Eric Clapton: the 100 most inspiring musicians of all time
British rock musician Eric Clapton (born Eric Patrick Clapp (b. March 30, 1945, Ripley, Surrey, Eng.) was a highly influential guitarist in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later became a major singer-songwriter.
Eric Clapton was raised by his grandparents after his mother abandoned him at an early age. He began playing the guitar in his teens and briefly studied at the Kingston College of Art. After playing lead guitar with two minor bands, in 1963 he joined the Yardbirds, a rhythm-and-blues group in
which his blues-influenced playing and commanding technique began to attract attention.
Clapton left the Yardbirds in 1965 when they pursued commercial success with a pop-oriented style. That same year he joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and his guitar playing soon became the group’s principal drawing card as it attracted a fanatic following on the London club scene.
In 1966 Clapton left the Bluesbreakers to form a new band with two other virtuoso rock musicians, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. This group, Cream, achieved international popularity with its sophisticated,
high-volume fusion of rock and blues that featured improvisatory solos. Clapton’s mastery of blues form and phrasing, his rapid runs, and his plaintive vibrato were widely imitated by other rock guitarists.
The high energy and emotional intensity of his playing on such songs as “Crossroads” and “White Room” set the standard for the rock guitar solo. Cream disbanded in late 1968, however, after having recorded such albums as Disraeli Gears (1967), Wheels of Fire (1968), and Goodbye (1969).
In 1969 Clapton and Baker formed the group Blind Faith with keyboardist-vocalist Steve Winwood and bassist Rick Grech, but the group broke up after recording only one album. Clapton emerged as a capable vocalist on his first solo album, which was released in 1970. He soon
assembled a trio of strong session musicians (bassist Carl Radle, drummer Jim Gordon, and keyboardist Bobby Whitlock) into a new band called Derek and the Dominos, with Clapton as lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.
The guitarist Duane Allman joined the group in making the classic double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970), which is regarded as Clapton’s masterpiece and a landmark among rock recordings. Disappointed by Layla’s lackluster sales and addicted to heroin, Clapton
went into seclusion for two years. Overcoming his addiction, he made a successful comeback with the album 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974), which included his hit remake of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff.” On the album, Clapton adopted a more relaxed approach that emphasized his songwriting
and vocal abilities rather than his guitar playing.
Over the next 20 years Clapton produced a string of albums, including
Slowhand (1977), Backless (1978), Money and Cigarettes (1983), August (1986), Unplugged (1992)—which featured the Top Five hit “Tears in Heaven,” written after the death of his son—and From the Cradle (1994). He explored his musical influences with a pair of Grammy-winning collaborations:
Riding with the King (2000) with blues legend B.B. King and The Road to Escondido (2006) with roots guitarist J.J. Cale. The critical and commercial success of these albums solidified his stature as one of the world’s greatest rock musicians. Clapton, an autobiography, was published in 2007. In 2000 Clapton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Download and Play Along with Eric Clapton’s sheet music here.
Browse in the Library:
Artist or Composer / Score name | Cover | List of Contents |
---|---|---|
Unforgettable – Irving Gordon (Nat King Cole Song) Piano Solo Sheet Music | Unforgettable – Irving Gordon (Nat King Cole Song) Piano Solo Sheet Music | |
Unforgettable Musical Memories – Reader’s Digest Songbook, A | Unforgettable Musical Memories – Reader’s Digest Songbook, A | |
Unforgettable… The Lighter Side Of Jazz | Unforgettable… The Lighter Side Of Jazz | |
UNITED – Look To You Guitar Songbook | ||
Universal Studios Theme by Jerry Goldsmith arr. Yame Puts | ||
University Musical Encyclopedia The Theory Of Music And Piano Technique (By E Markham) (1912) | Musical Encyclopedia I | |
Untraceable – Kill With Me – Christopher Young | ||
Untraceable – Missing Flowers – Christopher Young | ||
Uomini soli (Pooh) | ||
Up (Theme) Married Life By Ari Burns (Piano Solo) | ||
