CURIOSITIES

Eric Clapton turns 78 today: interesting facts about the guitarist, from "Slowhand" to his records

Eric Clapton was born on March 30, 1945, in Ripley, in the English county of Surrey, to 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton and 25-year-old Edward Walter Fryer, a Canadian soldier who participated in the final phase of World War II before the birth of his son, and then returned to Montréal.

Eric Clapton is one of the most beloved guitarists ever, as well as one of the most talented ever, both as a soloist and in the phases of his career when he played with The Yardbirds and the Cream.

Here are some fun facts you may not have known about Eric Clapton, who turns 78 today.

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Happy birthday to Eric Clapton!
Eric Clapton was born on March 30, 1945, in Ripley, in the English county of Surrey, to 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton and 25-year-old Edward Walter Fryer, a Canadian soldier who participated in the final phase of World War II before the birth of his son, and then returned to Montréal. Eric Clapton is one of the most beloved guitarists of all time, as well as one of the most talented ever, both as a soloist and in the phases of his career when he played with The Yardbirds and the Cream. Here are some interesting facts you may not have known about Eric Clapton, who turns 78 today.
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As a child Eric Clapton believed his mother was his older sister
At the time of Eric 's birth his mother was only sixteen years old. That is why Eric believed that his mother was his older sister. In fact, as a child Clapton grew up with his maternal grandmother and the latter's second husband, both of whom he considered to be his parents. It was Eric 's grandmother-mother who instilled in him a love of music, being a musician herself, particularly fond of the piano.
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The origin of the nickname "Slowhand"
One of Eric Clapton's most famous nicknames is 'Slowhand', which is also the title of his 1977 album, one of the most popular in his entire discography. Apparently, this nickname originated from an idea of Giorgio Gomelsky, manager of The Yardbirds, in 1964. During a concert, Eric played so fast that he broke a guitar string: it took him a long time to replace it, which is why he was then called 'Slowhand'.
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Records and awards
Throughout his glorious career, Eric Clapton has received many awards and honours. For example, Clapton is the only musician to have been inducted three times into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a solo artist, but also as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream). In addition, the singer-songwriter has won no less than 17 Grammys and was listed as number two on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 best guitarists of all time.
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Eric Clapton and the friendship with Jimi Hendrix
Often Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix have been compared because of their talent with the guitar. Just Jimi is the only one ahead of Eric in the list of the best guitarists in history according to Rolling Stone. Some journalists believed that there was rivalry between the guitarists, in fact they were very close friends. The two met at Central London Polytechnic in 1966: Jimi was a big fan of Cream and asked Clapton if he could perform on stage with them playing "Killing Floor": the performance was a success. The two saw each other again on many occasions and after the death of Hendrix, Clapton often opened his live with "Little Wing", a song by Jimi from 1967.
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The saddest song in the world
In 2013, Rolling Stone magazine asked its readers what they thought were the saddest songs in the world. The survey revealed that the top of the list was an Eric Clapton song from 1992, 'Tears in Heaven'. Clapton wrote this song in memory of his son Conor, born from his relationship with Italian Lory Del Santo. When he was only five years old, Conor fell from the window of a flat on the 53rd floor of a New York skyscraper, dying instantly.
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