The Sweet

Saturday, 12 January 2013

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Sweet - Fox On The Run (HD High Definition) Top Of The Pops 13th March 1975

This Time Trailer (2012) - The Sweet Inspirations Movie HD

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Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major American record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but as of 2011^[update] operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of EMI.
The Capitol Records Company was founded by songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of fellow songwriter and film producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs (1910–1971), owner of Music City, at the time the biggest record store in Los Angeles.
Johnny Mercer first suggested the idea of starting a record company while he was golfing with Harold Arlen and Bobby Sherwood. He told them, "I’ve got this idea of starting a record company. I get so tired of listening to the way everyone treats music. I keep feeling they’re selling out. And I don’t like the way artists are treated either. Bing Crosby isn’t the only one who can make records. I don’t know, I think it would be fun." By 1941, Mercer was not only an experienced songwriter, but a singer with a number of records to his name. Mercer next suggested starting a record company to his friend Glenn Wallichs while Mercer was visiting Wallichs' record store. Wallichs responded, "Fine, you run the record company and find the artists,' and Mercer added, "and you run the business."

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Glasgow
Coordinates: 55°51′29″N 4°15′32″W / 55.858°N 4.259°W / 55.858; -4.259
Glasgow (ⁱ/ˈɡlɑːzɡəʊ/, locally /ˈɡlazɡo/, GLAZ-goh; Scots: Glesga listen (help·info); Scottish Gaelic: Glaschu ([ˈkɫ̪as̪əxu] listen (help·info))) is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands.
Glasgow grew from a small rural settlement on the River Clyde to become one of the largest seaports in Britain. Expanding from the medieval bishopric of Glasgow and the later establishment of the University of Glasgow in the 15th century, it became a major centre of the Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th century. From the 18th century the city also grew as one of Britain's main hubs of transatlantic trade with British North America and the British West Indies. With the Industrial Revolution, the city and surrounding region shifted to become one of the world's pre-eminent centres of heavy engineering, most notably in shipbuilding and marine engineering industry, which produced many innovative and famous vessels. Glasgow was known as the "Second City of the British Empire" for much of the Victorian era and Edwardian period. Today it is one of Europe's top ten financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses. Glasgow is also ranked as the 57th most liveable city in the world.

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Kilmarnock
Coordinates: 55°36′40″N 4°29′45″W / 55.61106°N 4.49571°W / 55.61106; -4.49571
Kilmarnock (Scottish Gaelic: Cille Mheàrnaig) is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland with a population of 44,734, making it the 14th most populated place in Scotland, it is also the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'. Kilmarnock is often shortened to 'Killie', especially when it is referenced in a footballing situation.
Kilmarnock is the main town within East Ayrshire, and the East Ayrshire HQ is located on London Road in Kilmarnock, leading to the villages Crookedholm and Hurlford, which furthermore leads to Loudoun. Kilmarnock is the second largest town in Ayrshire, after only Ayr. Kilmarnock is most-notably known worldwide for its publications of the first Robert Burns book, which went onto be known as The Kilmarnock Edition, and is very rare these days. Aside, the distributed internationally whisky brand Johnnie Walker's is situated in the town, where it has been situated since the 19th century. Protest and backing from the Scottish Government took place in 2009, after Diageo, the owner of Johnnie Walker announced plans to close the bottling plant in the town after 289 years.

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Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger (born May 6, 1945) is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.
As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s. By the early 1970s, he had dropped the "System" from his recordings, and he continued to strive for broader success with other various bands. In 1973, he put together The Silver Bullet Band, an evolving group of Detroit-area musicians, with whom he became most successful. In 1976, he achieved a national breakout with the album Night Moves. On his studio albums, he also worked extensively with the Alabama-based Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which appeared on several of Seger's best-selling singles and albums.
A roots rocker with a classic raspy, shouting voice, Seger wrote and recorded songs that dealt with blue-collar themes and was an exemplar of heartland rock. Seger has recorded many hits, including "Night Moves", "Turn the Page", "We've Got Tonight", "Against the Wind", and "Like a Rock", and also co-wrote the Eagles' number-one hit "Heartache Tonight". His iconic recording of "Old Time Rock and Roll" was named one of the Songs of the Century in 2001.

