Eric Patrick Clapton, guitar virtuoso, vocalist and internationally renowned rock legend, was born in Surrey, England, on March 30, 1945. He received a guitar on his thirteenth birthday and was soon spending hours each day diligently bent over the instrument, learning by ear the blues progressions that have since underpinned his entire career. His practicing was so dedicated that only a short year later he was making waves in the local music scene as a busker and a member of several local outfits.

In 1963, Clapton joined the Yardbirds, a then-unheard of group that played rock and roll heavily infused with the blues. In 1965, Clapton would leave the group just as they were beginning to approach stardom with their first hit, “For Your Love.” Clapton, still obsessed with the blues, disapproved of the band’s turn for a more pop-oriented sound. Don’t feel too bad for the Yardbirds, though – successors to Clapton’s role as lead guitarist would be filled first with Jeff Beck and later with Jimmy Page – two other heavies of guitar legend. 

During a short stint with the Bluesbreakers, a graffito declared that “Clapton is God.” It was also around this time that his nickname, “Slowhand,” was coined – as the story goes, an ironic pun on the nimble fingers and lightning blues riffs that were fast earning him a reputation as the best guitar player on the local circuit.

In 1966, Clapton formed Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, creating rock music’s first supergroup. They enjoyed huge success in the UK and abroad, and in this era he fell in with a group of musical legends  including Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend and, most significantly, The Beatles’ George Harrison.  Clapton fell deeply in love with Harrison’s then-wife, English model Pattie Boyd who was the inspiration behind Clapton’s hit “Layla,” about the pains of unrequited love. 

Unfortunately, Clapton’s career success was marred by addiction and romantic frustration in his personal life. When he and Boyd got together in 1974, Clapton kicked heroin and embarked upon his now-legendary solo career. His first number one hit was a cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” that popularized reggae music with the mainstream. At the same time, Clapton had replaced heroin with alcohol and soon his friends checked him into rehab. Later on, Clapton would open his own rehabilitation facility, the Crossroads Centre, in 2004. 

Clapton was and continues to be one of rock music’s most important and influential figures. His songs, inspirations, friendships, and even crushes have forever shaped modern music. Although it may be appropriate to celebrate Eric birthday with a recipe for a Blind Faith cocktail, the ingredients are too lethal and for some too sacrilegious (wood alcohol and sacramental wine), so instead we opt  to toast him for a less lethal drink named for his great album Reptile.  According to Clapton, the title Reptile is British slang for a bloke that you might share a pint with down at the pub. We can't think of anyone that we would rather share a pint with than Eric. Enjoy it with a DVD of Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play The Blues (2011).