Eric Clapton

His maternal grandparents, who brought him up, had the surname of Clapp. His grandmother had previously been married to a man called Clapton though, and during this time gave birth to Erics mother. This is where the confusion about Erics real surname comes from, but it is, in fact, Clapton.

On 3/10/91, his five-year-old son Conor (mother is Lory Del Santo ) died in a fall from a 53rd-floor apartment. Claptons Grammy-winning song "Tears in Heaven" was dedicated to the memory of his son.

He had a daughter with Yvonne Kelly in 1986, which was made public in 1993.

In 1996, he became linked to the singer Sheryl Crow.

On 8/21/86, his son Conor was born. Mother is Lory Del Santo. Clapton was still married to Pattie Boyd at the time.

According to the August 1998 issue of the British music magazine "Q", Clapton ranks #10 on the list of the 100 richest rock stars, with an estimated fortune of over 75m.

He was a member of The Yardbirds , John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers , Cream , Blind Faith , Delaney & Bonnie & Friends , Derek & The Dominos.

He played the guitar solo on the song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles , creating a precedent. No other guitarist from outside the band performed on a song by the band.

Both George Harrison and Clapton were married to model Pattie Boyd (Harrison first, Clapton afterwards). George and Eric referred to each other as "husbands-in-law". Clapton wrote the songs "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight" about Pattie. She and Eric eventually married, nine years after he recorded "Layla".

His guitars of choice include a Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson Les Paul Standard.

He has a daughter Ruth (b. 1985) and son Connor (b. 1986, d. 1991).

On 6/13/01, his daughter Julie Rose was born in Columbus, OH, weighing 7 lb. 1 oz. Her mother is Melia McEnery.

On 1/1/02, Clapton, 56, tied the knot with Melia McEnery, from Columbus, OH, in a low-key ceremony at a church near his home in Surrey, southern England. Guests were told they were attending the christening of the couples six-month-old daughter Julie Rose. But after the baptism of Julie Rose and Claptons 16-year-old daughter Ruth, the couple were called forward by vicar Rev. Christopher Elson and exchanged marriage vows.

He played guitar along with original James Bond guitarist Vic Flick on Michael Kamen s theme for Licence to Kill . The duo were filmed "playing" in various London locations for the expected video. However, the producers decided to opt for a song, sung by Gladys Knight , and the Clapton/Flick instrumental has never been released.

He is the only artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times: as a member of The Yardbirds ; as a member of Cream ; and as a solo performer.

He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1995 Queens New Year Honours List for his services to music.

He was expecting second child with wife Melia at end of 2002. She was born on 1/14/03 as Ella May in London.

In July 2001, he was voted the South Easts best guitarist in Total Guitar Magazines poll of the greatest 12 British guitarists.

He wrote the classic song "Layla" about his unrequited love for Pattie Boyd , who was then married to George Harrison. He married her nine years later.

Stephen Stills asked him to join Crosby Stills & Nash so that he could help beef up their sound in concert. He refused due to the fact that he was in the middle of forming Blind Faith with Steve Winwood.

He was also on the short list of guitarists to replace Brian Jones in The Rolling Stones.

In 1969, played with John Lennon and Yoko Ono s The Plastic Ono Band at the Toronto Pop Festival. Other members included Klaus Voormann on bass and Alan White (later of Bill Bruford ) on drums.

He quit The Yardbirds after the band decided to do the more pop sounding song "For Your Love", which was a departure from the more traditional blues songs they had been doing.

His hits with Cream were "Wrapping Paper", "I Feel Free", "Strange Brew", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Anyone For Tennis", "Crossroads", "White Room" & "Badge".

He has an office in Chelsea.

His current backing band involves people like guitarist Andy Fairweather Low (ex-Amen Corner) and bassist Nathan East (Fourplay ).

He has owned a string of Ferraris.

He was cured of his heroin addiction through electro-acupuncture; singer Boy George received the same therapy ten years later.

He played guitar on Phil Collins s hits "If Leaving Me is Easy" (UK number 17 in 1981) and "I Wish It Would Rain Down" (UK number seven in 1990). He also appeared in the music video for "I Wish It Would Rain Down".

He was awarded the CBE in the 2004 Queens New Year Honours List for his services to music.

He created his own band, Derek & The Dominos , after the break-up of Cream.

On 2/1/05, his daughter Sophie Clapton born.

He was very good friends with Duane Allman , and they held a great deal of respect for each other. Allman played guitar on the Derek and the Dominos song "Layla.".

He was voted the 53rd Greatest Rock n Roll Artist of all time by Rolling Stone.

In May 2005, he reunited with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce for a Cream reunion concert.

While performing "Further On Up the Road" in The Last Waltz , his guitar strap came undone. To cover for him while he fixed it, Robbie Robertson of The Band improvised a guitar solo.

Once while playing a Cream concert, he suddenly stopped playing, and neither Ginger Baker nor Jack Bruce noticed.

He owned and played a Gibson Byrdland guitar designed by famous guitarists Hank Garland and Billy Byrd.

While many people believe his nickname "Slow Hand(s)" is because his fingers are slow on the guitar, it is actually because once during a concert he played his guitar so hard that one of its strings broke, and he took time out to re-string it. As he did, the fans in attendance began a "slow hand" clap.

His performance with Cream: Royal Albert Hall, London May 2-3-5-6 2005 was the first time Cream had played together since their 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Before the formation of Cream in 1966, he was all but unknown in the United States, having left The Yardbirds before "For Your Love" hit the American Top Ten.

Upon returning to England after recording the Derek & The Dominos album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs," he was supporting a 1,000-per-week heroin addiction.

Before becoming a musician, he designed stained glass windows.

He played two farewell concerts on 26th November: "Omnibus" {Creams Farewell Concert (#2.14)} in 1968, and The Last Waltz in 1976. Ironically, it was partially because of The Band s music that he decided to leave Cream in the first place.

He is mentioned in the song "Life Is a Rock But the Radio Rolled Me" by Reunion.

Shortly after the formation of Cream in 1966, the trio got a chance to jam with Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was a fan of Clapton, and wanted a chance to play with him on stage.

He enjoys Mixed Martial Arts.

He was the guest of honor at the MMA event "Pride Grand Prix 2000 Tournament", and awarded the winner, Mark "The Hammer" Coleman, with the First Prize Trophy.

He has ties to both of the Allman Brothers. With Duane Allman s help, Clapton recorded the album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" in 1970. In 1991, Clapton wrote the score to the film Rush , which featured Duanes brother, Gregg Allman.

In 1988, he became the first artist to have a Fender Stratocaster signature model.

In 1987, he was the winner of the British Phonographic Industry Award for Outstanding Contribution.

When Clapton appeared at Live Aid in Philadelphia, one of his backing drummers was Phil Collins. Hours before, Collins had appeared at Live Aids London concert at Wembley Stadium.

In 2001, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

His biography/bibliography/discography is in: "Contemporary Authors". Volume 265, pages 56-60. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Cengage Learning, 2008.

He originally played Gibson guitars. He has played a Fender Stratocaster since 1970.

He served Ginger Baker his very first French toast while discussing forming Cream.

Consistently listed as one of the UKs wealthiest musicians, in 2009 The Sunday Times List estimated his net worth at $196 million.

He is the former brother-in-law of Jenny Boyd.

At age 47, Clapton became the first British artist to win 6 GRAMMYs in one night: Record of the Year - "Tears in Heaven" / Song of the Year - "Tears in Heaven" / Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male - "Tears in Heaven" / Album of the Year - "Unplugged" / Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male - "Unplugged" / Best Rock Song - "Layla" (unplugged version) (Shrine Auditorium Los Angeles / 24 February 1993).

His 2001 album "Reptile" was acclaimed by Rolling Stone for blending "virtually every style hes worked in during the past thirty-five years".

He rarely gives television interviews, although he agreed to be interviewed on "The South Bank Show" twice.

In June 2002, he participated in the Royal Jubilee Rock Concert, playing with Brian Wilson , Paul McCartney and Phil Collins.

In 2003, he spent a lot of the year performing with artists such as B.B. King , Willie Nelson , John Mayall and even did a special concert for his daughter Ruths school in March.

In May 2009, he was living in Chelsea, London.

His album "Me and Mr Johnson" was a tribute to Robert Johnson.

He was a big influence on Joe Bonamassa.

In 2007, he released the book "Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Me" by Pattie Boyd with Penny Junor.

Despite selling hundreds of millions of records as a solo artist and as a member of Genesis , Phil Collins has said that playing drums for Clapton was the highlight of his whole career.

The Band s performance of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" at The Last Waltz is his favorite recorded performance of the song.

He has performed at Madison Square Garden 45 times, more than any other venue in the United States.

His song "Presence of the Lord" (recorded with Blind Faith ) is about finding Hurtwood Edge, his estate in Chelsea.

He considers his sobriety the most important priority in his life.

He played lead guitar on Aretha Franklin s "Good to Me as I Am to You".

He recorded a version of "Still Got the Blues" as a tribute to the late Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore.

I am, and always will be, a blues guitarist.

I would challenge anybody to come up with a better design for a guitar.

The Stratocaster is as good as it gets.

I have always been resistant to doctrine, and any spirituality I had experienced thus far in my life had been much more abstract and not aligned with any recognized religion. For me, the most trustworthy vehicle for spirituality had always proven to be music. It cannot be manipulated, or politicized, and when it is, that becomes immediately obvious.

For me there is something primitively soothing about this music, and it went straight to my nervous system, making me feel ten feet tall.

Music became a healer for me. And I learned to listen with all my being. I found that it could wipe away all the emotions of fear and confusion relating to my family.

It was stumbling on to really the bible of the blues, you know, and a very powerful drug to be introduced to us and I absorbed it totally, and it changed my complete outlook on music.

I sought my father in the world of the black musician, because it contained wisdom, experience, sadness and loneliness. I was not ever interested in the music of boys. From my youngest years, I was interested in the music of men. .