| Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential
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| guitarists of all time
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| Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the «100 Greatest
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| Guitarists of All Time"and fourth in Gibson’s «Top 50 Guitarists of All Time»
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| In the mid-1960s, Clapton left the Yardbirds to play blues with John Mayall &
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| the Bluesbreakers
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| Immediately after leaving Mayall, Clapton joined Cream, a power trio with
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| drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce in which Clapton played sustained
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| blues improvisations and «arty, blues-based psychedelic pop»
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| For most of the 1970s, Clapton’s output bore the influence of the mellow style
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| of JJ Cale and the reggae of Bob Marley
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| His version of Marley’s «I Shot the Sheriff» helped reggae reach a mass market
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| Two of his most popular recordings were «Layla», recorded by Derek and the Dominos, another band he formed,
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| and Robert Johnson’s «Crossroads», recorded by Cream
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| Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton’s grief was expressed in
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| the song «Tears in Heaven», which featured in his Unplugged album
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| Clapton has been the recipient of 17 Grammy Awards, and the Brit Award for
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| Outstanding Contribution to Music
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| In 2004, he was awarded a CBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music
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| In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the
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| Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for recovering substance
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| abusers
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| Contents 1 Early life 2 Early career, breakthrough, and international success 2
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| 1 The Yardbirds
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| And the Bluesbreakers 2
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| 3 Blind Faith, and Delaney and Bonnie and Friends 3 «Layla» and solo career 3
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| 1 Derek and the Dominos 3
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| 2 Personal challenges and early solo success 4 Continued success 5
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| Resurgence and stardom 6 Collaboration albums 7 Clapton, Old Sock and recent
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| events 8 Influences 9 Legacy 10 Guitars 11 Woman tone 12 Other media
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| appearances 13 Personal life 13
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| 1 Relationships and
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| Children 13
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| 2 Political views 13
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| 3 Controversy over remarks on immigration 13
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| 4 Wealth and assets 13
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| 5 Charitable work 14
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| Awards and honours 15 Football 16 Clapton’s music in film and TV 17 Discography
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| 1 Solo studio albums 18 References 19 Further reading 20 External links |