Forever man

He is 70 and inimitable. A look at the legendary Eric Clapton’s life over the years.

April 25, 2015 02:16 pm | Updated 02:16 pm IST

Eric Clapton performs at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013 at Madison Square Garden.

Eric Clapton performs at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013 at Madison Square Garden.

Eric Clapton turned 70 last month. Well, it’s not really a milestone if you go by the average age of the surviving rock royals. The Rolling Stones, The (remaining) Beatles, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Roger Waters and David Gilmour… Perhaps it’s time to say ‘Welcome to the Aging Rockstars Club, Eric!’ as he celebrates his 70 with performances at Madison Square Garden, New York, on May 1 and 2, and a seven-night residency at London’s Royal Albert Hall from May 14 to 23.

I think this is a fine opportunity to look back on the life of the iconic guitarist, whose riffs emanate a sound so unique and distinct that you can recognise his ‘voice’ at once. He may look like a college professor, almost always clad in a bush shirt and jeans. But once he picks up his guitar, oh boy! the legend is back.

Interestingly, Clapton is of one the few artists who has collaborated with almost every possible artist/band across ages over time — from The Beatles and The Stones to Dire Straits, The Who, Tina Turner, Sting, Elton John (the soundtrack for Rush ) and even Luciano Pavarotti. Why, he even played with the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen for a guitar concerto.

A 13-year-old’s fascination for an acoustic Hoyer guitar (to think he initially found it hard to play!) paved the way for a career that was in a way a quest to redefine the blues. That quest began in many ways, post his stint with The Yardbirds (he was just 18), when he joined John Mayall’s Blues Breakers. That gave Clapton the chance to hone his skills and dip into the history of the blues. And it was this stint with the Blues Breakers that brought in fans who would proclaim ‘Clapton is God!’ on the walls of London.

Only when he teamed up with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce to form Cream did Clapton came on his own. And how! Cream set the template for loud, blues-based rock and paved the way for what later became heavy metal.

However, Clapton’s restlessness took him in another direction. After Cream dissolved and he made a brief attempt at a super-group, Blind Faith (Steve Winwood, Baker, and Ric Grech), Clapton formed Derek and The Dominos, in collaboration with guitar virtuoso Duane Allman. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is most certainly his greatest album, fuelled by the pain of his infatuation for best pal George Harrison’s wife Patti Boyd, and his dependence on substance.

After a three-year hiatus, a calmer and gentler Clapton was to return with his second studio album, 461 Ocean Bouvelard , which had strong spiritual overtones and set the stage for a blues-pop phase driven by a philosophy of ‘less is more’ that has continued virtually till the present.

But along the way, he returned to his roots with BB King (‘Riding with The King’) and his tribute to the blues icon Robert Johnson. He also briefly brought Cream back for a series of concerts. And then there is ‘Tears in Heaven’, a simple and heartfelt tribute to the four-year-old son he lost.

Today, as the elder statesman of rock, Clapton is busy touring, making guest appearances for friends and showcasing the blues’ Gen Next such as Derek Trucks and Gary Clark Jr., through his Crossroads Guitar Festival. What’s more, no major charity or tribute concert is complete without Clapton's quiet presence. The cases in point include The Concert for Bangladesh (1971), the 1983 ARMS concert (which notably brought together the three guitar gods — Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck — on the same stage), Live Aid and even the most recent 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief.

One of my personal favourites is Concert for George, where Clapton put together a line-up of friends and collaborators of George Harrison (Ravi Shankar, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Joe Brown, Jeff Lynne, Billy Preston, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr). As Clapton croons ‘Something’ (McCartney starts off with his ukulele), you realise the irony of it all! Harrison wrote this song with Patti Boyd in mind. The same Boyd over whom Clapton and Harrison parted ways. The fact that they patched up later and went on to become the greatest of buddies is stuff of legend! Similarly, as he recreates his part in ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, Clapton’s deep connection with the blues shows up brilliantly all over again.

Eric Clapton, who was ranked second only to Jimi Hendrix in The Rolling Stone’s List of 100 Great Guitarists is, and will remain, the definitive guitar hero. Forever!

Happy 70, Eric!

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