Clapton: The Autobiography

Eric Clapton

Oct 2007 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Simon Vance

About this audiobook

With striking intimacy and candor, Eric Clapton tells the story of his eventful and inspiring life. More than a rock star, Eric Clapton is an icon, a living embodiment of the history of rock music. Well known for his reserve in a profession marked by self-promotion, flamboyance, and spin, he now chronicles, for the first time, his remarkable personal and professional journeys.

Born illegitimate in 1945 and raised by his grandparents, Eric never knew his father and, until the age of nine, believed his actual mother to be his sister. In his early teens his solace was the guitar. With the formation of Cream, the world’s first supergroup, he became a worldwide superstar. During the decades that followed, he would go on to play as a guest with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, as well as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and longtime friend George Harrison. He would overcome despair, self-imposed seclusion, drug addiction, and alcoholism. He would become a father.

But just as his life was coming together, he was struck by a terrible blow: His beloved four-year-old son, Conor, died in a freak accident. At an earlier time Eric might have coped with this tragedy by fleeing into a world of addiction. But now a much stronger man, he took refuge in music. CLAPTON is the powerful story of a survivor, a man who has achieved the pinnacle of success despite extraordinary demons. It is one of the most compelling memoirs of our time.

Ratings and reviews

Eric Clapton is part of the living, breathing history of blues and rock that changed this world for good and forever. He is an epic part of the music that continues to join us in brother and sisterhood. I am grateful to be alive and part of the music that means my life to me and the people I call my friends.

About the author

Eric Clapton is recognized as the most accomplished and influential guitarist in the history of rock. He is a 16-time Grammy winner and the only triple inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of both the Yardbirds and Cream, and as a solo artist). Clapton is married to Melia McEnery and is the father of four daughters. He lives outside London.

Simon Vance is a stage, TV, and film actor who has narrated more than 200 audiobooks for which he has won multiple AudioFile Earphone Awards and Audie nominations. He has also been selected as an AudioFile Golden Voice. Formerly a BBC Radio newsreader in London, he now resides in Northern California.