Biography of Eric Clapton

When Eric Clapton released his first solo album in 1970, he was already considered the foremost guitarist of his generation. During the previous decade, he rocketed to stardom through his thrilling blues guitar heroics in The Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, and Cream. With those three bands, Clapton became rock & roll's first true guitar hero, a musician who was known for his technical prowess, not hit singles. By doing so, he paved the way for Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, as well as thousands of other guitarists in the following decades.Given his considerable talent, it is slightly ironic that on Clapton's solo albums, the guitar plays a supporting role. Apart from an occasional long jam, his solo work concentrates on the songs, not the guitar. 1974's 461 Ocean Boulevard provides the blueprint -- laidback rock, with touches of blues, country, and reggae. For the rest of the '70s, Clapton followed this pattern, although never with the commercial and artistic success of 461 Ocean Boulevard.By the mid-'80s, Clapton's commercial fortunes were sagging and he turned to Phil Collins for help. Under Collins' direction, Clapton recorded two slick, yet surprisingly ambitious, albums that had little chart success. On the heels of the last Collins-produced album, a four-CD boxed set retrospective of Clapton's career called Crossroads (1988) was released, which brought him back into the the spotlight.With his next album, 1989's Journeyman, Clapton showed signs of getting his recording career back on track, but his burgeoning comeback was derailed when his young son accidentally died. Released about a year after the tragedy, Clapton's heart-felt tribute to his son, "Tears in Heaven," became his first number one single. In the next year, an album of his MTV Unplugged performance was released; it became a blockbuster success, selling over five million copies in the U.S. alone and winning an armful of Grammies. Although it was a fitting tribute to a long, accomplished career, the success was bittersweet. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Biography of Derek & the Dominos

After touring with Delaney & Bonnie, Eric Clapton formed Derek & The Dominos with members of their backing band. Although they only lasted for one album and tour, the band was Clapton's finest artistic achievement. The Dominos played R&B, rock & roll, and blues that didn't sound like White boys pretending they were Black -- it sounded real. Duane Allman sat in on the Layla sessions, contributing some beautiful playing. A second album was attempted but never finished; the remains of these sessions can be found on Clapton's Crossroads. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine