Eric Clapton: The Autobiography

Eric Clapton is far more than a rock star. Like Dylan and McCartney he is an icon and a living legend. He has sold tens of millions of records, played sell-out concerts all over the world and been central to every significant musical development of his era. His guitar playing has seen him hailed as 'God'. Tracks such as 'Layla', 'Sunshine of Your Love', 'Wonderful Tonight' and 'Tears in Heaven' have become anthems for generations of music fans. Now for the first time, Eric tells the story of his personal and professional journeys in this pungent, witty and painfully honest autobiography. Eric was born illegitimate in 1945 and raised by his grandparents. He never knew his father and until the age of nine believed his absentee mother to be his sister. In his teens his solace was the guitar and he soon became a cult hero in the club circuits of Britain. With the foundation of the world's first super group Cream in 1996 he became a world superstar. But the rock star lifestyle has had a darker side. In more than forty years at the forefront of his profession he has twice survived near fatal addictions to drugs and alcohol, the deaths of close friends such as Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon, the death of his four-year-old son, the break-up of marriage and the disintegration of countless relationships with a succession of beautiful women. These are the memoirs of a survivor, someone who has reached the pinnacle of success, who has had it all, but whose demons have never left him. .At the age of 60 Eric is cured of alcoholism and is in a long term relationship with three young daughters. He is now ready to tell his story as it is, hiding nothing, with a directness and searing honesty that will make this book one of the most compelling memoirs of our time.