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Brian Connolly
Brian Francis Connolly (5 October 1945 – 9 February 1997) was a Scottish musician, best known as the lead singer of the British rock band, Sweet.
Brian Connolly was born in 1945 in Govanhill, Glasgow, (some early Sweet biographies claim he was born in 1949). Whilst the true identity of Brian's father was never made public, his mother was a teenage waitress named Frances Connolly who left him in a Glasgow hospital as an infant whilst possibly suffering effects of meningitis. He was fostered, aged two, by Jim and Helen McManus of Blantyre and took their family name. In his earliest years Connolly was also affectionately known as "snowball" referring to his almost white blonde hair. In a radio interview, Connolly reported that singing was a large part of growing up since there was no television, and that he was regularly called upon to sing for family and friends. Connolly has credited the Everly Brothers as being his earliest musical influence. When Brian was aged about eighteen he inadvertently discovered his lineage and reverted to the name Connolly. Numerous sources have incorrectly asserted that he was a half brother of the late actor Mark McManus (who found fame in the title role of detective series "Taggart") but they were not related. Mark "Taggart" McManus was actually the nephew of Brian's foster father.

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Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter (born Paul Francis Gadd on 8 May 1944) is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.
Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s. He had a long solo UK chart run during the 1970s, with several hits including "Rock and Roll, Parts One and Two", "I Love You Love Me Love", "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" and "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again". Between 1972 and 1995, Glitter had 26 hit singles which spent a total of 180 weeks in the UK Top 100; twelve of those reached the Top 10, with three charting at number 1. He continued to record in the 1980s and 1990s, with his 1984 song "Another Rock N' Roll Christmas" being one of the Top 30 Christmas hits of all time. He released seven studio albums, and at least^[specify] 15 greatest hits collections or live albums. In 1998, his recording of "Rock and Roll" was listed as one of the top 1,001 songs in music history. The mostly instrumental "Rock and Roll, Part 2" has been played as a popular cheering song at American sporting events for several decades.

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Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945 in Hounslow, London) is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. In his prime, Gillan was known for his wide vocal range - particularly the high pitched screams evidenced in the song "Child In Time".
Gillan was born at Chiswick Maternity Hospital, Middlesex. Gillan's father was a storekeeper at a factory in London. He grew up moving between council flats before settling in a three-bedroom semi-detached on a council estate in Cranford, Hounslow.
Between 1962 and 1964 Gillan was in a band called The Javelins, where he was known as Jess Thunder. He then joined Wainwright's Gentlemen until 1965. The band recorded a number of tracks including a cover of The Hollies hit "Ain't That Just Like Me" which was officially released in February 2011 on a compilation CD "Rare Mod, Volume 3" on the Acid Jazz label (AJXCD 238). The track features Gillan on vocals, Mick Tucker (later of Sweet) on drums and, according to band bassist Jan Frewer, is thought to have been recorded in 1965. Between 1965 and '69, when he joined Deep Purple, he achieved minor success with Episode Six.

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Mick Tucker
Michael Thomas "Mick" Tucker (17 July 1947, Harlesden, North West London – 14 February 2002) was the drummer and backing vocalist of the English glam rock band, Sweet.
In 1965, Mick joined "Wainwright's Gentlemen" and was later joined by vocalist Brian Connolly playing a mixture of R&B, Motown, and early psychedelic sounds. The band split in 1968. There are a number of recordings in existence including a cover of The Hollies hit "Ain't That Just Like Me" which was officially released in February 2011 on a compilation CD "Rare Mod, Volume 3" on the Acid Jazz label (AJXCD 238). The track features Tucker on drums and, according to band bassist Jan Frewer, is thought to have been recorded in 1965.
He was a founding member of the band "Sweetshop" in January 1968 along with Steve Priest, Brian Connolly, and Frank Torpey, who was later replaced by Mick Stewart who was himself succeeded by Andy Scott. "Sweetshop" was shortened to "The Sweet" in 1968.
From 1973 Tucker used a large Ludwig drum kit, comprising two bass drums, three mounted tom-toms and two floor toms, complimented by Paiste cymbals. On an objective view he was a very talented drummer with a range of complex rhythms who could have helped any band considerably. The glam rock image of Sweet sometimes eclipsed this.

