Carl Radle as the bassist, and drummer Jim Gordon , with Clapton playing guitar. It was his intention to show that he need not fill a starring role, and functioned well as a member of an ensemble. During this period, Clapton
6900-418: The man. I think he's No. 1 in rock 'n' roll as a guitarist and No. 1 as a great person." Clapton released the album Reptile in March 2001. One month after the 11 September attacks , Clapton appeared at the Concert for New York City , performing alongside Buddy Guy . An event marking the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2002, Clapton performed "Layla" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at
7000-427: The name of the album "because that's all I saw myself having left" after his first rehabilitation from alcoholism. In 1984, he performed on former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters ' solo album The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking , and participated in the supporting tour. Since then Waters and Clapton have had a close relationship. In 2005, they performed together for the Tsunami Relief Fund. In 2006, they performed at
7100-421: The new decade. Many factors had influenced Clapton's comeback, including his "deepening commitment to Christianity", to which he had converted prior to his heroin addiction. After calling his manager and admitting he was an alcoholic, Clapton flew to Minneapolis–Saint Paul in January 1982 and checked in at Hazelden Treatment Center , located in Center City, Minnesota . On the flight over, Clapton indulged in
7200-526: The period include No Reason to Cry (a collaboration with Bob Dylan and The Band ); Slowhand , which contained " Wonderful Tonight " and a second J. J. Cale cover, " Cocaine ". In 1976, he performed as one of a string of notable guests at the farewell performance of The Band, filmed in a Martin Scorsese documentary titled The Last Waltz . In 1981, Clapton was invited by producer Martin Lewis to appear at
7300-649: The piano part for the melody, which he claimed to have written (though Bobby Whitlock stated that Rita Coolidge wrote it). The Layla LP was actually recorded by a five-piece version of the group, thanks to the unforeseen inclusion of guitarist Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band . A few days into the Layla sessions, Dowd – who was also producing the Allmans – invited Clapton to an Allman Brothers outdoor concert in Miami. The two guitarists met first on stage, then played all night in
7400-583: The proceeds going to the Bunbury Cricket Club in Cheshire, which plays exhibition cricket matches to raise money for nonprofit organisations in England. The Bunburys recorded three songs for The Bunbury Tails : "We're the Bunburys", "Bunbury Afternoon" and "Fight (No Matter How Long)". The last song also appeared on The 1988 Summer Olympics Album and went to No. 8 on the rock music chart. Clapton played at
7500-484: The sound of the original combo. In 1999, a second version of the amplifier, the Bluesbreaker II, was released, with 5881 tubes. An amplifier head, the 2245THW, was reissued in Marshall's "Handwired" series, with circuitry identical to the Bluesbreaker. Vintage Guitar called it a "fine high-end piece"; it was listed at $ 4800. Marshall's original Model 1961 and 1962 were basically JTM 45 combo amplifiers. Model 1961
7600-517: The studio, and became friends. Duane first added his slide guitar to " Tell the Truth " and " Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out ". In four days, the five-piece Dominos recorded " Key to the Highway ", " Have You Ever Loved a Woman " (a blues standard popularised by Freddie King and others) and "Why Does Love Got to be So Sad?" In September, Duane briefly left the sessions for gigs with his own band, and
7700-449: The twin lead guitars of Clapton and Duane Allman, with Allman's slide guitar as a key ingredient of the sound. Working at Criteria Studios in Miami with Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd , who had worked with Clapton on Cream's Disraeli Gears , the band recorded a double album. The album contained the hit love song " Layla ", inspired by the classical poet of Persian literature , Nizami Ganjavi 's The Story of Layla and Majnun ,
7800-457: The venue is like "playing in my front room". In March 1965, Clapton and the Yardbirds had their first major hit, " For Your Love ", written by songwriter Graham Gouldman , who also wrote hit songs for Herman's Hermits and the Hollies (and later achieved success of his own as a member of 10cc ). In part because of its success, the Yardbirds elected to move toward a pop-orientated sound, much to
7900-557: Was Clapton's first number one hit. The 1975 album There's One in Every Crowd continued this trend. The album's original title, The World's Greatest Guitar Player (There's One in Every Crowd) , was changed before pressing, as it was felt its ironic intention would be misunderstood. The band toured the world and subsequently released the 1975 live LP E. C. Was Here . Clapton continued to release albums and toured regularly. Highlights of
8000-485: Was also offered. A later model had a slightly thinner cabinet with different acoustics. Production JTM45 amplifiers used KT66 output tubes, which are credited with providing "a round, bell like tone with soft distortion character." Also contributing to the overall sound picture of the JTM45 series amplifiers was a GZ34 rectifier tube. Marshall also made an 18-watt combo amplifier with 2×10" speakers (Model 1958) that looked like
8100-503: Was among the dozens of artists performing at Bob Dylan 's 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration . Recorded at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the live two-disk CD/DVD captured a show full of celebrities performing classic Dylan songs, with Clapton playing the lead on a nearly 7-minute version of Dylan's " Knockin' on Heaven's Door " as part of the finale. While Clapton played acoustic guitar on Unplugged , his 1994 album From
8200-499: Was awarded a CBE for services to music. He has received four Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors , including the Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame : once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and of Cream. In his solo career, he has sold 100 million records worldwide, making him one of
8300-441: Was cemented when Clapton, who had rejoined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers , used one to record Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton —a set of sessions now widely regarded as "historic". After that, the combo became known as the "Bluesbreaker." The model was discontinued in 1972. Due to its iconic status amongst collectors, the Bluesbreaker has become one of the most collectible and valuable vintage guitar amplifiers. According to
8400-529: Was composed of Cream drummer Ginger Baker , Steve Winwood of Traffic , and Ric Grech of Family , and yielded one LP and one arena-circuit tour. The supergroup debuted before 100,000 fans in London's Hyde Park on 7 June 1969. They performed several dates in Scandinavia and began a sold-out American tour in July before their only album was released. The LP Blind Faith consisted of just six songs, one of them
8500-774: Was drafted to war before Clapton's birth and then returned to Canada. Clapton grew up believing that his grandmother, Rose, and her second husband, Jack Clapp, Patricia's stepfather, were his parents, and that his mother was actually his older sister. The similarity in surnames gave rise to the erroneous belief that Clapton's real surname is Clapp (Reginald Cecil Clapton was the name of Rose's first husband, Eric Clapton's maternal grandfather). Years later, his mother married another Canadian soldier and moved to Germany, leaving Eric with his grandparents in Surrey. Clapton received an acoustic Hoyer guitar , made in Germany, for his thirteenth birthday, but
8600-693: Was essentially the lead version of the Model 2245 , fitted with tremolo and installed into an open backed speaker cabinet, while Model 1962 was the bass version of the JTM 45 (Model 1986), also fitted with tremolo and open backed cabinet. These amplifiers both feature the basic JTM 45 modified Fender Bassman circuit, which provided the origin of what became known as the "Marshall sound". The first versions of these combo amplifiers were made in 1964–1965, with Models 1961 and 1962 being fitted with 4×10" and 2×12" Celestion speakers respectively. An extremely rare 2×12" extension cabinet
8700-466: Was expressed in the song " Tears in Heaven ", which was co-written by Will Jennings . At the 35th Annual Grammy Awards , Clapton received six Grammys for the single "Tears in Heaven" and his Unplugged album, for which Clapton performed live in front of a small audience on 16 January 1992 at Bray Film Studios in Windsor, Berkshire , England. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 , and
8800-576: Was increasingly influenced by The Band and their 1968 album Music from Big Pink , saying: "What I appreciated about the Band was that they were more concerned with songs and singing. They would have three- and four-part harmonies, and the guitar was put back into perspective as being accompaniment. That suited me well, because I had gotten so tired of the virtuosity – or pseudo -virtuosity – thing of long, boring guitar solos just because they were expected. The Band brought things back into perspective. The priority
8900-422: Was musical director for the Concert for George . In January 1969, when the Beatles were recording and filming what became Let It Be , tensions became so acute that Harrison quit the group for several days, prompting John Lennon to suggest they complete the project with Clapton if Harrison did not return. Michael Lindsay-Hogg , television director of the recording sessions for Let It Be , later recalled: "I
