Events

1364 – Troops of the Republic of Pisa and of the Republic of Florence clash in the Battle of Cascina.

1540 – Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of treason. Henry marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, on the same day.

1794 – Maximilien Robespierre is executed by guillotine in Paris during the French Revolution.

1809 – Peninsular War: Battle of Talavera – Sir Arthur Wellesley's British, Portuguese and Spanish army defeats a French force led by Joseph Bonaparte.

1821 – José de San Martín declares the independence of Peru from Spain.

1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Ezra Church – Confederate troops make a third unsuccessful attempt to drive Union forces from Atlanta, Georgia.

1868 – The 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is certified, establishing African-American citizenship and guaranteeing due process of law.

1896 – The city of Miami, Florida is incorporated.

1914 – World War I: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia after Serbia rejects the conditions of an ultimatum sent by Austria on July 23 following the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand.

1932 – U.S. President Herbert Hoover orders the United States Army to forcibly evict the "Bonus Army" of World War I veterans gathered in Washington, D.C.

1933 – Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Spain are established.

1935 – First flight of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.

1942 – World War II: Soviet leader Joseph Stalin issues Order No. 227 in response to alarming German advances into the Soviet Union. Under the order all those who retreat or otherwise leave their positions without orders to do so are to be immediately executed.

1943 – World War II: Operation Gomorrah – The British bomb Hamburg causing a firestorm that kills 42,000 German civilians.

1945 – A U.S. Army B-25 bomber crashes into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building killing 14 and injuring 26.

1948 – The Metropolitan Police Flying Squad foils a bullion robbery in the "Battle of London Airport".

1955 – The Union Mundial pro Interlingua is founded at the first Interlingua congress in Tours, France.

1957 – Heavy rain and a mudslide in Isahaya, western Kyūshū, Japan, kill 992.

1965 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson announces his order to increase the number of United States troops in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000.

1973 – Summer Jam at Watkins Glen: 600,000 people attend a rock festival at the Watkins Glen International Raceway.

1976 – The Tangshan earthquake measuring between 7.8 and 8.2 moment magnitude flattens Tangshan in the People's Republic of China, killing 242,769 and injuring 164,851.

1993 – Andorra joins the United Nations.

1996 – The remains of a prehistoric man are discovered near Kennewick, Washington. Such remains will be known as the Kennewick Man.

2001 – Australian Ian Thorpe becomes the first swimmer to win six gold medals at a single World Championships.

2002 – Nine coal miners trapped in the flooded Quecreek Mine in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, are rescued after 77 hours underground.

2005 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army calls an end to its thirty year long armed campaign in Northern Ireland.

2005 – Tornadoes touch down in a residential areas in south Birmingham and Coventry England, causing £4,000,000 worth of damages and injuring 39 people.

2008 – The historic Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare burns down for the second time in 80 years.

2010 – Airblue Flight 202 crashes into the Margalla Hills north of Islamabad, Pakistan, killing all 152 people aboard. It is the deadliest aviation accident in Pakistan history and the first involving an Airbus A321.

Births

1347 – Queen Margaret of Durazzo, consort of Charles III of Naples (d. 1412)

1659 – Charles Ancillon, French Huguenot pastor (d. 1715)

1746 – Thomas Heyward, Jr., American signer of the Declaration of Independence (d. 1809)

1750 – Fabre d'Églantine French dramatist and politician (d. 1794)

1796 – Ignaz Bösendorfer, Austrian piano manufacturer (d. 1859)

1804 – Ludwig Feuerbach, German philosopher (d. 1872)

1815 – Stefan Dunjov, Bulgarian military figure (d. 1889)

1844 – Gerard Manley Hopkins, English poet (d. 1889)

1857 – Ballington Booth, English-born Salvation Army officer (d. 1940)

1860 – Elias M. Ammons, American politician (d. 1925)

1860 – Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia (d. 1922)

1863 – Hussein Khan Nakhichevanski, Russian general (d. 1919)

1866 – Beatrix Potter, English author (d. 1943)

1867 – Charles Dillon Perrine, American-born Argentine astronomer (d. 1951)

1872 – Albert Sarraut, French politician (d. 1962)

1874 – Ernst Cassirer, German philosopher (d. 1945)

1879 – Lucy Burns, American suffragist (d. 1966)

1887 – Marcel Duchamp, French painter (d. 1968)

1891 – Ron Oxenham, Australian cricketer (d. 1939)

1896 – Barbara La Marr, American actress (d. 1926)

1898 – Lawrence Gray, American actor (d. 1970)

1900 – Catherine Dale Owen, American actress (d. 1965)

1901 – Rudy Vallee, American entertainer (d. 1986)

1901 – Freddie Fitzsimmons, American baseball player (d. 1979)

1902 – Karl Popper, Austrian-born British philosopher (d. 1994)

1907 – Earl Tupper, American inventor of Tupperware (d. 1983)

1909 – Malcolm Lowry, English novelist (d. 1957)

1909 – Aenne Burda German publisher (d. 2005)

1914 – Carmen Dragon, American composer (d. 1984)

1915 – Charles Townes, American physicist, Nobel laureate

1916 – David Brown, American film producer (d. 2010)

1922 – Jacques Piccard, Belgian-born Swiss undersea explorer (d. 2008)

1923 – Ray Ellis, American record producer and arranger (d. 2008)

1924 – C.T. Vivian, American Civil Rights Movement activist

1925 – Baruch Samuel Blumberg, American physician, Nobel laureate (d. 2011)

1926 – Charlie Biddle, American-born Quebec jazz bassist (d. 2003)

1927 – John Ashbery, American poet

1929 – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, First Lady of the United States (d. 1994)

1930 – Jean Roba, Belgian comics author (d. 2006)

1930 – Junior Kimbrough, American blues guitarist and vocalist (d. 1998)

1930 – Ramsey Muir Withers, Canadian military figure

1931 – Johnny Martin, Australian cricketer (d. 1992)

1932 – Natalie Babbitt, American author and illustrator of children's books

1933 – Charlie Hodge, French Canadian ice hockey player

1934 – Jacques d'Amboise, American choreographer

1935 – Simon Dee, British television broadcaster (d. 2009)

1936 – Russ Jackson, Canadian football player

1936 – Garfield Sobers, Barbadian cricketer

1937 – Francis Veber, French film director and screenwriter

1938 – Alberto Fujimori, Peruvian politician

1938 – Chuan Leekpai, Thai politician

1938 – Ian McCaskill, Scottish weather forecaster

1938 – Luis Aragonés, Spanish football manager

1940 – Philip Proctor, American comedian

1941 – Riccardo Muti, Italian conductor

1941 – Susan Roces, Filipino actress

1942 – Marty Brennaman, American sportscaster

1942 – Tonia Marketaki, Greek film director and screenwriter (d. 1994)

1943 – Mike Bloomfield, American guitarist (d. 1981)

1943 – Bill Bradley, American basketball player and politician

1943 – Richard Wright, English keyboardist (Pink Floyd) (d. 2008)

1945 – Jim Davis, American cartoonist (Garfield)

1946 – Jonathan Edwards, American singer and songwriter

1946 – Linda Kelsey, American actress

1946 – Fahmida Riaz, Pakistani writer and feminist

1948 – Gerald Casale, American vocalist, bassist (Devo) and director

1948 – Georgia Engel, American actress

1948 – Sally Struthers, American actress

1949 – Steve Peregrin Took, English singer (d. 1980)

1949 – Vida Blue, American baseball player

1949 – Peter Doyle, Australian singer (The New Seekers) (d. 2001)

1949 – Randall Wallace, American screenwriter and film producer

1950 – Shahyar Ghanbari, Iranian poet

1951 – Anthony A. Williams, American politician

1951 – Doug Collins, American basketball player and coach

1951 – Santiago Calatrava, Spanish architect

1952 – Yoshitaka Amano, Japanese artist

1952 – Vajiralongkorn, Crown Prince of Thailand

1953 – Don Black, founder and current webmaster of Stormfront

1954 – Bruce Abbott, American actor

1954 – Hugo Chávez, 52nd President of Venezuela

1954 – Gerd Faltings, German mathematician

1954 – Steve Morse, American guitarist (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple)

1954 – Mikey Sheehy, Irish Gaelic footballer

1955 – Nikolay Zimyatov, Russian cross-country skier

1956 – John Feinstein, American sportswriter, author and sports commentator

1958 – Terry Fox, Canadian athlete and activist (d. 1981)

1958 – Michael Hitchcock, American actor

1959 – William T. Vollman, American novelist and essayist

1960 – Luiz Fernando Carvalho, Brazilian film director

1960 – Yōichi Takahashi, Japanese manga artist (Captain Tsubasa, Hungry Heart Wild Striker)

1961 – Yannick Dalmas, French race car driver

1961 – Alexander Kurlovitch, Soviet weightlifter

1961 – Harlem Yu, Taiwanese singer/songwriter

1962 – Rachel Sweet, American singer

1963 – Beverley Craven, British singer

1964 – Lori Loughlin, American actress

1965 – Priscilla Chan, Hong Kong singer

1965 – Delfeayo Marsalis, American jazz trombonist and record producer

1966 – Shikao Suga, Japanese singer-songwriter

1967 – Taka Hirose, Japanese bassist (Feeder)

1969 – Garth Snow, American ice hockey player

1969 – Alexis Arquette, American actor

1969 – Dana White, American professional sports executive

1970 – Michael Amott, Swedish guitarist (Arch Enemy)

1970 – Isabelle Brasseur, Canadian figure skater

1970 – Paul Strang, Zimbabwian cricketer

1971 – Stephen Lynch, American comedian and singer-songwriter

1971 – Annie Perreault, Canadian short-track speed skater

1972 – Elizabeth Berkley, American actress

1972 – Ed Templeton, American skateboarder

1972 – Yeom Jeong-ah, South Korean actress

1972 – Robert Chapman, English cricketer

1973 – Steve Staios, Canadian ice hockey player

1973 – Marc Dupré, Quebec humorist and singer

1974 – Justin Lee Collins, British comedian

1975 – Leonor Watling, Spanish actress and singer

1976 – Jacoby Shaddix, American singer (Papa Roach)

1977 – Manu Ginóbili, Argentine basketball player

1977 – Aki Berg, Finnish ice hockey player

1977 – Rahman “Rock” Harper, American personality, Restauranteur

1978 – Hitomi Yaida, Japanese singer-songwriter

1978 – Jacob Oram, New Zealand cricketer

1979 – Lee Minwoo, Korean singer (Shinhwa)

1979 – Birgitta Haukdal, Icelandic singer

1979 – Henrik Hansen, Danish footballer

1979 – Alena Popchanka, French swimmer

1979 – James Piotr Montague, British writer and journalist

1980 – Stephen Christian, American singer (Anberlin)

1980 – Noel Sullivan, Welsh reality television contestant

1981 – Nancy Alexiadi, Greek singer

1981 – Michael Carrick, English footballer

1981 – Jo In-seong, South Korean actor

1982 – Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, Icelandic singer and actress

1982 – Tom Pelphrey, American actor

1983 – Cody Hay, Canadian figure skater

1984 – DeMeco Ryans, American football player

1984 – Zach Parise, American ice hockey player

1984 – John David Washington, American actor and football player

1985 – Dustin Milligan, Canadian actor

1985 – Sharifah Sofia, Malaysian actress

1986 – Alexandra Chando, American actress

1987 – Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma, Spanish footballer

1987 – Sumire, Japanese fashion model (d. 2009)

1988 – Ayla Brown, American singer

1990 – Simone Pizzuti, Italian footballer

1990 – Shana Swash, English actress

1990 – Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, American rapper

1992 – George Spencer-Churchill, Earl of Sunderland

1993 – Hannah Lochner, Canadian actress

1993 – Cher Lloyd, English singer and rapper

1993 – Harry Kane, English footballer

Deaths

450 – Theodosius II, Roman Emperor (b. 401)

1057 – Pope Victor II (b. c. 1018)

1128 – William Clito, Count of Flanders (b. 1102)

1230 – Duke Leopold VI of Austria (b. 1176)

1285 – Keran, Queen of Armenia, consort of King Leo III of Armenia (birth year unknown)

1527 – Rodrigo de Bastidas, Spanish conquistador (b. 1460)

1540 – Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, English statesman (b. 1495)

1631 – Guillén de Castro y Bellvis, Spanish dramatist (b. 1569)