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Mike Chapman
Mike Chapman (born Michael Donald Chapman, 15 April 1947, Nambour, Queensland, Australia) is an Australian born record producer and songwriter who was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s. He created a string of hit singles for artists including Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Smokie, Mud and Racey with co-writer and co-producer Nicky Chinn, creating a formularised sound that became identified with the "Chinnichap" brand. He later produced breakthrough albums for Blondie and The Knack.
Chapman was born in Queensland, Australia, but moved to Britain where he became a member of the group Tangerine Peel. They released an album in 1969 and had several near-hit singles between 1967 and 1970. In 1970 met Nicky Chinn while working as a waiter at a London nightclub, Tramp. The pair struck up a song-writing partnership, and began working with high-profile producer Mickie Most on his RAK Records label, which quickly became home to a roster of artists including Suzi Quatro, Smokie, and Mud.

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Nicky Chinn
Nicky Chinn born Nicholas Barry Chinn, 16 May 1945,London, UK) is a British songwriter and record producer. Together with Mike Chapman he had a long string of hit singles in the UK and US in the 1970s and early 1980s, including several number-one records. The duo wrote hits for such notable UK-based artists as Suzi Quatro, Mud, Sweet, Arrows ("Touch Too Much"), Racey, Smokie, Tina Turner and Huey Lewis and the News.
Chinn was born to an affluent London Jewish family that owned a string of service stations and car sales distributorships. However as a young man his talent for writing successful pop songs proved so obvious that within a month or two of his first efforts as a songwriter Chinn co-wrote with Mike d'Abo (the ex Manfred Mann lead singer) the two main songs for the hit film, There's a Girl in My Soup.
It was at this point that Chinn joined the Australian-born Chapman, who was a waiter at a night club Chinn frequented, and they decided to team up. Chapman was already a professional musician with the band Tangerine Peel and the two quickly joined up with Mickie Most's RAK label and began writing songs for a new glam rock band Sweet and their catchy compositions accounted for all the singles the band released in their early years.

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Paul Kossoff
Paul Francis Kossoff (14 September 1950 – 19 March 1976) was an English rock guitarist best known as a member of the band Free.
Kossoff was ranked 51st in Rolling Stone magazine list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".^{[dead link]}
Kossoff was the son of Margaret (Jenkins) and the British actor David Kossoff. His father was of Russian-Jewish descent. Kossoff started playing guitar in the mid 1960s, taught by session guitarist Colin Falconer. He became a professional at age 15 when he was a founding member of Black Cat Bones. The band played with touring blues piano player Champion Jack Dupree, did many supporting shows for Fleetwood Mac and other gigs with Fleetwood Mac cofounder Peter Green. Kossoff would jam and spend hours discussing blues playing and players. Kossoff's bandmate in Black Cat Bones was drummer Simon Kirke, and the two would go on to play on Champion Jack Dupree's April 1968 album When You Feel the Feeling you was Feeling.
In April 1968 Kossoff and Kirke teamed up with Paul Rodgers (vocals) and Andy Fraser (bass) to form Free. They did the "Transit" circuit for two years and recorded two albums: Tons of Sobs (1968) and Free (1969). Both albums showcased the band's blues- and soul-influenced sound, a style which was in contrast to some of their progressive and heavier counterparts at the time.

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Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend (born 19 May 1945) is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career. His career with The Who spans more than 40 years, during which time the band grew to be considered one of the most influential bands of the 1960s and 1970s, and, according to Eddie Vedder, "possibly the greatest live band ever."
Townshend is the primary songwriter for The Who, having written well over 100 songs for the band's 11 studio albums, including concept albums and the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia, plus popular rock and roll radio staples like Who's Next, and dozens more that appeared as non-album singles, bonus tracks on reissues, and tracks on rarities compilations like Odds & Sods. He has also written over 100 songs that have appeared on his solo albums, as well as radio jingles and television theme songs. Although known primarily as a guitarist, he also plays other instruments such as keyboards, banjo, accordion, synthesiser, bass guitar and drums, on his own solo albums, several Who albums, and as a guest contributor to a wide array of other artists' recordings. Townshend has never had formal lessons in any of the instruments he plays.