9000-409: Was not released until he had left the band for the last time in July 1966. The album itself is often called The Beano Album by fans because of its cover photograph showing Clapton reading the British children's comic The Beano . Having swapped his Fender Telecaster and Vox AC30 amplifier for a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar and Marshall amplifier , Clapton's sound and playing inspired
9100-623: Was released as a single and later won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance . The 1990s brought a series of 32 concerts to the Royal Albert Hall, such as the 24 Nights series of concerts that took place around January through February 1990, and February to March 1991. On 30 June 1990, Dire Straits, Clapton and Elton John made a guest appearance in the Nordoff-Robbins charity show held at Knebworth in England. On 27 August 1990, fellow blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan , who
9200-466: Was released on Reprise Records on 30 August . Guitar Player Guitar Player was an American magazine for guitarists , founded in 1967 in San Jose, California . It contained articles, interviews, reviews and lessons covering artists, genres and products. The magazine was last edited by Christopher Scapelliti. The print magazine ceased publication by the end of 2024, with December 2024 being
9300-554: Was released shortly after Cream disbanded. It also spawned the studio single " Badge ", co-written by Clapton and George Harrison (Clapton had met and become close friends with Harrison after the Beatles shared a bill with the Clapton-era Yardbirds at the London Palladium ). In 1968, Clapton played the lead guitar solo on Harrison's " While My Guitar Gently Weeps ", from the Beatles' self-titled double album (also known as
9400-507: Was revived, and managed to finish his performance. In January 1973, the Who 's Pete Townshend organised a comeback concert for Clapton at London's Rainbow Theatre , titled the " Rainbow Concert ", to help Clapton kick his addiction. Clapton returned the favour by playing "The Preacher" in Ken Russell's film version of the Who's Tommy in 1975. His appearance in the film (performing "Eyesight to
9500-601: Was satisfied. In 1961, after leaving Hollyfield School in Surbiton , he studied at the Kingston College of Art but was expelled at the end of the academic year because his focus had remained on music rather than art. His guitar playing was sufficiently advanced that, by the age of 16, he was getting noticed. Around this time, he began busking around Kingston , Richmond , and the West End . In 1962, he started performing as
9600-563: Was taped and the footage was released both on VHS video cassette and later, on DVD. Clapton's 1996 recording of the Wayne Kirkpatrick / Gordon Kennedy / Tommy Sims tune "Change the World" (on the soundtrack of the film Phenomenon ) won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1997, the same year he recorded Retail Therapy (an album of electronic music with Simon Climie under the pseudonym TDF ). On 15 September 1997, Clapton appeared at
9700-472: Was the song." The band was originally called "Eric Clapton and Friends". The eventual name was a fluke that occurred when the band's provisional name of "Del and the Dynamos" was misread as Derek and the Dominos. Clapton's biography states that Tony Ashton of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke told Clapton to call the band "Del and the Dominos", since "Del" was his nickname for Eric Clapton. Del and Eric were combined and
9800-501: Was there when John mentioned Clapton – but that wasn't going to happen. Would Eric have become a Beatle? No. Paul [McCartney] didn't want to go there. He didn't want them to break up. Then George came back." Clapton was on good terms with all four of the Beatles; in December 1968 he had played with Lennon at The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus as part of the one-off group the Dirty Mac . Cream briefly reunited in 1993 to perform at
9900-484: Was touring with Clapton, and three members of their road crew were killed in a helicopter crash between concerts. Then, on 20 March 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor, died after falling from the 53rd-floor window of his mother's friend's New York City apartment at 117 East 57th Street. Clapton was informed of his son's death through a hysterical phone call by the boy's mother Lory Del Santo . Once comprehending what had happened he described feeling like he "went off
10000-453: Was troubled by romantic longings and drug and alcohol addiction. Still infatuated with Boyd and torn by his friendship with Harrison, he withdrew from recording and touring to isolation in his Surrey residence as the Dominos broke up. He nursed a heroin addiction , which resulted in a lengthy career hiatus interrupted only by performing at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh benefit shows in New York in August 1971; there, he passed out on stage,
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