1655 – Cyrano de Bergerac, French poet (b. 1619)

1667 – Abraham Cowley, English poet (b. 1618)

1675 – Bulstrode Whitelocke, English lawyer (b. 1605)

1685 – Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington, English statesman (b. 1618)

1718 – Etienne Baluze, French scholar (b. 1630)

1741 – Antonio Vivaldi, Italian composer (b. 1678)

1750 – Johann Sebastian Bach, German composer (b. 1685)

1762 – George Dodington, 1st Baron Melcombe, English politician (b. 1691)

1794 – Maximilien Robespierre, French Revolutionary leader (b. 1758)

1794 – Louis Antoine de Saint-Just, French Revolutionary leader (b. 1767)

1809 – Richard Beckett, English soldier (b.1772)

1818 – Gaspard Monge, French mathematician (b. 1746)

1835 – Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier, French marshal (b. 1768)

1836 – Nathan Mayer Rothschild, British financier (b. 1777)

1842 – Clemens Brentano, German poet (b. 1778)

1844 – Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon I (b. 1768)

1849 – King Charles Albert of Sardinia (b. 1798)

1869 – Jan Evangelista Purkyně, Czech anatomist (b. 1787)

1878 – George Law Curry, American newspaper publisher and politician (b. 1820)

1895 – Edward Beecher, American theologian (b. 1803)

1930 – Allvar Gullstrand, Swedish ophthalmologist, Nobel laureate (b. 1862)

1933 – Nishinoumi Kajirō III, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 30^th Yokozuna (b. 1890)

1934 – Marie Dressler, Canadian actress (b. 1868)

1934 – Louis Tancred, South African cricketer (b. 1876)

1942 – William Matthew Flinders Petrie, English Egyptologist (b. 1853)

1957 – Edith Abbott, American social worker (b. 1876)

1957 – Isaac Heinemann, German-born Israeli scholar and professor of classical literature (b. 1876)

1965 – Edogawa Rampo, Japanese author (b. 1894)

1965 – Sheikh Attallah Suheimat, Arab and Jordanian leader, politician,and a statesperson. (b. 1875)

1967 – Karl W. Richter, American aviator (b. 1942)

1968 – Otto Hahn, German chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1879)

1969 – Ramón Grau, Cuban politician (b. 1882)

1971 – Myril Hoag, American baseball player (b. 1908)

1971 – Lawrence Moore Cosgrave, Canadian soldier and diplomat (b. 1890)

1971 – Charles E. Pont, American painter and printmaker (b. 1898)

1972 – Helen Traubel, American soprano (b. 1903)

1972 – Charu Majumdar, Indian revolutionary leader (b. 1918)

1979 – Charles Shadwell, English conductor and bandleader (b. 1898)

1979 – Don Miller, American college football player (b. 1902)

1981 – Fr. Stanley Rother, American Roman Catholic Priest and missionary (b. 1935)

1982 – Keith Green, American gospel singer and pianist (b. 1953)

1990 – Jill Esmond, British actress (b. 1908)

1996 – Roger Tory Peterson, American ornithologist and educator (b. 1908)

1997 – Seni Pramoj, Thai politician (b. 1905)

1997 – Rosalie Crutchley, English actress (b. 1920)

1998 – Lenny McLean, English bareknuckle fighter (b. 1949)

1999 – Trygve Haavelmo, Norwegian economist, Nobel laureate (b. 1911)

2000 – Abraham Pais, Dutch-born American physicist and historian (b. 1918)

2002 – Archer John Porter Martin, English chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1910)

2003 – Lady Valerie Goulding, Irish politician and activist (b. 1918)

2004 – Francis Crick, English molecular biologist, Nobel laureate (b. 1916)

2004 – Sam Edwards, American actor (b. 1915)

2004 – Eugene Roche, American actor (b. 1928)

2004 – Tiziano Terzani, Italian journalist (b. 1938)

2006 – David Gemmell, British writer (b. 1948)

2006 – Patrick Allen, British actor and voice actor (b. 1927)

2007 – Jim LeRoy, American aerobatic pilot (b. 1961)

2007 – Karl Gotch, Belgian professional wrestler (b. 1924)

2008 – Suzanne Tamim, Lebanese singer and actress (b. 1977)

2009 – Jim Johnson, American football coach (b. 1941)

2009 – Reverend Ike, American televangelist (b. 1935)

2010 – Ivy Bean, English internet celebrity (b. 1905)

2010 – George P. Lee, former general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and convicted sex offender (b. 1943)

2011 – Abdul Fatah Younis, Former Libyan Interior Minister, assassinated for pro-Gadaffi ties (b. 1944)

Holidays and observances

Christian Feast Day:

*Alphonsa Muttathupadathu

*Nazarius and Celsus

*Pantaleon

*July 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval (Canada)

Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Peru from Spain by General San Martin in 1821. (Peru)

Liberation Day (San Marino)

National Tree Planting Day (Australian schools)

Ólavsøka Eve (Faroe Islands)

World Hepatitis Day (International)

External links

BBC: On This Day

On This Day in Canada

----

Category:Days of the year Category:July

af:28 Julie ar:ملحق:28 يوليو an:28 de chulio frp:28 j·ulyèt ast:28 de xunetu az:28 iyul zh-min-nan:7 goe̍h 28 ji̍t be:28 ліпеня be-x-old:28 ліпеня bcl:Hulyo 28 bs:28. juli br:28 Gouere bg:28 юли ca:28 de juliol cv:Утă, 28 ceb:Hulyo 28 cs:28. červenec co:28 di lugliu cy:28 Gorffennaf da:28. juli de:28. Juli dv:ޖުލައި 28 et:28. juuli el:28 Ιουλίου myv:Медьковонь 28 чи es:28 de julio eo:28-a de julio eu:Uztailaren 28 fa:۲۸ ژوئیه hif:28 July fo:28. juli fr:28 juillet fy:28 july fur:28 di Lui ga:28 Iúil gv:28 Jerrey Souree gd:28 an t-Iuchar gl:28 de xullo gan:7月28號 gu:જુલાઇ ૨૮ xal:Така сарин 28 ko:7월 28일 hy:Հուլիսի 28 hr:28. srpnja io:28 di julio ilo:Julio 28 bpy:জুলাই ২৮ id:28 Juli ia:28 de julio ie:28 juli is:28. júlí it:28 luglio he:28 ביולי jv:28 Juli kl:Juuli 28 kn:ಜುಲೈ ೨೮ pam:Juliu 28 ka:28 ივლისი csb:28 lëpinca kk:Шілденің 28 sw:28 Julai kv:28 сора ht:28 jiyè ku:28'ê tîrmehê krc:28 июль la:28 Iulii lv:28. jūlijs lb:28. Juli lt:Liepos 28 li:28 juli lmo:28 07 hu:Július 28. mk:28 јули ml:ജൂലൈ 28 mr:जुलै २८ arz:28 يوليه ms:28 Julai mn:7 сарын 28 nah:Tlachicōnti 28 nl:28 juli nds-nl:28 juli ne:२८ जुलाई new:जुलाई २८ ja:7月28日 nap:28 'e luglio no:28. juli nn:28. juli nrm:28 Juilet nov:28 de julie oc:28 de julhet mhr:28 Сӱрем uz:28-iyul pa:੨੮ ਜੁਲਾਈ pag:July 28 nds:28. Juli pl:28 lipca pt:28 de julho ro:28 iulie qu:28 ñiqin anta situwa killapi rue:28. юл ru:28 июля sah:От ыйын 28 se:Suoidnemánu 28. sco:28 Julie sq:28 Korrik scn:28 di giugnettu simple:July 28 sk:28. júl sl:28. julij ckb:٢٨ی تەمموز sr:28. јул sh:28.7. su:28 Juli fi:28. heinäkuuta sv:28 juli tl:Hulyo 28 ta:சூலை 28 tt:28 июль te:జూలై 28 th:28 กรกฎาคม tg:28 июл tr:28 Temmuz tk:28 iýul uk:28 липня ur:28 جولائی vec:28 de lujo vi:28 tháng 7 vo:Yulul 28 fiu-vro:28. hainakuu päiv wa:28 di djulete vls:28 juli war:Hulyo 28 xmf:28 კვირკვე yi:28סטן יולי yo:28 July zh-yue:7月28號 bat-smg:Lėipas 28 zh:7月28日

name	Eric Clapton
alias	Slowhand
landscape	Yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Eric Patrick Clapton
birth date	March 30, 1945
Birth place	Ripley, Surrey, England
instrument	Guitar, vocals
genre	Rock, blues rock, blues, psychedelic rock, hard rock
occupation	Musician, songwriter, producer, artist
years active	1962–present
label	Warner Bros., Reprise, Polydor, RSO, Atco, Apple, Deram
associated acts	The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Powerhouse, Cream, Free Creek, The Dirty Mac, Blind Faith, J.J. Cale, The Plastic Ono Band, Delaney, Bonnie & Friends, Derek and the Dominos, Sheryl Crow, The Beatles, Phil Collins, The Rolling Stones, Luciano Pavarotti, The Band, Freddie King, B.B. King, Mark Knopfler, Brian Wilson
website
notable instruments	See: Guitars section"Blackie": Fender Stratocaster"Brownie": Fender Stratocaster }}

Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, (born 1945) is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton 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 Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in ''Gibson's'' ''Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.''

In the mid 1960s, Clapton departed from the Yardbirds to play blues with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. In his one-year stay with Mayall, Clapton gained the nickname "Slowhand". Immediately after leaving Mayall, Clapton formed Cream, a power trio with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and "arty, blues-based psychedelic pop." For most of the 1970s, Clapton's output bore the influence of the mellow style of J.J. Cale and the reggae of Bob Marley. His version of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" helped reggae reach a mass market. Two of his most popular recordings were "Layla", recorded by Derek and the Dominos, and Robert Johnson's "Crossroads", recorded by Cream. A recipient of seventeen Grammy Awards, in 2004 Clapton was awarded a CBE for services to music. In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for recovering substance abusers.

Early life

Eric Patrick Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey, England, the son of 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton (b. 1929 d. March 1999) and Edward Walter Fryer ( 1920 – 1985), a 25-year-old soldier from Montreal, Quebec. Fryer shipped off to war prior to Clapton's birth and then returned to Canada. Clapton grew up with his grandmother, Rose, and her second husband, Jack Clapp, who was stepfather to Patricia Clapton and her brother Adrian, believing they were his parents and that his mother was actually his older sister. The similarity in surnames gave rise to the erroneous belief that Clapton's real surname is Clapp (Reginald Cecil Clapton was the name of Rose's first husband, Eric Clapton's maternal grandfather). Years later, his mother married another Canadian soldier and moved to Germany, leaving young Eric with his grandparents in Surrey.

Clapton received an acoustic Hoyer guitar, made in Germany, for his thirteenth birthday, but the inexpensive steel-stringed instrument was difficult to play and he briefly lost interest. Two years later Clapton picked it up again and started playing consistently. Clapton was influenced by the blues from an early age, and practised long hours to learn the chords of blues music by playing along to the records. He preserved his practice sessions using his portable Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorder, listening to them over and over until he felt he'd got it right.

After leaving Hollyfield School, in Surbiton, in 1961, Clapton studied at the Kingston College of Art but was dismissed at the end of the academic year because his focus remained on music rather than art. His guitar playing was so advanced that by the age of sixteen he was getting noticed. Around this time Clapton began busking around Kingston, Richmond, and the West End of London. In 1962, Clapton started performing as a duo with fellow blues enthusiast David Brock in the pubs around Surrey. When he was seventeen years old Clapton joined his first band, an early British R&B; group, "The Roosters", whose other guitarist was Tom McGuinness. He stayed with this band from January through August 1963. In October of that year, Clapton did a seven-gig stint with Casey Jones & The Engineers.

Career

1960s

The Yardbirds and the Bluesbreakers

In October 1963 Clapton joined The Yardbirds, a blues-influenced rock and roll band, and stayed with them until March 1965. Synthesising influences from Chicago blues and leading blues guitarists such as Buddy Guy, Freddie King, and B. B. King, Clapton forged a distinctive style and rapidly became one of the most talked-about guitarists in the British music scene. The band initially played Chess/Checker/Vee-Jay blues numbers and began to attract a large cult following when they took over the Rolling Stones' residency at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. They toured England with American bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson II; a joint LP album, recorded in December 1963, was issued in 1965.

It was during this time period that Clapton's Yardbirds rhythm guitarist, Chris Dreja, recalled that whenever Clapton broke a guitar string during a concert, he would stay on stage and replace it. The English audiences would wait out the delay by doing what is called a "slow handclap". Clapton told his official biographer, Ray Coleman, that, "My nickname of 'Slowhand' came from Giorgio Gomelsky. He coined it as a good pun. He kept saying I was a fast player, so he put together the slow handclap phrase into Slowhand as a play on words".

In March 1965 the Yardbirds had their first major hit, "For Your Love", on which Clapton played guitar. The Yardbirds elected to move toward a pop-oriented sound, in part because of the success of "For Your Love", written by pop songwriter-for-hire Graham Gouldman, who had also written hit songs for teen pop outfit Herman's Hermits and The Hollies. Still musically devoted to the blues, Clapton was opposed to the move, and left the band. He recommended fellow guitarist Jimmy Page as his replacement, but Page was at that time unwilling to relinquish his lucrative career as a freelance studio musician, so Page in turn recommended Clapton's successor, Jeff Beck. While Beck and Page played together in the Yardbirds, the trio of Beck, Page, and Clapton were never in the group together. However, the trio did appear on the 12-date benefit tour for Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis in 1983, as well as on the album ''Guitar Boogie''.

Clapton joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers in April 1965, only to quit a few months later. In the summer of 1965 he left for Greece with a band called The Glands, which included his old friend Ben Palmer on piano. In November 1965 he rejoined John Mayall. It was during his second Bluesbreakers stint that his passionate playing established Clapton's name as the best blues guitarist on the club circuit. Although Clapton gained world fame for his playing on the influential album, ''Blues Breakers - John Mayall - With Eric Clapton'', this album was not released until Clapton had left the Bluesbreakers for the last time. Having swapped his Fender Telecaster and Vox AC30 amplifier for a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar and Marshall amplifier, Clapton's sound and playing inspired a well-publicised graffiti that deified him with the famous slogan "Clapton is God". The phrase was spray-painted by an admirer on a wall in an Islington Underground station in the autumn of 1967. The graffiti was captured in a now-famous photograph, in which a dog is urinating on the wall. Clapton is reported to have been embarrassed by the slogan, saying in his ''The South Bank Show'' profile in 1987, "I never accepted that I was the greatest guitar player in the world. I always ''wanted'' to be the greatest guitar player in the world, but that's an ideal, and I accept it as an ideal". The phrase began to appear in other areas of Islington throughout the mid 1960s.

Cream

Clapton left the Bluesbreakers in July 1966 (to be replaced by Peter Green) and formed Cream, one of the earliest supergroups, with Jack Bruce on bass (also of Manfred Mann, the Bluesbreakers, and the Graham Bond Organisation) and Ginger Baker on drums (another member of the Graham Bond Organisation). Before the formation of Cream, Clapton was not well known in the United States; he left the Yardbirds before "For Your Love" hit the American Top Ten, and had yet to perform there. During his time with Cream, Clapton began to develop as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, though Bruce took most of the lead vocals and wrote the majority of the material with lyricist Pete Brown. Cream's first gig was an unofficial performance at the Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester on 1966 before their full debut two nights later at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Windsor. Cream established its enduring legend with the high-volume blues jamming and extended solos of their live shows.

In early 1967 Clapton's status as Britain's top guitarist was rivalled by the emergence of Jimi Hendrix, an acid rock-infused guitarist who used wailing feedback and effects pedals to create new sounds for the instrument. Hendrix attended a performance of the newly-formed Cream at the Central London Polytechnic on 1966, during which Hendrix sat in on a double-timed version of "Killing Floor". Top UK stars including Clapton, Pete Townshend, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles avidly attended Hendrix's early club performances. Hendrix's arrival had an immediate and major effect on the next phase of Clapton's career, although Clapton continued to be recognised in UK music polls as the premier guitarist.

Clapton first visited the United States while touring with Cream. In March 1967, Cream performed a nine-show stand at the RKO Theater in New York. They recorded ''Disraeli Gears'' in New York from 1967. Cream's repertoire varied from hard rock ("I Feel Free") to lengthy blues-based instrumental jams ("Spoonful"). ''Disraeli Gears'' featured Clapton's searing guitar lines, Bruce's soaring vocals and prominent, fluid bass playing, and Baker's powerful, polyrhythmic jazz-influenced drumming. Together, Cream's talents secured them as an influential power trio.

In 28 months, Cream had become a commercial success, selling millions of records and playing throughout the U.S. and Europe. They redefined the instrumentalist's role in rock and were one of the first blues-rock bands to emphasise musical virtuosity and lengthy jazz-style improvisation sessions. Their U.S. hit singles include "Sunshine of Your Love" (#5, 1968), "White Room" (#6, 1968) and "Crossroads" (#28, 1969) – a live version of Robert Johnson's "Cross Road Blues". Though Cream was hailed as one of the greatest groups of its day, and the adulation of Clapton as a guitar hero reached new heights, the supergroup was short-lived. Drug and alcohol use escalated tension between the three members, and conflicts between Bruce and Baker eventually led to Cream's demise. A strongly critical ''Rolling Stone'' review of a concert of the group's second headlining U.S. tour was another significant factor in the trio's demise, and it affected Clapton profoundly.

Cream's farewell album, ''Goodbye'', featuring live performances recorded at The Forum, Los Angeles, 1968, was released shortly after Cream disbanded; it also featured the studio single "Badge", co-written by Clapton and George Harrison. Clapton met Harrison and became friends with him after the Beatles shared a bill with the Clapton-era Yardbirds at the London Palladium. The close friendship between Clapton and Harrison resulted in Clapton's playing on Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the Beatles' ''White Album'' (1968). Harrison also released his solo debut album, ''Wonderwall Music'', in 1968. It became the first of many Harrison solo records to feature Clapton on guitar. Clapton would go largely uncredited for his contributions to Harrison's albums due to contractual restraints. The pair would often play live together as each other's guest. A year after Harrison's death in 2001, Clapton helped organise a tribute concert, for which he was musical director.

Cream briefly reunited in 1993 to perform at the ceremony inducting them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; a full reunion took place in May 2005, with Clapton, Bruce, and Baker playing four sold-out concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall, and three shows at New York's Madison Square Garden that October. Recordings from the London shows, ''Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005'', were released on CD, LP, and DVD in September/December 2005.

Blind Faith and Delaney and Bonnie and Friends

Clapton's next group, Blind Faith (1969), was composed of Cream drummer Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood of Traffic, and Ric Grech of Family, and yielded one LP and one arena-circuit tour. The supergroup debuted before 100,000 fans in London's Hyde Park on 1969. They performed several dates in Scandinavia and began a sold-out American tour in July before their only album was released. The LP ''Blind Faith'' consisted of just six songs, one of them a 15-minute jam entitled "Do What You Like". The album's jacket image of a topless pubescent girl was deemed controversial in the United States and was replaced by a photograph of the band. Blind Faith dissolved after less than seven months.

Clapton subsequently toured as a sideman for an act that had opened for Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. He also played two dates as a member of The Plastic Ono Band that fall, including a recorded performance at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival in September 1969 released as the album ''Live Peace in Toronto 1969''. On 15 December 1969 Clapton performed with John Lennon, George Harrison, and others as the Plastic Ono Band at a fundraiser for UNICEF in London.

Delaney Bramlett encouraged Clapton in his singing and writing. During the summer of 1969, Clapton and Bramlett contributed to the ''Music From Free Creek'' "supersession" project. Clapton, appearing as "King Cool" for contractual reasons, played with Dr. John on three songs, joined by Bramlett on two tracks.

Using the Bramletts' backing group and an all-star cast of session players (including Leon Russell and Stephen Stills), Clapton recorded his first solo album during two brief tour hiatuses, fittingly named ''Eric Clapton''. Delaney Bramlett co-wrote six of the songs with Clapton, and Bonnie Bramlett co-wrote "Let It Rain". The album yielded the unexpected U.S. #18 hit, J. J. Cale's "After Midnight". Clapton went with Delaney and Bonnie from the stage to the studio with the Dominos to record George Harrison's ''All Things Must Pass'' in spring 1970. During this busy period, Clapton also recorded with other artists including Dr. John, Leon Russell, Plastic Ono Band, Billy Preston, and Ringo Starr.

1970s

Derek and the Dominos

With the intention to counteract the "star" cult faction that had begun to form around him, Clapton assembled a new band composed of Delaney and Bonnie's former rhythm section, Bobby Whitlock as keyboardist and vocalist, Carl Radle as the bassist, and drummer Jim Gordon, with Clapton playing guitar. It was his intention to show that he need not fill a starring role, and functioned well as a member of an ensemble. Naming the band, "Eric Clapton and Friends" at first, the name "Derek and the Dominos" was a fluke. It occurred when the band's provisional name of "Del and the Dynamos" was misread as Derek and the Dominos. Clapton's biography states that Ashton told Clapton to call the band "Del and the Dominos", since "Del" was his nickname for Eric Clapton. Del and Eric were combined and the final name became "Derek and the Dominos".

Clapton's close friendship with George Harrison brought him into contact with Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, with whom he became deeply infatuated. When she spurned his advances, Clapton's unrequited affections prompted most of the material for the Dominos' album, ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' (1970). Heavily blues-influenced, the album features the twin lead guitars of Duane Allman and Clapton, with Allman's slide guitar as a key ingredient of the sound. Working at Criteria Studios in Miami with Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd, who had worked with Clapton on Cream's ''Disraeli Gears'', the band recorded a double album.

The album features the hit love song "Layla", inspired by the classical poet of Persian literature, Nizami Ganjavi's ''The Story of Layla and Majnun'', a copy of which Ian Dallas had given to Clapton. The book moved Clapton profoundly, as it was the tale of a young man who fell hopelessly in love with a beautiful, unavailable woman and who went crazy because he could not marry her. The two parts of "Layla" were recorded in separate sessions: the opening guitar section was recorded first, and for the second section, laid down several months later, drummer Jim Gordon composed and played the piano part.

The ''Layla'' LP was actually recorded by a five-piece version of the group, thanks to the unforeseen inclusion of guitarist Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. A few days into the Layla sessions, Dowd—who was also producing the Allmans—invited Clapton to an Allman Brothers outdoor concert in Miami. The two guitarists met first on stage, then played all night in the studio, and became friends. Duane first added his slide guitar to "Tell the Truth" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out". In four days, the five-piece Dominos recorded "Key to the Highway", "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" (a blues standard popularised by Freddie King and others), and "Why Does Love Got to be So Sad". In September, Duane briefly left the sessions for gigs with his own band, and the four-piece Dominos recorded "I Looked Away", "Bell Bottom Blues", and "Keep on Growing". Duane returned to record "I am Yours", "Anyday", and "It's Too Late". On September 9, they recorded Hendrix's "Little Wing" and the title track. The following day, the final track, "It's Too Late", was recorded.

Tragedy dogged the group throughout its brief career. During the sessions, Clapton was devastated by news of the death of Jimi Hendrix; eight days previously the band had cut a cover of "Little Wing" as a tribute to Hendrix. On 1970, one day before Hendrix's death, Clapton had purchased a left-handed Fender Stratocaster that he had planned to give to Hendrix as a birthday gift. Adding to Clapton's woes, the ''Layla'' album received only lukewarm reviews upon release. The shaken group undertook a U.S. tour without Allman, who had returned to the Allman Brothers Band. Despite Clapton's later admission that the tour took place amidst a veritable blizzard of drugs and alcohol, it resulted in the live double album ''In Concert''. The band had recorded several tracks for a second album in London during the spring of 1971 (five of which were released on the Eric Clapton box-set ''Crossroads''), but the results were mediocre.

A second record was in the works when a clashing of egos took place and Clapton walked, thus disbanding the group. Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident on 1971. Although Radle would remain Clapton's bass player until the summer of 1979 (Radle died in May 1980 from the effects of alcohol and narcotics), it would be 2003 before Clapton and Whitlock appeared together again (Clapton guested on Whitlock's appearance on the ''Later with Jools Holland'' show). Another tragic footnote to the Dominos story was the fate of drummer Jim Gordon, who was an undiagnosed schizophrenic and years later murdered his mother during a psychotic episode. Gordon was confined to 16-years-to-life imprisonment, later being moved to a mental institution, where he remains today.

Solo career

Clapton's career successes in the 1970s were in stark contrast with his personal life, which was troubled by romantic longings and drug and alcohol addiction. While suffering his (temporarily) unrequited and intense attraction to Pattie Boyd, he withdrew from recording and touring to isolation in his Surrey, England, residence. There he nursed his heroin addiction, which resulted in a career hiatus interrupted only by the Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971 (where he passed out on stage, was revived, and continued his performance). In January 1973, The Who's Pete Townshend organised a comeback concert for Clapton at London's Rainbow Theatre, aptly titled the "Rainbow Concert", to help Clapton kick his addiction. Clapton would return the favour by playing 'The Preacher' in Ken Russell's film version of The Who's ''Tommy'' in 1975; his appearance in the film (performing "Eyesight to the Blind") is notable as he is clearly wearing a fake beard in some shots, the result of deciding to shave off his real beard after the initial takes in an attempt to force the director to remove his earlier scene from the movie and leave the set.

In 1974, now partnered with Pattie (they would not actually marry until 1979) and no longer using heroin (although starting to drink heavily), Clapton put together a more low-key touring band that included Radle, Miami guitarist George Terry, keyboardist Dick Sims (who died in 2011 ), drummer Jamie Oldaker, and vocalists Yvonne Elliman and Marcy Levy (also known as Marcella Detroit). With this band Clapton recorded ''461 Ocean Boulevard'' (1974), an album with an emphasis on more compact songs and fewer guitar solos; the cover version of "I Shot The Sheriff" was Clapton's first #1 hit and was important in bringing reggae and the music of Bob Marley to a wider audience. The 1975 album ''There's One in Every Crowd'' continued this trend. The album's original title, ''The World's Greatest Guitar Player (There's One In Every Crowd)'', was changed before pressing, as it was felt its ironic intention would be misunderstood. The band toured the world and subsequently released the 1975 live LP, ''E.C. Was Here''. Clapton continued to release albums and toured regularly. Highlights of the period include ''No Reason to Cry'' (a collaboration with Bob Dylan and The Band); ''Slowhand'', which featured "Wonderful Tonight" (another song inspired by Boyd); and a second J.J. Cale cover, "Cocaine". In 1976 he performed, alongside a string of notable guests, to pay tribute to the farewell performance of The Band, filmed in a Martin Scorsese documentary called ''the Last Waltz''.

1980s

In 1981 Clapton was invited by producer Martin Lewis to appear at the Amnesty International benefit ''The Secret Policeman's Other Ball''. Clapton accepted the invitation and teamed up with Jeff Beck to perform a series of duets—reportedly their first-ever billed stage collaboration. Three of the performances were released on the album of the show, and one of the songs was featured in the film. The performances heralded a return to form and prominence for Clapton in the new decade. Many factors had influenced Clapton's comeback, including his "deepening commitment to Christianity", to which he had converted prior to his heroin addiction.

After an embarrassing fishing incident, Clapton finally called his manager and admitted he was an alcoholic. In January 1982 Roger and Clapton flew to Minneapolis – St. Paul; Clapton would be checked in at Hazelden Treatment Center, located in Center City, Minnesota. On the flight over, Clapton indulged in a large number of drinks, for fear he would never be able to drink again. Clapton is quoted as saying from his autobiography, "In the lowest moments of my life, the only reason I didn't commit suicide was that I knew I wouldn't be able to drink any more if I was dead. It was the only thing I thought was worth living for, and the idea that people were about to try and remove me from alcohol was so terrible that I drank and drank and drank, and they had to practically carry me into the clinic."

After being discharged, it was recommended by doctors of Hazelden that Clapton not partake in any activities that would act as triggers for his alcoholism or stress, until he was fully situated back at Hurtwood. A few months after his discharge, Clapton began working on his next album, against the Hazelden doctors' orders. Working with Tom Dowd, Clapton produced what he thought as his "most forced" album to date, ''Money and Cigarettes''.

In 1984 he performed on Pink Floyd member Roger Waters' solo album, ''The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking'', and went on tour with Waters following the release of the album. Since then Waters and Clapton have had a close relationship. In 2005 they performed together for the Tsunami Relief Fund. In 2006 they performed at the Highclere Castle, in aid of the Countryside Alliance, playing two set pieces of "Wish You Were Here" and "Comfortably Numb". Clapton, now a seasoned charity performer, played at the Live Aid concert on 13 July 1985. When offered a slot close to peak viewing hours, he was apparently flattered. As Clapton recovered from his addictions, his album output continued in the 1980s, including two produced with Phil Collins, 1985's ''Behind the Sun'', which produced the hits "Forever Man" and "She's Waiting", and 1986's ''August''.

''August'' was suffused with Collins's trademark drum and horn sound, and became Clapton's biggest seller in the UK to date, matching his highest chart position, number 3. The album's first track, the hit "It's In The Way That You Use It", was featured in the Tom Cruise – Paul Newman movie ''The Color of Money.'' The horn-peppered "Run" echoed Collins' "Sussudio" and rest of the producer's Genesis/solo output, while "Tearing Us Apart" (with Tina Turner) and the bitter "Miss You" echoed Clapton's angry sound. This rebound kicked off Clapton's two-year period of touring with Collins and their ''August'' collaborates, bassist Nathan East and keyboard player/songwriter Greg Phillinganes. While on tour for ''August'', two concert videos were recorded of the four-man band, ''Eric Clapton Live from Montreux'' and ''Eric Clapton and Friends''. Clapton later remade "After Midnight" as a single and a promotional track for the Michelob beer brand, which had also marketed earlier songs by Collins and Steve Winwood. Clapton won a British Academy Television Award for his collaboration with Michael Kamen on the score for the 1985 BBC Television thriller serial ''Edge of Darkness''. In 1989, Clapton released ''Journeyman'', an album which covered a wide range of styles including blues, jazz, soul and pop. Collaborators included George Harrison, Phil Collins, Daryl Hall, Chaka Khan, Mick Jones, David Sanborn and Robert Cray.

In 1984, while still married to Pattie Boyd, Clapton began a year-long relationship with Yvonne Kelly. The two had a daughter, Ruth, who was born in January 1985, but her existence was kept a secret by her parents. She was not publicly revealed as his child until 1991. Boyd criticised Clapton because he had not revealed the child's existence.

At the 1987 Brit Awards in London, Clapton picked up the prize for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Hurricane Hugo hit Montserrat in 1989, and this resulted in the closure of Sir George Martin and John Burgess's recording studio AIR Montserrat, where Kelly was Managing Director. Kelly and Ruth moved back to England, and stories about Eric's secret daughter began as a result of newspaper articles published at the time. Clapton and Boyd divorced in 1988 following his affair with Italian model Lory Del Santo, who gave birth to their son, Conor, on 1986. Boyd was never able to conceive children, despite attempts at in vitro fertilisation. Their divorce was granted on grounds of "infidelity and unreasonable behaviour."

Clapton was known to date a host of beautiful women, including Krissy Wood (ex-wife of Ron Wood), actress Charlotte Martin, socialite Alice Ormsby-Gore, Paula Boyd (the younger sister of his future wife Pattie), singer Janis Joplin, singer Marianne Faithfull, rock muses Catherine James, Cyrinda Fox, and Geraldine Edwards, the inspiration for Penny Lane in ''Almost Famous'', singer Rosanne Cash, the First Lady of France and former model Carla Bruni, and actresses Patsy Kensit, Sharon Stone, and Alicia Witt.

1990s

The 1990s brought a series of 32 concerts to the Royal Albert Hall, such as the 24 Nights series of concerts that took place around January through February 1990, and February through March 1991. On 1990, fellow blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who was touring with Clapton, and three members of their road crew were killed in a helicopter crash between concerts. Then, on 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor, died on impact after a fall from the 53rd-floor window of his mother's friend's New York City apartment. He landed on the roof of an adjacent four-story building. Clapton's grief was expressed in the song "Tears in Heaven", which was co-written by Will Jennings. At the 35th Grammy Awards, Clapton received six Grammy Awards for the single "Tears in Heaven" and his ''Unplugged'' album. The album reached number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, and has since been certified Diamond by the RIAA for selling over 10 million copies in the United States. On 9 September 1992, Clapton performed "Tears in Heaven" at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, and won the award for Best Male Video.

In October 1992 Clapton was among the dozens of artists performing at Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration. Recorded at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the live two-disk CD/DVD captured a show full of celebrities performing classic Dylan songs, before ending with a few performances from Dylan himself. Despite the presence of 10 other guitarists on stage, including George Harrison, Neil Young, Roger McGuinn, Steve Cropper, Tom Petty, and Dylan, Clapton played the lead on a nearly 7-minute version of Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" as part of the finale.

While ''Unplugged'' featured Clapton playing acoustic guitar, his 1994 album ''From the Cradle'' contained new versions of old blues standards, highlighted by his electric guitar playing. Clapton's 1996 recording of the Wayne Kirkpatrick/Gordon Kennedy/Tommy Sims tune "Change the World" (featured in the soundtrack of the movie ''Phenomenon'') won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1997, the same year he recorded ''Retail Therapy'' (an album of electronic music with Simon Climie under the pseudonym TDF). The following year, Clapton released the album ''Pilgrim'', the first record featuring new material for almost a decade. Clapton finished the twentieth century with collaborations with Carlos Santana and B. B. King.

In 1996 Clapton had a relationship with singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow. They remain friends, and Clapton appeared as a guest on Crow's Central Park Concert. The duo performed a Cream hit single, "White Room". Later, Clapton and Crow performed an alternate version of "Tulsa Time" with other guitar legends at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in June 2007.

In 1998 Clapton, then 53, met 22-year-old administrative assistant Melia McEnery in Columbus, Ohio, at a party given for him after a performance. He quietly dated her for a year, and went public with the relationship in 1999. They married on 2002 at St Mary Magdalene church in Clapton's birthplace, Ripley. As of 2005 they have three daughters, Julie Rose ( 2001), Ella May ( 2003), and Sophie Belle ( 2005).

At the 41st Grammy Awards on 24 February 1999, Clapton received his third Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, for his song "My Father's Eyes". In October 1999, the compilation album, ''Clapton Chronicles: The Best of Eric Clapton'', was released, which contained a new song, "Blue Eyes Blue", that also appears in soundtrack for the film, ''Runaway Bride''.

2000s

Following the release of the 2001 record ''Reptile'', Eric performed "Layla" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the Party at the Palace in 2002. On 29 November of that year the Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall, a tribute to George Harrison, who had died a year earlier of cancer. Clapton was a performer and the musical director. The concert featured Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Ravi Shankar, Gary Brooker, Billy Preston, Joe Brown and Dhani Harrison. In 2004, Clapton released two albums of covers of songs by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson, ''Me and Mr. Johnson'' and ''Sessions for Robert J''. The same year, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Clapton #53 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

On 22 January 2005, Clapton performed in the Tsunami Relief Concert held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, in aid of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. In May 2005 Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker reunited as Cream for a series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Concert recordings were released on CD and DVD. Later, Cream performed in New York at Madison Square Garden. ''Back Home'', Clapton's first album of new original material in nearly five years, was released on Reprise Records on . In 2006 he invited Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II to join his band for his 2006–2007 world tour. Trucks is the third member of the Allman Brothers Band to tour supporting Clapton, the second being pianist/keyboardist Chuck Leavell, who appeared on the ''MTV Unplugged'' album and the ''24 Nights'' performances at the Royal Albert Hall theatre of London in 1990 and 1991, as well as Clapton's 1992 U.S. tour.

On 20 May 2006, Clapton performed with Queen drummer Roger Taylor and former Pink Floyd bassist/songwriter Roger Waters at the Highclere Castle, in support of the Countryside Alliance. On 2006, Clapton made a guest appearance at the Bob Dylan concert in Columbus, Ohio, playing guitar on three songs in Jimmie Vaughan's opening act. A collaboration with guitarist J. J. Cale, titled ''The Road to Escondido'', was released on 2006, featuring Derek Trucks and Billy Preston. The 14-track CD was produced and recorded by the duo in August 2005 in California. The chemistry between Trucks and Clapton convinced him to invite The Derek Trucks Band to open for Clapton's set at his 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival. Trucks remained on set afterward, performed with Clapton's band throughout his performances, and later embarked on a world tour with him.

The rights to Clapton's official memoirs, written by Christopher Simon Sykes and published in 2007, were sold at the 2005 Frankfurt Book Fair for .

On 26 February 2008, it was reported that North Korean officials had invited Clapton to play a concert in the communist state. Clapton's management received the invitation and passed it on to the singer, who agreed in principle and suggested it take place sometime in 2009. Kristen Foster, a spokesperson, said, "Eric Clapton receives numerous offers to play in countries around the world," and "[t]here is no agreement whatsoever for him to play in North Korea."

In 2007 Clapton learned more about his father, a Canadian soldier who left the UK after the war. Although Clapton's grandparents eventually told him the truth about his parentage, he only knew that his father's name was Edward Fryer. This was a source of disquiet for Clapton, as witnessed by his 1998 song "My Father's Eyes". A Montreal journalist named Michael Woloschuk researched Canadian Armed Forces service records and tracked down members of Fryer's family, and finally pieced together the story. He learned that Clapton's father was Edward Walter Fryer, born 1920, in Montreal and died in Newmarket, Ontario. Fryer was a musician (piano and saxophone) and a lifelong drifter who was married several times, had several children, and apparently never knew that he was the father of Eric Clapton. Clapton thanked Woloschuk in an encounter at Macdonald Cartier Airport, in Ottawa, Canada.

In February 2008 Clapton performed with his long-time friend Steve Winwood at Madison Square Garden and guested on his recorded single, "Dirty City", on Winwood's album ''Nine Lives''. The two former Blind Faith bandmates met again for a series of 14 concerts throughout the United States in June 2009.

Clapton's 2008 Summer Tour began on at the Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa Bay, Florida, and then moved to Canada, Ireland, England, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Poland, Germany, and Monaco. On 2008, he headlined Saturday night for Hard Rock Calling 2008 in London's Hyde Park (previously Hyde Park Calling) with support from Sheryl Crow and John Mayer. In September 2008 Clapton performed at a private charity fundraiser for The Countryside Alliance at Floridita in Soho, London, that included such guests as the London Mayor Boris Johnson.

In March 2009, the Allman Brothers Band (amongst many notable guests) celebrated their 40th year, dedicating their string of concerts to the late Duane Allman on their annual run at the Beacon Theatre. Eric Clapton was one of the performers, with drummer Butch Trucks remarking that the performance was not the typical Allman Brothers experience, given the number and musical styles of the guests who were invited to perform. Songs like "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" were punctuated with others, including "The Weight", with Levon Helm; Johnny Winter sitting in on Hendrix's "Red House"; and "Layla". On 2009 Clapton appeared as a featured guest at the Royal Albert Hall, playing "Further on Up the Road" with Joe Bonamassa.

Clapton was scheduled to be one of the performers at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary concert in Madison Square Garden on 2009, but cancelled due to gallstone surgery. Van Morrison (who also cancelled) said in an interview that he and Clapton were to do a "couple of songs", but that they would do something else together at "some other stage of the game".

2010s

Clapton performed a two-night show with Jeff Beck at London's O2 Arena on 2010. The two former Yardbirds extended their 2010 tour with stops at Madison Square Garden, the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and the Bell Centre in Montreal. Clapton performed a series of concerts in 11 cities throughout the United States from to 2010, including Roger Daltrey as opening act. His third European tour with Steve Winwood began on and ended , including Tom Norris as opening act. He then began a short North American tour lasting from to , starting with his third Crossroads Guitar Festival on in Bridgeview, Illinois. Clapton released a new studio album, ''Clapton'', on 2010 in the United Kingdom and 28 September 2010 in the United States. On 2010, Clapton performed as guest on the Prince's Trust rock gala held at the Royal Albert Hall, supported by the house band for the evening, which included Jools Holland, Midge Ure and Mark King.

On 24 June 2011 Clapton was in concert with Pino Daniele in Cava de' Tirreni stadium, Italy, with an audience of 15,000 people before performing a series of concerts in South America from 6 to 16 October 2011. He spent the November and December 2011 touring Japan with Steve Winwood, playing 13 shows in various cities throughout the country.

Influences

Clapton cites Freddie King, B.B. King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, and Hubert Sumlin as guitar playing influences. Robert Johnson has influenced Clapton the most profoundly. In 2004 Clapton released CDs and DVDs entitled ''Sessions for Robert Johnson'', featuring Clapton covering Robert Johnson songs using electric and acoustic guitars.

Clapton co-authored with others the book ''Discovering Robert Johnson'', in which Clapton said Johnson was

"...the most important blues musician who ever lived. He was true, absolutely, to his own vision, and as deep as I have gotten into the music over the last 30 years, I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson. His music remains the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice, really. ... it seemed to echo something I had always felt."

Legacy

Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton 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 Cream. He ranked second in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in ''Gibson's'' ''Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.''

Guitarists influenced by Clapton include Richie Sambora, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore, Duane Allman, Derek Trucks, Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Lenny Kravitz, Slash, Orianthi, Brad Paisley, Jonny Buckland, Joe Don Rooney, Alex Lifeson, Jonny Lang, John Mayer, Joe Satriani, Joe Bonamassa, Davy Knowles, and George Harrison.

Guitars

Clapton's choice of electric guitars has been as notable as the man himself; alongside Hank Marvin, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, Clapton exerted a crucial and widespread influence in popularising particular models of electric guitar. With the Yardbirds, Clapton played a Fender Telecaster, a Fender Jazzmaster, a double-cutaway Gretsch 6120, and a 1964 Cherry-Red Gibson ES-335. He became exclusively a Gibson player for a period beginning in mid-1965, when he purchased a used sunburst Gibson Les Paul guitar from a guitar store in London. Clapton commented on the slim profile of the neck, which would indicate it was a 1960 model.

Early during his stint in Cream, Clapton's first Les Paul Standard was stolen. He continued to play Les Pauls exclusively with Cream (one bought from Andy Summers was almost identical to the stolen guitar) until 1967, when he acquired his most famous guitar in this period, a 1964 Gibson SG. Just before Cream's first U.S. appearance in 1967, Clapton's SG, Bruce's Fender VI, and Baker's drum head were all repainted in psychedelic designs created by the visual art collective known as The Fool. In 1968 Clapton bought a Gibson Firebird and started using the 1964 Cherry-Red Gibson ES-335 again. The aforementioned 1964 ES-335 had a storied career. Clapton used it at the last Cream show in November 1968 as well as with Blind Faith, played it sparingly for slide pieces in the 1970s, used it on "Hard Times" from ''Journeyman'', the Hyde Park live concert of 1996, and the ''From the Cradle'' sessions and tour of 1994–95. It was sold for $847,500 at a 2004 auction. Gibson produced a limited run of 250 "Crossroads 335" replicas. The 335 was only the second electric guitar Clapton bought.

In July 1968 Clapton gave George Harrison a 1957 'goldtop' Gibson Les Paul that been refinished with a red colour. The following September, Clapton played the guitar on the Beatles' studio recording of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". His SG found its way into the hands of George Harrison's friend Jackie Lomax, who subsequently sold it to musician Todd Rundgren for US$500 in 1972. Rundgren restored the guitar and nicknamed it "Sunny", after "Sunshine of Your Love". He retained it until 2000, when he sold it at an auction for US$150,000. At the 1969 Blind Faith concert in Hyde Park, London Clapton played a Fender Custom Telecaster, which was fitted with "Brownie"s neck.

In late 1969 Clapton made the switch to the Fender Stratocaster. "I had a lot of influences when I took up the Strat. First there was Buddy Holly, and Buddy Guy. Hank Marvin was the first well known person over here in England who was using one, but that wasn't really my kind of music. Steve Winwood had so much credibility, and when he started playing one, I thought, oh, if he can do it, I can do it." The first—used during the recording of ''Eric Clapton''—was "Brownie", which in 1974 became the backup to the most famous of all Clapton's guitars, "Blackie". In November 1970 Eric bought six Fender Stratocasters from the Sho-bud guitar shop in Nashville, Tennessee while on tour with the Dominos. He gave one each to George Harrison, Steve Winwood, and Pete Townshend.

Clapton assembled the best components of the remaining three to create "Blackie", which was his favourite stage guitar until its retirement in 1985. It was first played live 1973 at the Rainbow Concert. Clapton called the 1956/57 Strat a "mongrel". On 2004, Clapton sold "Blackie" at Christie's Auction House, New York, for $959,500 to raise funds for his Crossroads Centre for drug and alcohol addictions. "Brownie" is now on display at the Experience Music Project. The Fender Custom Shop has since produced a limited run of 275 'Blackie' replicas, correct in every detail right down to the 'Duck Brothers' flight case, and artificially aged using Fender's 'Relic' process to simulate years of hard wear. One was presented to Eric upon the model's release and was used for three numbers during a concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 2006.

In 1981 Clapton gave his signed Fender Lead II guitar to the Hard Rock Cafe to designate his favourite bar stool. Pete Townshend also donated his own Gibson Les Paul guitar, with a note attached: "Mine's as good as his! Love, Pete."

In 1988 Fender honoured Clapton with the introduction of his signature Eric Clapton Stratocaster. These were the first two artist models in the Stratocaster range. Since then, the artist series has grown to include models inspired by Clapton's contemporaries such as Rory Gallagher, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and by those who have influenced him, such as Buddy Guy. Clapton uses Ernie Ball Slinky and Super Slinky strings. Clapton has been honoured with several signature-model 000-sized acoustic guitars made by the American firm of C.F. Martin & Company. The first, of these, introduced in 1995, was a limited edition 000-42EC Eric Clapton signature model with a production run of 461. As of December 2007, Martin had produced seven EC signature models. His 1939 000-42 Martin that he played on the ''Unplugged'' album sold for $791,500 at auction. Clapton plays a custom 000-ECHF Martin these days.

In 1999, Clapton auctioned off some of his guitar collection to raise more than for continuing support of the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, which he founded in 1997. The Crossroads Centre is a treatment base for addictive disorders such as drugs and alcohol. In 2004 Clapton organised and participated in the Crossroads Guitar Festival to benefit the Centre. A second guitar auction, including the "Cream" of Clapton's collection – as well as guitars donated by famous friends – was held on 2004. His Lowden acoustic guitar sold for $41,825. The revenue garnered by this auction at Christie's was US $7,438,624.

In 2010 Eric Clapton announced that he would be auctioning off over 150 items at a New York auction in 2011. Proceeds will benefit his Crossroads Centre in Antigua. Items include Clapton's guitar from the Cream reunion tour in 2005, speaker cabinets used in the early 1970s from his days with Derek and the Dominoes, and some guitars from Jeff Beck, J.J. Cale, and Joe Bonamassa. In March 2011 Clapton raised more than $2.15 million dollars when he auctioned off key items, including a 1984 Gibson hollow body guitar, a Gianni Versace suit from his 1990 concert at the Royal Albert Hall, and a replica of the famous Fender Stratocaster known as "Blackie", which fetched more than $30,000. All proceeds from the auction were donated to Clapton's Crossroads drug and rehabilitation centre in Antigua.

The "woman tone" is the informal term used by Clapton to refer to his distinctive mid- to late-1960s electric guitar sound, created using his Gibson SG solid body guitar (with Humbucker pick-ups) and a Marshall tube amplifier. It is an overdriven sound that is articulate yet thick. It is characterised by being quite distorted (or even achieved with a fuzz) but muted, in contrast to the bright and twangy distortion that most guitarists were using at the time. Many players have tried to duplicate it, usually without success, in part because Clapton's playing technique had a lot to do with the tone.

Among the techniques used to replicate Clapton's sound is a technique by which the amplifier's volume is turned up to full, while the guitar's tone knob is turned down to zero or one.

Perhaps the best examples of the "woman tone" are Clapton's famous riff and solo from Cream's 1967 hit "Sunshine of Your Love". Clapton has explained that he obtained the tone with his Gibson's tone control rolled all the way down, switching to the neck pick-up (closest to the fretboard) and the volume all the way up, with his distortion turned all the way up. The treble, mids and bass controls on the amplifier were also maxed out. Some versions of the "woman tone" may also have involved strategic positioning of Clapton's wah-wah pedal.

Other media appearances

Clapton frequently appears as a guest on the albums of other musicians. For example, he is credited on Dire Straitss ''Brothers in Arms'' album, as he lent Mark Knopfler one of his guitars. He played lead guitar and synthesiser on ''The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking'', Roger Waters' debut solo album. Other media appearances include the Toots & the Maytals album ''True Love'', where he played guitar on the track "Pressure Drop". He can also be heard at the beginning of Frank Zappa's album, ''We're Only in It for the Money'', repeating the phrase, "Are you hung up?" over and over again. In 1985, Clapton appeared on the charity concert Live Aid in Philadelphia with Phil Collins, Tim Renwick, Chris Stainton, Jamie Oldaker, Marcy Levy, Shaun Murphy, and Donald 'Duck' Dunn. In 1988 he played with Dire Straits and Elton John at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute at Wembley Stadium and the Prince's Trust rock gala at the Royal Albert Hall. On 1990, Dire Straits, Clapton, and Elton John made a guest appearance in the Nordoff-Robbins charity show held at Knebworth. In 1991 Clapton was featured on Richie Sambora's album, ''Stranger In This Town'', in a song dedicated to him, called "Mr. Bluesman". He contributed guitar and vocals to "Runaway Train", a duet with Elton John on the latter's ''The One'' album the following year.

On 12 September 1996 Clapton played a party for Armani at New York City's Lexington Armory with Greg Phillinganes, Nathan East, and Steve Gadd. Sheryl Crow appeared on one number, performing "Tearing Us Apart", a track from ''August'', which was first performed by Tina Turner during the Prince's Trust All-Star Rock show in 1986. It was Clapton's sole US appearance that year, following the open-air concert held at Hyde Park. The concert was taped and the footage was released both on VHS video cassette and later, on DVD.

Clapton was featured in the movie version of ''Tommy'', the first full length rock opera, written by The Who. The movie version gave Clapton a cameo appearance as The Preacher, performing Sonny Boy Williamson's song, "Eyesight to the Blind". He appeared in ''Blues Brothers 2000'' as one of the Louisiana Gator Boys. In addition to being in the band, he had a small speaking role. Clapton has appeared in an advertisement for the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. In March 2007 Clapton appeared in an advertisement for RealNetwork's Rhapsody online music service. In 2010 Clapton started appearing as a spokesman for T-Mobile, advertising their MyTouch Fender cell phone.

Eric Clapton was compared to God's image in the episode "Holy Crap!" of season two of ''That '70s Show'' when characters Eric Forman and Steven Hyde are asked by their minister to draw a picture of God.

Political views and advocacy

Clapton is a supporter of the Countryside Alliance, he has played in concerts to raise funds for the organisation and he publicly opposed the Labour Party’s ban on fox hunting. A spokesperson for Clapton said, "Eric supports the Countryside Alliance. He doesn't hunt himself, but does enjoy rural pursuits such as fishing and shooting. He supports the Alliance's pursuit to scrap the ban on the basis that he doesn't agree with the state's interference with people's private pursuits."

Controversy over remarks on immigration

On 5 August 1976 Clapton provoked an uproar and lingering controversy when he spoke out against increasing immigration during a concert in Birmingham. Visibly intoxicated, Clapton voiced his support of controversial political candidate Enoch Powell, and announced on stage that Britain was in danger of becoming a "black colony". Clapton was quoted as saying, "I think Enoch's right ... we should send them all back. Throw the wogs out! Keep Britain white!" The latter phrase was at the time a British National Front slogan. Clapton continued:

"I used to be into dope, now I’m into racism. It’s much heavier, man. Fucking wogs, man. Fucking Saudis taking over London. Bastard wogs. Britain is becoming overcrowded and Enoch will stop it and send them all back. The black wogs and coons and Arabs and fucking Jamaicans and fucking (indecipherable) don’t belong here, we don’t want them here. This is England, this is a white country, we don’t want any black wogs and coons living here. We need to make clear to them they are not welcome. England is for white people, man. We are a white country. I don’t want fucking wogs living next to me with their standards. This is Great Britain, a white country, what is happening to us, for fuck's sake? We need to vote for Enoch Powell, he’s a great man, speaking truth. Vote for Enoch, he’s our man, he’s on our side, he’ll look after us. I want all of you here to vote for Enoch, support him, he’s on our side. Enoch for Prime Minister! Throw the wogs out! Keep Britain white!"

This incident, along with some explicitly pro-fascism remarks made around the same time by David Bowie as well as uses of Nazi-related imagery by Sid Vicious and Siouxsie Sioux, were the main catalysts for the creation of Rock Against Racism, which occurred on 1978.

In response to the comments, rock photographer Red Saunders and others published an open letter in ''NME'', ''Melody Maker'', ''Sounds'', and the ''Socialist Worker''. It read "Come on Eric... Own up. Half your music is black. You're rock music's biggest colonist". It concluded, "P.S. Who shot the Sheriff, Eric? It sure as hell wasn't you!"

In an interview from October 1976 with ''Sounds'' magazine, Clapton remarked, "I thought it was quite funny actually. I don't know much about politics. I don't even know if it would be good or bad for him to get in. I don't even know who the Prime Minister is now. I just don't know what came over me that night. It must have been something that happened in the day but it came out in this garbled thing... I thought the whole thing was like Monty Python. There's this rock group playing on-stage and the singer starts talking about politics. It's so stupid. Those people who paid their money sittin' listening to this madman dribbling on and the band meanwhile getting fidgety thinking 'oh dear'."

In a 2004 interview with ''Uncut'', Clapton referred to Powell as "outrageously brave", and stated that his "feeling about this has not changed", because the UK is still "... inviting people in as cheap labour and then putting them in ghettos." In 2004 Clapton told an interviewer for ''Scotland on Sunday'', "There's no way I could be a racist. It would make no sense". In his 2007 autobiography, Clapton called himself "deliberately oblivious to it all" and wrote, "I had never really understood or been directly affected by racial conflict ... when I listened to music, I was disinterested in where the players came from or what colour their skin was. Interesting, then, that 10 years later, I would be labelled a racist ... Since then, I have learnt to keep my opinions to myself. Of course, it might also have had something to do with the fact that Pattie had just been leered at by a member of the Saudi royal family." In a December 2007 interview with Melvyn Bragg on ''The South Bank Show'', Clapton reiterated his support for Enoch Powell and again denied that Powell's views were "racist".

In 2008, he donated a song to Aid Still Required's CD to assist with the restoration of the devastation done to Southeast Asia from the 2004 Tsunami.

Wealth and assets

In 2009 ''Surrey Life Magazine'' ranked Eric Clapton as number 17 in their list of richest Surrey residents, estimating Clapton's fortune at £120 million in assets. This was a compilation of property and income which include a £9 million yacht, "Va Bene" (previously owned by ''F1 Racing'' magazine's Bernie Ecclestone), his back music catalogue, his touring income, and his Marshbrook holding company, which had earned him £110 million since 1989.

Awards and honours

Year	! Award / Recognition
		*Presented the Silver Clef Award from Princess Michael of Kent for outstanding contribution to British music.
		*Presented with BAFTA for Best Original Television Music for Score of ''Edge of Darkness'' with Michael Kamen.
		*"Tears In Heaven" won three Grammy awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Male Pop Vocal Performance. Clapton also won Album of the Year and Best Rock Vocal Performance for ''Unplugged'' and Best Rock Song for "Layla".
		Order of the British Empire>OBE for services to music.
		*Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the third time, this time as a solo artist. He was earlier inducted as a member of the bands Cream and The Yardbirds.
		CBE, receiving the award from the Anne, Princess Royal>Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace as part of the New Year's Honours list.
		*Awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (as a member of Cream)

Football

In 1982 he performed a concert before West Bromwich Albion player John Wile's testimonial game at the Hawthorns, and it is often reported by various sources that Clapton (despite being from London more than 100 miles away) is an Albion supporter. Credence for this notion can be taken from the cover pictures to the "Backless" solo album, where he is seen on the front cover to be wearing a football scarf; the rear cover photograph reveals the slogan "ALBION" on the scarf. It has been reported that the club rejected his offer to invest cash in the club around this time, and that he has since expressed more of an interest in Chelsea.

Clapton's music in film and TV

''Mean Streets'' (1973) – "I Looked Away"

''Private Lessons (1981 film)'' ''(1981) - Next Time You See Her''

''Purple Haze ''(1983) – "I Feel Free"

''The Hit'' (1984) – Score

''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989) – Four songs over the course of the show's five seasons: "Wonderful Tonight", "Knock On Wood", "She's Waiting", and "Layla"

''Back to the Future'' (1985) – "Heaven Is One Step Away"

''Edge of Darkness'' (1985) – Soundtrack

''The Color of Money'' (1986) – "It's In The Way That You Use It"

''SpaceCamp'' (1986 film) – "Forever Man" plays when Tate Donovan's character arrives at the Space Camp

The German car manufacturer Opel and Vauxhall in the UK used the guitar riff of Clapton's "Layla" in its advertising campaign throughout in 1987–95.

''Lethal Weapon'' (1987) – Soundtrack with Michael Kamen

''Lethal Weapon 2'' (1989) – "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"

''Goodfellas'' (1990) – "Layla" and "Sunshine of Your Love"

''Rush'' (1991) – Clapton wrote the score

''Wayne's World'' (1992) – "Loving your Loving"

''Peter's Friends'' (1992) – "Give Me Strength"

''Lethal Weapon 3'' (1992) – Clapton contributed to the score and co-wrote and co-performed the song "It's Probably Me" with Sting and "Runaway Train" with Elton John.

''True Lies'' (1994) – "Sunshine of Your Love"

''The Simpsons'' episode "Mother Simpson" (1995) – "Sunshine of Your Love"

''Twister'' (1996) – "Motherless Child"

''Phenomenon'' (1996) – "Change the World"

''The Van'' (1996) – Soundtrack

''Happy Gilmore'' (1996) – "Wonderful Tonight"

''Patch Adams'' (1998) – "Let It Rain"

''Lethal Weapon 4'' (1998) – "Pilgrim"

''City of Angels'' (1998) – "Further On Up The Road"

''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' episodes "Band Candy" and "Forever" (1998) – "Tales of Brave Ulysses"

''Runaway Bride'' (1999) – "Blue Eyes Blue"

''The Story of Us'' (1999) – "(I) Get Lost" (featured multiple times)

''Friends'' episode "The One with the Proposal, Part 2" (2000) – "Wonderful Tonight"

''Dancing At The Blue Iguana'' (2000) – "River of Tears"

''A Knight's Tale'' (2001) – "Further On Up The Road"

''Blow'' (2001) – "Strange Brew"

''Friends'' episode "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby, Part Two" (2002) – "River of Tears"

''Futurama'' episode "The 30% Iron Chef" (2002) – "Sunshine of Your Love"

''The Sopranos'' episode "Whitecaps" (2002) – Tony Soprano is seen listening to "Layla" in his Suburban.

''School Of Rock'' (2003) – "Sunshine of Your Love"

''Starsky & Hutch'' (2004) – "Cocaine"

''Anger Management'' (2004) – "Strange Brew"

''Fahrenheit 9/11'' (2004) – "Cocaine"

''Bad News Bears'' (2005) – "Cocaine"

''Lords of Dogtown'' (2005) – "Strange Brew"

''Lord of War'' (2005) – "Cocaine"

''United States of Tara'' episode – "Cocaine"

''Community'' episode - "Layla"

''The Good Guys'' Episode Silvio's Way – "Layla"

''Due Date'' (2010) – "White Room"

''Shameless (U.S. TV series)'' (2011) - "White Room"

Discography

References

Further reading

On Eric Clapton's career:

* Robin Bextor, ''Eric Clapton: Now & Then'', Carlton Books, 2006, 144 pp.

* Eric Clapton, ''Clapton, The Autobiography'', 2007 and 2008, Broadway Books, 352 pp. / Arrow, 400 pages / Century, 384 pp.

* Eric Clapton, Derek Taylor and Peter Blake, ''24 Nights'', Genesis Publications, 2 volumes, 1992, 198 and 64 pp. Eric Clapton's signed limited edition books, in a Solander box with 2 live CD

* Ray Coleman, ''Clapton!: The Authorized Biography'', Warner Books, 368 pp, or Futura, 336 pages, 1986; originally publ. as "Survivor: The Authorized Biography", Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985, 300 pp.

* Geoffrey Giuliano, Brenda Giuliano and Deborah Lynn Black, ''The Illustrated Eric Clapton'', Sunburst Books, 1994, 96 pp.

* George Harrison, Eric Clapton & al, ''Live in Japan: A celebration of George Harrison’s ‘Rock Legends’ Tour with Eric Clapton Band'', Genesis Publications, 1993, 274 pp. George Harrison's signed limited black leather edition book, in a box with 2 live CD.

* Christopher Hjort w/ a foreword by John Mayall, ''Strange brew: Eric Clapton and the British Blues Boom, 1965–1970'', Jawbone, 2007, 352 pp.

* John Pidgeon, ''Eric Clapton: A Biography'', Panther, 1976, ... pages; rev. & upd. Vermilion, 1985 or 1987, 123 pp.

* Marc Roberty, ''Eric Clapton: The Complete Recording Sessions 1963–1992'', Blandford or St. Martin’s Press, 1993, 192 pp.

* Marc Roberty, ''Slowhand: The Life & Music of Eric Clapton'', Octopus or Harmony, 1991, 176 pp; upd. ed. Crown, 1993, 192 pp.

* Marc Roberty, ''Eric Clapton in His Own Words'', Omnibus Press, 1993, 96 pp.

* Marc Roberty, ''Eric Clapton: The New Visual Documentary'', Omnibus Press, 1990, 128 pp.; rev. ed., 1994, ...pp.; originally publ. as ''Eric Clapton: A Visual Documentary, 1986, ... pp.

* Marc Roberty, ''Clapton: The Complete Chronicle'', Pyramid, 1991, 176 pp. / Mitchell Beazley 1993, 192 pp.

* Marc Roberty, ''Eric Clapton: The Man, the Music and the Memorabilia'', Paper Tiger-Dragon’s World, 1994, 226 pp.

* Marc Roberty, ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Eric Clapton'', Omnibus Press, 1995, 152 pp. CD format; rev. ed., 2005, 128 pp.

* Marc Roberty, ''Eric Clapton'', CD Books, Orion, 1994, ...pp or MBS (Miami), 1996, 120 pp. CD format

* Marc Roberty and Chris Welch, ''Eric Clapton: The Illustrated Disco/Biography'', Omnibus Press, 1984, 80 pp. or Beekman (New York), 1990, ...pp.

* Christopher Sandford, ''Clapton: Edge of Darkness'', Victor Gollancz, 1994, 322 pp.

* Michael Schumacher, ''Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton'', Hyperion, 1995, 388 pp.; rev. ed, Time Warner p'backs, 1998, 411 pp.; new ed. titled ''Eric Clapton'', Sphere, 2008, 432 pp.

* Harry Shapiro, ''Eric Clapton: Lost in The Blues'', Guinness Books or Muze, 1992, 256 pp.; rev. ed. Da Capo press, 1193, 225 pp.; originally publ. as ''Slowhand: The Story of Eric Clapton'', Proteus Books, 1985, 160 pp.

* Dave Thompson, ''Cream: The World's First Supergroup'', Virgin Books, 2005, 256 pp.; rev., upd. & illustr. ed. titled ''Cream: How Eric Clapton Took the World By Storm'', 2006, 320 pp.

* Steve Turner, ''Conversations with Eric Clapton'', London: Abacus, 1976, 116 pp.

* Fred Weiler, ''Eric Clapton'', Smithmark-Penguin or Bison Books, 1992, ... pp.

* Chris Welch, ''Cream: Stange Brew'', Castle Communications or Sanctuary or Penguin, 1994, 176 pp.; Backbeat Books, 2000, 192 pp.

''About Clapton's playing and sound'':

External links

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood at Bucharest (review)

An Interview with Eric Clapton guitar technician Lee Dickson

Article on Bluesbreakers Les Paul

Gibson article on obtaining the "Woman Tone"

Review: Eric Clapton at Floridita

Eric Clapton FAQ

Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:English blues guitarists Category:English blues musicians Category:English blues singers Category:English buskers Category:English guitarists Category:Resonator guitarists Category:English male singers Category:English people of Canadian descent Category:English rock musicians Category:English rock guitarists Category:English rock singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:Electric blues musicians Category:Blues rock musicians Category:Blues singer-songwriters Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Brit Award winners Category:Lead guitarists Category:People associated with The Beatles Category:People from Guildford (district) Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:Blind Faith members Category:Cream (band) members Category:John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers members Category:Derek and the Dominos members Category:Delaney & Bonnie & Friends members Category:Plastic Ono Band members Category:The Yardbirds members Category:Warner Bros. Records artists Category:Reprise Records artists Category:Alumni of Kingston University Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:Slide guitarists Category:Guitar performance techniques Category:Silver Clef Awards winners Category:The Dirty Mac Category:Car collectors Category:British rhythm and blues boom musicians Category:English autobiographers Category:Jazz-blues guitarists Category:British blues guitarists

af:Eric Clapton ar:إريك كلابتون an:Eric Clapton bn:এরিক ক্ল্যাপটন be:Эрык Клэптан bg:Ерик Клептън bs:Eric Clapton ca:Eric Clapton cs:Eric Clapton cy:Eric Clapton da:Eric Clapton de:Eric Clapton et:Eric Clapton el:Έρικ Κλάπτον es:Eric Clapton eo:Eric Clapton eu:Eric Clapton fa:اریک کلپتون fr:Eric Clapton fy:Eric Clapton ga:Eric Clapton gl:Eric Clapton ko:에릭 클랩튼 hi:एरिक क्लैप्टन hr:Eric Clapton io:Eric Clapton id:Eric Clapton is:Eric Clapton it:Eric Clapton he:אריק קלפטון ka:ერიკ კლეპტონი lv:Ēriks Kleptons lt:Eric Clapton hu:Eric Clapton mk:Ерик Клептон mr:एरिक क्लॅप्टन nl:Eric Clapton ja:エリック・クラプトン no:Eric Clapton nn:Eric Clapton oc:Eric Clapton pl:Eric Clapton pt:Eric Clapton ro:Eric Clapton ru:Клэптон, Эрик sq:Eric Clapton simple:Eric Clapton sk:Eric Clapton sl:Eric Clapton sr:Erik Klepton sh:Eric Clapton fi:Eric Clapton sv:Eric Clapton tl:Eric Clapton ta:எரிக் கிளாப்டன் th:อีริค แคลปตัน tr:Eric Clapton uk:Ерік Клептон vi:Eric Clapton zh:埃里克·克莱普顿

birth date	October 03, 1964
birth place	Coventry, England, UK
spouse	2 daughters
occupation	Actor
yearsactive	1987–present }}

Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series ''Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He then garnered critical acclaim for his work in the film ''Close My Eyes'' (1991) before getting international notice for his performance as a struggling writer in ''Croupier'' (1998). In 2005, Owen won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his appearance in the drama ''Closer'' (2004). He has since played leading as well as supporting roles in films such as ''Sin City'' (2005), ''Inside Man'' (2006), ''Children of Men'' (2006), and ''The International'' (2009).

Early life

The fourth of five brothers, Owen was born in Coventry, in the English Midlands, a son of Pamela (née Cotton) and Jess Owen, a country and western singer. His father left the family when Owen was three years old, and despite a brief reconciliation when Owen was nineteen, the two have remained estranged. Raised by his mother and stepfather, a railway ticket clerk, he has described his childhood as "rough." While initially opposed to drama school, he changed his mind in 1984, after a long and fruitless period of searching for work. Owen graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1987 with a class that included Rebecca Pidgeon, Serena Harragin, Mark Womack, and Liza Tarbuck. After graduation, he won a position at the Young Vic, performing in several Shakespearean plays.

Career

Initially, Owen carved out a career in television. In 1988 Owen starred as Gideon Sarn in a BBC production of ''Precious Bane'' and the Channel 4 film ''Vroom'' before the 1990s saw him become a regular on stage and television in the UK, notably his lead role in the ITV series ''Chancer'', followed by an appearance in the Thames Television production of ''Lorna Doone''.

He won critical acclaim for his performances in the 1991 Stephen Poliakoff film ''Close My Eyes'' – in which he has a full frontal nude scene – about a brother and sister who embark on an incestuous love affair. He subsequently appeared in ''The Magician'', ''Class of '61'', ''Century'', ''Nobody's Children'', ''An Evening with Gary Lineker'', ''Doomsday Gun'', ''Return of the Native'' and then a Carlton production called ''Sharman'', about a private detective. In 1996, he appeared in his first major Hollywood film ''The Rich Man's Wife'' alongside Halle Berry before finding international acclaim in a Channel 4 film directed by Mike Hodges called ''Croupier'' (1998). In ''Croupier'', he played the title role of a struggling writer who takes a job in a London casino as inspiration for his work, only to get caught up in a robbery scheme. In 1999, he appeared as an accident-prone driver in ''Split Second'', his first BBC production in a decade.

He then starred in ''The Echo'', a BBC1 drama. He starred in a film called ''Greenfingers'' about a criminal who goes to work in a garden, before appearing in the BBC1 mystery series ''Second Sight''. In 2001, he provided the voice-over for a BBC2 documentary about popular music through the years called ''Walk On By'', as well as starring in a highly-acclaimed theatre production called ''A Day in the Death of Joe Egg'', about a couple with a severely handicapped daughter.

He became well known to North American audiences in the summer of 2001 after starring as ''The Driver'' in ''The Hire'', a series of short films sponsored by BMW and made by prominent directors. He then appeared in Robert Altman's ''Gosford Park'', alongside an all-star cast including Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ryan Phillippe. He appeared in the 2002 hit ''The Bourne Identity''. In 2003, he teamed up with Hodges again to make ''I'll Sleep When I'm Dead''. He starred in ''Beyond Borders'' and took on the title role in ''King Arthur'', for which he took riding lessons.

Owen appeared in the West End and Broadway hit play ''Closer'', by Patrick Marber, which was produced as a film, and was released in 2005. He played "Dan" in the play, but was "Larry" the dermatologist in the film version. His portrayal of Larry in the film version earned him a lot of recognition as well as the Golden Globe and BAFTA award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He noted that the expectations of him since the Oscar nomination have not changed the way he approaches film-making, stating "I try, every film I do, to be as good as I can and that's all I can do."

After ''Closer'', he appeared in ''Derailed'' alongside Jennifer Aniston, the comic book thriller ''Sin City'' as the noir antihero Dwight McCarthy and as a mysterious bank robber in ''Inside Man''. Despite public denials, Owen had long been rumoured to be a possible successor to Pierce Brosnan in the role of James Bond. A public opinion poll in the United Kingdom in October 2005 (SkyNews) found that he was the public's number one choice to star in the next installment of the series. In that same month, however, it was announced that fellow British actor Daniel Craig would become the next James Bond. In an interview in the September 2007 issue of ''Details'', he claimed that he was never offered or even approached concerning the role. In 2006, Owen spoofed the Bond connection by making an appearance in the remake of ''The Pink Panther'' in which he plays a character named "Nigel Boswell, Agent 006" (when he introduces himself to Inspector Clouseau, he quips that Owen's character is "one short of the big time").

In 2006, Owen starred in the highly acclaimed ''Children of Men'', for which he received widespread praise. The film was nominated for various awards, including an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay; Owen worked on the screenplay, although he was uncredited. The next year he starred alongside Paul Giamatti in the film ''Shoot 'Em Up'' and appeared as Sir Walter Raleigh opposite Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth I of England in the film ''Elizabeth: The Golden Age''. He appeared in the Christmas special of the Ricky Gervais show ''Extras'', as revealed in the video podcast teaser. Owen starred in ''The International'' (2009), a film which he described as a "paranoid political thriller". He then played the lead in ''The Boys Are Back'', an Australian adaptation of the book ''The Boys Are Back In Town'' by Simon Carr.

In April 2010, he was cast as the lead in Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's horror-thriller ''Intruders''.

In June 2010 it was announced that Owen and Nicole Kidman will star in an HBO film about Ernest Hemingway and his relationship with Martha Gellhorn entitled ''Hemingway & Gellhorn''. James Gandolfini will serve as executive producer to the film written by Barbara Turner and Jerry Stahl. The film will be directed by Philip Kaufman and will reportedly begin shooting next year.

Clive is currently shooting 'Shadow Dancer' joint Irish UK production about a young mother who is heavily involved with the Irish republican Movement. She is arrested in London following an aborted bombing attempt and must either choose to inform on her family or spend the rest of her life behind bars. The Film also stars Andrea Riseborough, Gillian Anderson and Aidan Gillen and is being directed by James Marsh.

Personal life

In an incident he later described as "very schmaltzy", Owen met his future wife, actress Sarah-Jane Fenton, when they performed the leads in ''Romeo and Juliet'' at the Young Vic. The couple married on 6 March 1995 and live in Highgate, London and Wrabness, north Essex, with their two daughters – Hannah and Eve.

In November 2006, he became patron of the Electric Palace Cinema in Harwich, Essex, England and launched an appeal for funds to repair deteriorating elements of the fabric.

He enjoys the music of indie rock band Hard-Fi and has been seen at two of their concerts, Brixton Academy, 15 May 2006 and Wembley Arena, 18 December 2007. He is also an avid Liverpool F.C fan.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
	''Vroom''	Jake
	Geoff	Boon – TV Series 3 – Episode 8 "Peacemaker"
1989	''Precious Bane''	Gideon Sarn
	''Chancer''	Stephen Crane/Derek Love	TV series: 20 Episodes
''Lorna Doone''	John Ridd	TV Movie
1991		Richard
	''Class of '61''	Devin O'Neil	TV Movie
	Paul Reisner
''The Magician''	Det. Con. George Byrne	TV Movie
	''The Return of the Native''	Damon Wildeve	TV Movie
''Doomsday Gun''	Dov	TV Movie
''An Evening with Gary Lineker''	Bill	TV Movie
''Nobody's Children''	Bratu	TV Movie
''The Turnaround''	Nick Sharman
1995	''Bad Boy Blues''	Paul	TV Movie
	''Privateer 2: The Darkening''	Ser Lev Aris	Video game
''The Rich Man's Wife''	Jake Golden
	Nick Sharman	TV series: 4 Episodes
		Jack Manfred
	Max
1998		Michael Deacon	Television series
	''Split Second''	Michael Anderson	TV Movie
	DCI Ross Tanner	Television series
	''Greenfingers''	Colin Briggs
''Second Sight'' series two	DCI Ross Tanner	Television series
	''The Hire''	The Driver
''Gosford Park''		Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best CastFlorida Film Critics Circle Award for Best CastOnline Film Critics Society Award for Best CastSatellite Award for Best Cast – Motion PictureScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureNominated – Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
''Walk On By''	Narrator	TV documentaryVoice Only
2002		The Professor
	''Beyond Borders''	Nick Callahan
	Will
		Larry	BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting RoleGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion PictureLas Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting ActorNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting ActorNational Board of Review Award for Best CastToronto Film Critics Association for Best Supporting ActorNominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best CastNominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actor of the YearNominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion PictureNominated — Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
		Charles Schine
	Dwight McCarthy
	''Children of Men''		Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award Best ActorNominated — Saturn Award for Best Actor
''Inside Man''	Dalton Russell
	Nigel Boswell/Agent 006	Uncredited Cameo
	''Elizabeth: The Golden Age''	Sir Walter Raleigh
''Shoot 'Em Up''	Smith	Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
		Louis Salinger
	Ray Koval
	Joe Warr	Also Executive Producer
		Will Cameron
	Spike	post-production

References

External links

Category:1964 births Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor Category:Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:English film actors Category:English stage actors Category:English television actors Category:Living people Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Coventry

ar:كلايف أوين bg:Клайв Оуен ca:Clive Owen cs:Clive Owen da:Clive Owen de:Clive Owen es:Clive Owen eu:Clive Owen fa:کلایو اوون fr:Clive Owen gl:Clive Owen hi:क्लाइव ओवेन id:Clive Owen it:Clive Owen he:קלייב אוון la:Clive Owen hu:Clive Owen nl:Clive Owen ja:クライヴ・オーウェン no:Clive Owen pl:Clive Owen pt:Clive Owen ru:Оуэн, Клайв sq:Clive Owen sk:Clive Owen sr:Клајв Овен sh:Clive Owen fi:Clive Owen sv:Clive Owen tl:Clive Owen te:క్లైవ్ ఓవెన్ th:ไคลฟ์ โอเวน tr:Clive Owen uk:Клайв Оуен zh:克萊夫·歐文

name	Jason Statham
birth date	September 12, 1967
birth place	Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
occupation	Actor
years active	1998–present
website	}}

Jason Statham (; born 12 September 1967) is an English actor and former diver, known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films ''Revolver'', ''Snatch'' and ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels''. Statham appeared in supporting roles in several American films, such as ''The Italian Job'', as well as playing the lead role in ''The Transporter'', ''Death Race'', ''Crank'', ''The Bank Job'' and ''War'' (opposite martial arts star Jet Li). Statham also appeared alongside established action film actors Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren in ''The Expendables''. He normally performs his own fight scenes and stunts.

Early life

Statham was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, the son of Eileen (née Yates) and Barry Statham, a lounge singer. He moved to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, where he chose not to follow his father's career working the local market stalls, and decided to pursue the arts. He grew up with Vinnie Jones, alongside whom he would later go on to act. Jones introduced him to football, and Statham went on to play for the local grammar school (1978–83), which he had attended since the age of eleven, but his real passion was diving. He practised daily in perfecting his diving techniques – in particular, he finished 12th in the World Championships in 1992. He was also a member of Britain's National Diving Squad for twelve years.

Statham's life in the media began when he was spotted by a talent agent specialising in athletes while training at London's Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. Afterwards, he became a model for the clothing brand French Connection.

Career

While working for French Connection, he was introduced to fledgling British director Guy Ritchie who was developing a film project and needed to fill the role of a street-wise con artist. After learning about Statham's past as a Black Market Salesman, Ritchie cast him to play the role of "Bacon" in his break-out 1998 hit, ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels''. The movie was well received by both critics and audiences, and helped catapult Statham into the public eye. Statham's second collaboration with Ritchie came in the 2000 film ''Snatch'', playing the role of "Turkish". Cast alongside popular actors Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina and Benicio del Toro, and with the movie earning more than $80 million in box-office revenue, Statham was able to break into Hollywood and appeared in two movies in 2001: ''Ghosts of Mars'' and ''The One''.

Statham was offered more film roles and in 2002 was cast as the lead role of driver Frank Martin in the action movie ''The Transporter'', in which his background in martial arts enabled him to do most of his own stunts. He has studied Wing Chun kung fu, karate, and kickboxing. The film spawned two sequels, ''Transporter 2'', in 2005 and Transporter 3 in 2008. He also played in supporting roles in ''Mean Machine'' (2002), ''The Italian Job'' (2003) (in which he played Handsome Rob), and ''Cellular'' (2004) where he played the lead villain. In 2005, Statham was once again cast by Ritchie to star in his new project, ''Revolver'' which was a critical and box office failure. He also played a dramatic role in the independent drama ''London'' in 2006. In 2006 he played the lead role in ''Crank''. Statham compares his role in ''Crank'' to his real life in the September 2006 issue of ''Maxim''. The success of ''Crank'' led to a sequel in 2009 titled ''Crank: High Voltage''.

In 2008, Statham starred in the British crime thriller ''The Bank Job'' which was both a critical and box office success. In 2008, American film critic Armond White hailed Statham's ascension as the leading international action film star. On the occasion of ''Death Race,'' White championed Statham's "best track record of any contemporary movie star." Later in 2008, White praised Statham's ''Transporter 3'' as a great example of kinetic pop art.

In 2009, Statham started to develop a new movie written by David Peoples and Janet Peoples (''Twelve Monkeys''). Statham stated "We've got a movie we're trying to do, written by David Peoples and Janet Peoples, in the vein of an old film, ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre''. It’s not a remake or anything, but it's a little bit like that, about relationships and how greed contaminates the relationships these three people have. The working title is ''The Grabbers''," and the release date is still unknown.

In 2010, Statham appeared alongside fellow action stars Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jet Li and Mickey Rourke, among others in ''The Expendables''. Statham plays Lee Christmas, a former SAS soldier and expert at close quarters combat using knives. In 2011, Statham starred in the remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson film, ''The Mechanic'' and returned to British film in the police drama ''Blitz''.

He will also star in the action film, ''Killer Elite''. According to ''Variety'', the film will be based on real events, which were the subject of Sir Ranulph Fiennes' fictional novel ''The Feather Men''. Statham will play a former SAS officer named Danny who comes out of retirement to save an old friend who will be played by Robert De Niro. In August 2011, he is to begin filming ''Parker'', for director Taylor Hackford; Statham will star as Parker, the criminal antihero previously played by Mel Gibson in 1999's Payback and by Lee Marvin in 1967's ''Point Blank''.

Personal life

Statham was in a seven year relationship with model Kelly Brook, until 2004. Since April 2010, he has been dating Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Statham has studied Wing Chun kung fu, karate and kickboxing.

Filmography

''Snatch (film) ''Ghosts of Mars'' ''The Transporter'' ''The Italian Job (2003 film) ''Collateral (film) ''Transporter 2'' ''Chaos (2006 film) ''War (film) ''The Bank Job'' ''Crank: High Voltage'' ''13 (film) ''The Mechanic (2010 film) ''The Expendables 2''

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
1998	''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels''	Bacon
rowspan="2"	2000	Snatch'' ||	Turkish
''Turn It Up (film)	Turn It Up''	Mr. B
rowspan="3"	2001	|	Sgt. Jericho Butler
''The One (2001 film)	The One''	The One (2001 film)#MVA Personnel and Agents>MVA Agent Evan Funsch
''Mean Machine (film)	Mean Machine''	Monk
2002	|	Frank Martin (character)>Frank Martin
2003	The Italian Job'' ||	Handsome Rob
rowspan="2"	2004	Collateral'' ||	Airport Man	Cameo appearance
''Cellular (film)	Cellular''	Ethan Greer
rowspan="3"	2005	|	Frank Martin (Transporter character)>Frank Martin
''Revolver (2005 film)	Revolver''	Jake Green
''London (2005 film)	London''	Bateman
rowspan="3"	2006	Chaos'' ||	Det. Quentin Conners
''The Pink Panther (2006 film)	The Pink Panther''	Yves Gluant
''Crank (film)	Crank''	Chev Chelios
	2007	War'' ||	FBI Agent John Crawford	second time partnered with Jet Li
rowspan="4"	2008	|	Terry Leather
''In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale''	Farmer Daimon
''Death Race (film)	Death Race''	Jensen "Frankenstein" Ames
''Transporter 3''	Frank Martin (Transporter character)>Frank Martin
	2009	|	Chev Chelios
rowspan="2"	2010	13'' ||	Jasper
''The Expendables (2010 film)	The Expendables''	Lee Christmas
rowspan="5"	2011	The Mechanic'' ||	Arthur Bishop
''Gnomeo & Juliet ''	Tybalt
''Blitz (film)	Blitz''	Detective Sergeant Tom Brant
''Killer Elite (film)	Killer Elite''	Danny Bryce
''Safe (2011 film)	Safe''	Matt Jimmy
rowspan="1"	2012	|	Lee Christmas	TBA

Box office performance

Since 1998, Statham has appeared in over twenty films. Several have been box office hits, such as ''Snatch'' and ''The Bank Job''. He has starred in two film series, ''The Transporter'' and ''Crank''. The films he has been in have grossed a total of more than $1 billion USD at the box office, with the highest individual film being ''The Expendables''.

Video game voice-overs

Video game	!Year	!Character
''Red Faction II''	2002	Shrike
''Call of Duty''	2003

References

External links

Category:1967 births Category:English film actors Category:English male models Category:English voice actors Category:Hollywood United players Category:British practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:British karateka Category:English kickboxers Category:British wushu practitioners Category:Living people Category:People from Sydenham

ar:جيسون ستاثام az:Ceyson Stethem bg:Джейсън Стейтъм ca:Jason Statham cs:Jason Statham da:Jason Statham de:Jason Statham et:Jason Statham el:Τζέισον Στέιθαμ es:Jason Statham fa:جیسون استاتهام fr:Jason Statham ko:제이슨 스테이섬 hr:Jason Statham id:Jason Statham it:Jason Statham he:ג'ייסון סטיית'ם kn:ಜೇಸನ್ ಸ್ಟಾತಮ್ sw:Jason Statham lt:Jason Statham hu:Jason Statham ml:ജെയ്സൺ സ്റ്റെയ്‌തം ms:Jason Statham nl:Jason Statham ja:ジェイソン・ステイサム no:Jason Statham pl:Jason Statham pt:Jason Statham ro:Jason Statham ru:Стэтхэм, Джейсон sk:Jason Statham sr:Џејсон Стејтам sh:Jason Statham fi:Jason Statham sv:Jason Statham ta:ஜேசன் ஸ்டேதம் te:జాసన్ స్టాథమ్ th:เจสัน สเตธัม tr:Jason Statham uk:Джейсон Стейтем vi:Jason Statham zh:傑森·史塔森