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Phil Wainman
Phil Wainman is a British record producer and songwriter, primarily active in the 1970s. He is noted for his work with Sweet, XTC, Dollar, Mud, and the Bay City Rollers. His greatest chart success, however, was the production of "I Don't Like Mondays" by The Boomtown Rats, written by Bob Geldof and arranged by Fiachra Trench.
In 1964 Wainman was working the European cabaret circuit with a band called The High Grades. He returned to the UK and joined The Paramounts in 1965 for a short period. The Paramounts had had a minor UK hit with a cover of The Coasters', "Poison Ivy", but Wainman does not appear on this track.
Wainman was originally a drummer with a session band named The Quotations. He released two drum-themed beat/pop singles, 1966's, "Hear Me A Drummer Man" / "Hear Those Drums" and 1968's "Going, Going Gone" / "Hey Paradiddle". "Going, Going Gone" is now a highly coveted rarity among collectors, selling for up to £500 on eBay.
He and pianist Harold Spiro later wrote The Yardbirds "Little Games" single, which was produced by Mickie Most. Wainman was working as a music publisher and songwriter when he was introduced to Middlesex-based pop group The Sweetshop. Liking what he heard he produced the band's first single 'Slow Motion' which was released in July 1968. The band shortened its name to The Sweet just prior to the single hitting the shops. The track did nothing and he and The Sweet went their separate ways.

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Reinhold Mack
Reinhold Mack (aka Mack) is a German record producer and sound engineer, mostly known for his collaborations with rock bands Electric Light Orchestra and Queen. Most of this work took place at Giorgio Moroder's Musicland Studios in Munich. His third son, John Frederick Mack, was named by Freddie Mercury and was a godson of both Mercury and Queen bassist John Deacon.
Mack is referenced in the lyrics of the Queen song "Dragon Attack" on their 1980 album The Game, which he produced: "gonna use my stack/it's gotta be Mack".
Albums worked on as sound engineer:
Albums produced or co-produced by Mack:

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Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore (born 14 April 1945) is a British guitarist and songwriter, who is known as one of the first guitarists to fuse classical music elements with blues rock. He began his professional career as a studio session musician and was subsequently a member of Deep Purple, after which Blackmore established a successful career fronting his own band Rainbow, and later progressed to the traditional folk rock project Blackmore's Night with his wife.
Blackmore was born at Allandale Nursing Home, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, South West England, but moved to Heston, Middlesex (now Greater London) at the age of two. Although the surname Blackmore is thought to be of English origin, his father was of Welsh ancestry and his mother of English. He was 11 when he got his first guitar. His father bought it for him on certain conditions, including learning how to play properly, so he took classical guitar lessons for one year.
While at school he did well at sports including the javelin. Blackmore left school at age 15 and started work as an apprentice radio mechanic at nearby Heathrow Airport. He was given guitar lessons by Big Jim Sullivan.

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Sandy Nelson
Sandy Nelson (born Sander L Nelson, December 1, 1938, Santa Monica, California) is an American drummer. Nelson, one of the best-known rock drummers of the early 1960s, had several solo instrumental Top 40 hits and was a session drummer on many other well-known hits, and released over 30 albums.
His first recording, with a band called The Renegades (Richard Podolor, Bruce Johnston and Nick Venet), was "Geronimo", written by Venet, produced by Kim Fowley and released on the Original Sound Records label. Although it flopped on the national charts, it charted in some of the midwest markets. The song, along with "Charge", is part of the soundtrack of 1959 film Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow released by American International Pictures.
Nelson attended high school with Jan Berry, Dean Torrence (who became Jan and Dean), and Kim Fowley. After gaining respect as a session drummer, he played on such songs as "To Know Him Is To Love Him" (Phil Spector's Teddy Bears, 1958), "Alley-Oop" (The Hollywood Argyles, 1960), and "A Thousand Stars" (Kathy Young and the Innocents, 1960).

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Steve Priest
Steve Priest (born Stephen Norman Priest, 23 February 1948,Hayes, Middlesex, England) is a founding member and bass player/backing vocalist of the glam rock band Sweet.
Priest crafted his own homemade bass guitar and began playing in local bands as a young teenager, after being influenced by artists such as Jet Harris of The Shadows, The Rolling Stones and The Who.
In January 1968, Priest was invited to form a four-piece band with vocalist Brian Connolly, drummer Mick Tucker, and guitarist Frank Torpey — the band that was to become The Sweet. Torpey was replaced by Mick Stewart in 1969. Guitarist Andy Scott joined in August 1970, following Stewart's departure and the classic line-up established.
The Sweet was a band that went through many up and downs. Initial success for the Sweet began in 1971, after the band teamed up with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. However, the Sweet would pen a number of their own hits, with Priest often directly backing up Brian Connolly's vocals and taking distinctive short vocal leads. After Brian Connolly left the Sweet in early 1979, Priest took over the majority of vocal duties for the band. This continued until 1982, when the original Sweet disbanded. By this time, Priest had divorced his first wife, Pat, and moved to New York City. On June 18, 1981, he remarried, this time to his current wife Maureen (née O'Connor), who was then East Coast Director of Publicity and Artist Relations for Capitol/EMI Records in New York. While in New York, he formed a band called The Allies with guitarist Marco Delmar and drummer Steve Missal. Success was elusive, although their composition "Talk To Me" was featured in a film, Fast Food.

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Wizzard
Wizzard were a Birmingham-based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings were Paul McCartney."
Not long after the release of Electric Light Orchestra's first album, Wood found himself frequently at odds with co-leader Jeff Lynne. Deciding he wanted to head off in a different musical direction, Wood left, taking band members Bill Hunt (keyboards and french horn) and Hugh McDowell (cello) and ELO's sound engineer, Trevor Smith, with him, to found Wizzard. Also in the line-up were former Move bassist Rick Price, drummers Charlie Grima and Keith Smart (all formerly of Birmingham group Mongrel), and saxophone players Mike Burney and Nick Pentelow (the son of actor Arthur Pentelow). Hunt was later replaced by Bob Brady.

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the sweet - little willy (with lyrics)

North side east side little Willy Willy wears the crown he's the king around town. Dancing...

published: 02 Sep 2008

author: lebleufleur

The Sweet: Wig Wam Bam

This clip is dedicated to Martina and Sille who have Birthday today. But its also for all ...

published: 02 Nov 2006

author: teledealer

Sweet Fox on the Run

Sweet in full flight, the original promo film....

published: 19 Sep 2006

author: clockworklou

The Sweet - Hell Raiser

Sweet mit Hell Raiser....

published: 13 Jan 2009

author: DoppelAgentSam

Ballroom Blitz

It's It's a Ballroom Blitz!...

published: 27 Jan 2006

author: bigmacdaddy

Sweet Blockbuster

You better beware, you better take care You better watch out if you've got long black hair...

published: 04 Mar 2008

author: willie1two

The Sweet - The Ballroom Blitz 1973

Are you ready Steve? Uh-huh Andy? Yeah Mick? Okay Alright fellas - let's go! Oh it's been ...

published: 14 May 2008

author: papilioniger

The Sweet - Action

The Sweet...

published: 10 Feb 2007

author: elenarendezvous

THE SWEET-Teenage Rampage

Teenage Rampage from Crackerjack www.the-sweet.de.tc...

published: 06 Jan 2009

author: Tarzan Hoppenstedt

Sweet - Fox On The Run (HD High Definition) Top Of The Pops 13th March 1975

I know this is already on the tube, but this is a quality upgrade. A change of direction f...

published: 04 Sep 2009

author: retunerman

Sweet - Blockbuster [totp2]

[Video] Sweet - Blockbuster [totp2] (Wiggy St Helens UK 2007)...

published: 30 Jul 2007

author: WiggyStHelensUK

This Time Trailer (2012) - The Sweet Inspirations Movie HD

Subscribe to TRAILERS: bit.ly Subscribe to COMING SOON: bit.ly This Time Trailer (2012) - ...

published: 11 Jul 2012

author: MovieclipsCOMINGSOON

League of Legends - Sweet Kill Highlights

HotShotGG Wrecking kids with Nidalee. Ezreal Snipe, and AP Taric lulz. Help me buy a new m...

published: 12 Feb 2011

author: colbycheeze

The Sweet Naive - The Sweet Naive (Full Album)

"The Sweet Naive" is the debut album by the group The Sweet Naive, released in July 2012. ...

published: 31 Jul 2012

author: TheSweetNaive

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photo: AP / Channi Anand

An Indian army soldier patrols near the line of control, the line that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, after a reported cease-fire violation, in Mendhar, Poonch district, about 210 kilometers (131 miles) from Jammu, India, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013.

India lashes out at Pakistan after deadly Kashmir encounter

The Star

09 Jan 2013

JAMMU, India (Reuters) - India slammed arch-rival Pakistan on Wednesday over a fire fight in the disputed territory of Kashmir in which two of its soldiers were killed, and said the mutilation of one of the bodies was "inhuman" ... Antony waits to speak at a plenary session of the 11th International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia