John just enjoyed him and liked it when they were playing music together. It was so special for him to be there, and Eric is the reason. “But I went with him to that concert, and when I see pictures of that night, I remember how much fun John had. “It’s well-known how John preferred to stay under the radar in most anything that had to do with the ‘big-time’ in the music biz,” Lakeland Cale said. The bond between the two musicians, on stage and off, was especially clear to Cale’s wife, Christine Lakeland Cale.Ĭlapton stayed at their home in Valley Center when he and Cale started pre-recording work on “The Road to Escondido.” She accompanied her husband to the San Diego Sports Arena - then briefly known as the iPayOne Center - for the concert that yielded the “Live in San Diego” album. Alas, there is no sign of the DVD that had originally been planned. The result of their rare concert collaboration can be heard on the new double-album, “Eric Clapton Live in San Diego, with Special Guest JJ Cale.” The concert, which took place here March 15, 2007, was also filmed in its entirety for commercial release. Clapton, who had only shared the stage with Cale twice before - in 1975 in London and 2004 in Dallas - readily agreed. Moreover, the Oklahoma native insisted his appearance could not be advertised or announced in advance. Ideally, a concert that was just a short drive from his San Diego County home. and tried to raise my profile a bit.”Ĭale, who wrote such Clapton hits as “After Midnight” and “Cocaine,” eventually agreed to sit in for part of a single concert with Clapton.
This whole (joint album) idea was Eric’s,” Cale recalled in a 2006 Union-Tribune interview about their “Escondido” album. In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for recovering substance abusers.įull Source : en.wikipedia.“I’m pretty much retired I’ve done everything I wanted to do. In his solo career, Clapton has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has received four Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2004 he was awarded a CBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music. Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton's grief was expressed in the song "Tears in Heaven", which appeared on his Unplugged album.Ĭlapton has been the recipient of 18 Grammy Awards, and the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Two of his most popular recordings were "Layla", recorded with Derek and the Dominos and Robert Johnson's "Crossroads", recorded with Cream. His version of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" helped reggae reach a mass market. Clapton's solo career began in the 1970s, where his work bore the influence of the mellow style of J. Immediately after leaving Mayall, Clapton formed the power trio Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce, in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and "arty, blues-based psychedelic pop".Īfter Cream broke up, he formed blues rock band Blind Faith with Baker, Steve Winwood, and Ric Grech. In the mid-1960s Clapton left the Yardbirds to play with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. He was also named number five in Time magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time.Ĭlapton ranked second in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and of Cream.
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter.