Clapton: The Autobiography
Clapton: The Autobiography comes on on Tuesday and it actually sounds interesting. I’ve read some books on bands but I always find that I’d wish I’d just stayed listening to them. The books are never quite as interesting as the tunes.
Still, tidbits are being flashed all over the news and Eric Clapton’s book sounds like a decent read for big fans. The book looks a tad depressing but books about rainbows and puppies aren’t all that great anyhow; unless you’re five years old.
The book will cover Clapton’s entire career; from the Yardbirds, to the always amazing Cream to the later solo days.
Supposedly Clapton goes into fairly complete detail regarding his addictions; drugs, alcohol, Pattie Boyd, illicit affairs. Later the book moves onto his recovery, his art collection, hobbies, and how he feels about the whole, “Clapton is God” deal.
Some excerpt offerings from USA Today include:
- “After failing to win Boyd through emotional blackmail (by writing the song Layla), Clapton threatened to take heroin full time, though he was already addicted.
- Once he did lure Boyd from Harrison, he lost interest and banished her from tours. “I was off having one-night stands and behaving outrageously. … My moral health was in appalling condition.”
- During a fling with French-Italian model Carla Bruni, he introduced her to Mick Jagger and begged him not to seduce her. “He had made several unsuccessful passes at Pattie and I knew Carla would appeal to his eye. … It was only a matter of days before they started a clandestine affair.”
- Clapton underwent a second rehab stint in 1987 to assess “a broken marriage, assorted bewildered girlfriends and a career that … had lost its direction. I was a mess.” He went on his knees to pray for help, which he still does twice a day.
- At 62, Clapton, who lives outside London with his wife, Melia, and their three young daughters, is nearly deaf but refuses to wear a hearing aid.”
Sounds upbeat! Well, no but still, it sounds like a good book to add to your Clapton collection. Grab it on Tuesday — or order ahead of time.
Tags: book_moves, broken_marriage, carla_bruni, clandestine_affair, Clapton-is-God, Clapton:-The-Autobiography, emotional_blackmail, Eric-Clapton, eric_clapton, hippie-sounds, layla_clapton, mick_jagger, pattie_boyd, rehab_stint, usa_today, yardbirds
5 opinions for Clapton: The Autobiography
Clapton: The Autobiography [Hippie Sounds]
Oct 13, 2007 at 2:39 am
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Deanna
Oct 18, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Having just read the Clapton book I have to say that although his musical talents are great, he comes off like your average pampered, self-important celebrity. He is frank and fairly straightforward with his opinions, ranking his book perhaps a notch above the typical celebrity memoir in that sense, but I don’t think he’s got a clue about real life. The book seems to be one long homage to the power of luxurious purchase that only someone with his kind of bucks can afford. Fabulous real estate, yachts, cruising the Mediterranean at whim, etc. It’s also interesting that this guy would spend millions on a rehabilitation center while his “beloved” ex had to write her own book because she was having serious money issues and apparently he hadn’t offered to come to her rescue. Charity begins at home, no? And the hunting thing….like he really needs to shoot birds to feed his family! The weird naivete (his very young wife had no interest in the fact that he was famous and rich - she may be a perfectly nice person, but let’s get real here) is peculiar, and also typical of these megastars. It’s a sad but true fact that talent does not denote awareness or character.
Jennifer
Oct 19, 2007 at 5:12 pm
Interesting review. I haven’t read it. But I have heard about his hunting deal and it seems odd — but then I don’t love hunting. I don’t think talent does denote character either but the hoards disagree I believe.
Thanks for the knowledgeable comment and for stopping by.
Sadie
Oct 27, 2007 at 11:43 pm
I’ve read both Clapton’s book and Pattie Boyd’s book. Pattie seems to live quite well, lots of traveling and parties. I hardly think she was desperate for money and why should her ex-husband have to rescue her? She’s an adult with her own career.
Clapton’s book is not all about luxurious purchases. Yes, he has money and he did buy a yacht but the majority of the book deals with his addictions and recovery.
Both books talk about how both Eric and Pattie never had to do anything for themselves. They had managers and people to do all the normal things that adults do like pay bills. They both had to grow up, Pattie when she left Eric and Eric when when he split with his manager over the decision to build the Crossroads Centre.
Clapton has done a lot of growing up since then and his book shows us that he is learning to have fun with a family he clearly adores.
Bijou
Feb 25, 2008 at 11:48 am
I’ve read Patti’s book, and it’s a miracle she’s alive to tell the story. How unfortunate for Patti that she wasted so many years and became an enabler to the disfunctional alcoholic Clapton. Then he had to drag down, albeit willingly, Alice Ormsby-Gore, literally to her death. In reading one of the last chapters of Clapton’s book, I was horrified to read of his pleasure in shooting birds. I don’t care if his family eats everything he kills, these are sentient beings and a part of nature. His continuing disfunction has manifested itself in a love of guns and killing animals. Clapton may be clean of substance, but is still f****d up. P.S. I have destroyed the book in question along with every CD with Clapton’s name on it (recycled, or course.)
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