Up The – Married Life (Piano Solo Arr. Sheet Music) | Up The – Married Life (Piano Solo Arr. Sheet Music) | |
Upon The Wind There Comes A Song (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Upon The Wind, There Comes A Song Tradition Irish Melody | ||
Uriah Heep – Sheet Music songbook | Uriah Heep – Sheet Music songbook (Piano Vocal and Guitar Chords) | |
Urlicht (Gustav Mahler) | ||
Usher – Make Me Wanna | ||
Utada Hikaru-First love | ||
V.S.O.P. Super Jazz Sound Herbie Hancock, Tony illiams,Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Freddie Hubbard | V.S.O.P. Super Jazz Sound Herbie Hancock, Tony illiams,Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Freddie Hubbard | |
Valse (Fanfan OST) Nicolas Jorelle | ||
Valse Crepusculaire (Providence OST) Miklós Rózsa | ||
Valse Etude – William Gillock Piano Solo Musescore File.mscz | ||
Valse Op 51 N 1 – Fernando Sor (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Valzer del Commiato (Il Gattopardo OST) Nino Rota | ||
Valzer di Lupin (Lupin 3 OST) Franco Micalizzi | ||
Vampire Weekend Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar Tab | Vampire Weekend Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar Tab | |
Van Halen (Van Halen Songbook ) Guitar Full score with TABs | Van Halen (Van Halen Songbook ) Guitar Full score | |
Van Halen – 1984 Guitar TAB songbook transcribed by Brand McPhail | Van Halen – 1984 Guitar TAB songbook transcribed by Brand McPhail | |
Van Halen – 5 of the Best Play-It-Like-It-Is Guitar with TABs | Van Halen – 5 of the Best Play-It-Like-It-Is Guitar | |
Van Halen – Everybody Wants Some The Van Halen Saga (Book by Ian Christe) | ||
Van Halen – Jump | ||
Van Halen – Right Now | ||
Van Halen (Guitar Backing tracks with TABs) Jam with Van Halen – (with MP3 audio tracks to play along) | Jam with van Halen | |
Van Halen 30 Classics From The Legendary Guitar God (Authentic Guitar Tab) (Authentic Guitar Tab Editions) | Van Halen 30 classics | |
Van Halen Anthology Guitar songbook with TABs | Van Halen Anthology Guitar songbook | |
Van Mccoy – Baby Im Yours | ||
Van Morrison Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (Rod Stewart Ver.) | Van Morrison Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (Rod Stewart Ver.) | |
Van Morrison The Guitar Collection with TABs | Van Morrison The Guitar Collection | |
Van Morrison – Anthology Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar Chords | Van Morrison – Anthology Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar Chords | |
Van Morrison – Back On Top Book Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar Chords | Van Morrison – Back On Top Book Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar Chords | |
Van Morrison – Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (Rod Stewart Ver.) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Van Morrison – Veedon Fleece Piano Vocal Guitar Chords | Van Morrison – Veedon Fleece Piano Vocal Guitar Chords | |
Van Morrison Sheet Music Anthology | Van Morrison Sheet Music Anthology | |
Van(Var) (A Silent Voice) | ||
Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Afterglow | ||
Vanessa Carlton – All I Ask | ||
Vanessa Carlton – All Is Well | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Ameriteen | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Birdie | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Burden | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Cest La Vie | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Dark Carnival | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Devil Dance | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Faces | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Half A Week Before The Winter | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Last Fall | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Little Mary | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Meggie Sue | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Morning Sting | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Ordinary Day | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Papa | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Pretty Baby | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Private Radio | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Put Your Hands On Me | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Red Ditty | ||
Vanessa Carlton – San Francisco | ||
Vanessa Carlton – She Floats | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Swindler | ||
Vanessa Carlton – The One | ||
Vanessa Carlton – The Wreckage | ||
Vanessa Carlton – This Time | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Time Is On My Side | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Twilight | ||
Vanessa Carlton – White Houses | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Whos To Say | ||
Vanessa Carlton – Wonder | ||
Vanessa Carlton Harmonium Songbook | Vanessa Carlton Harmonium Songbook | |
Vanessa Williams – Colors Of The Wind | ||
Vanessa Williams – Save The Best For Last | ||
Vanessa’s dream – Penny Dreadful OST (Abel Korzeniowski) | ||
Vangelis Antarctica Guitar Arr With Tabs (1 or 2 Guitars with Tablature) | Vangelis Antarctica Guitar Arr With Tabs (1 or 2 Guitars with Tablature) | |
Vangelis – Antarctica Guitar arr with TABs (1 or 2 guitars).mscz | ||
Vangelis – Blade Runner – Piano in an Empty Room | ||
Vangelis – Chariots Of Fire | Vangelis Charriots of fire | |
Vangelis – Chariots Of Fire (Guitar with TABs) | Vangelis – Chariots Of Fire (Guitar with TABs) | |
Vangelis – Conquest Of Paradise | Vangelis – Conquest Of Paradise | |
Vangelis – Conquest Of Paradise (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Vangelis – Five Circles from Chariots of Fire (Guitar arr. with Tablature) | Vangelis – Five Circles from Chariots of Fire (Guitar arr. with Tablature) | |
Vangelis – L’enfant (from The Year of Living Dangerously) (Guitar with TABs) | Vangelis – L’enfant (from The Year of Living Dangerously) (Guitar with TABs) | |
Vangelis – La Petite Fille De La Mere (from L’Apocalypse des Animaux) (Guitar with TABs) | Vangelis – La Petite Fille De La Mere (from L’Apocalypse des Animaux) (Guitar with TABs) | |
Vangelis – La Petite Fille De La Mere (Guitar TABs) | ||
Vangelis – Missing Main Theme From the film Missing (Guitar TABs) | Vangelis – Missing Main Theme From the film Missing (Guitar TABs) | |
Vangelis – Missing Main Theme From the film Missing (Piano) | Vangelis – Missing Main Theme From the film Missing (Piano) | |
Vangelis – Prelude | ||
Vangelis – The Best Of (piano songbook) | ||
Vangelis Aphrodite’s Child Rain And Tears Guitar | ||
Vangelis Heaven and Hell Piano Solo | ||
Vangelis La Petite Fille De La Mer piano solo | ||
Variations In Merry Go Round Of Life – Joe Hisaishi | Variations In Merry Go Round Of Life – Joe Hisaishi | |
Vassiliev Konstantin Three Forest Painting Guitar | ||
Vassiliev, Konstatin Alba (1996) Guitar Sheet Music With Tabs | ||
Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending (Violin and Piano Reduction) | ||
Vaughan Williams – Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Vaughan Williams Lark Ascending Piano violin arr. by J. Godderis | ||
Vaughan Williams On Music Oxford Un. by David Manning (Book) | ||
Vavilov Vladimir Ave Maria (Wrongly Attributed To G.Caccini) Piano And Two Voices | ||
Vavilov Vladimir – Ave Maria (Wrongly Attributed To G.Caccini) Piano And Two Voices (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Vazha Azarashvili – Nocturne | ||
Vazha Azarashvili – Nostalgia | ||
Vazha Azarashvili Sentimental Tango (4 hands piano sheet music) | Vazha Azarashvili Sentimental Tango (4 hands piano sheet music) first page | |
Vazha Azarashvili Sentimental Tango (piano solo sheet music) | Vazha Azarashvili Sentimental Tango (piano solo sheet music) | |
Vedrai vedrai (Luigi Tenco) | ||
Velazquez, Consuelo Amar Y Vivir (Guitarra, Guitar) | ||
Vengaboys – Boom Boom Boom | ||
Venice (Only You OST) Rachel Portman | ||
Verdi Il Trovatore – Anvil Chorus Piano Solo | ||
Verdi Va Pensiero Piano Solo Arr. Nabucco Acte III Choeur Des Ésclaves Hébreux | Verdi Va Pensiero Piano Solo Arr. Nabucco Acte III Choeur Des Ésclaves Hébreux | |
Verdi – La Donna è Mobile | ||
Verdi – La Donna È Mobile (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Verdi – La Traviatta – Piano Solo arr. |
ERIC CLAPTON Live at Budokan, Tokyo, 2001 (Full Concert)
Live at Budokan, Dec 4, 2001
Eric Clapton – guitar / vocals Andy Fairweather Low – guitar / vocals David Sancious – keyboards / guitar / vocals Greg Phillinganes – keyboards Nathan East – bass / vocals Steve Gadd – drums
Key To The Highway 0:38 Reptile 3:41 Got You On My Mind 10:25 Tears In Heaven 14:21 Layla (acoustic) 18:51 Bell Bottom Blues 23:33 Change The World 28:37 River Of Tears 35:15 Goin’ Down Slow 44:04 She’s Gone 49:28 I Want A Little Girl 57:01 Badge 1:01:36 Hoochie Coochie Man 1:07:42 Five Long Years 1:12:39 Cocaine 1:20:57 Wonderful Tonight 1:25:44 Layla (electric) 1:32:58 Sunshine Of Your Love 1:43:05 Somewhere Over The Rainbow 1:50:00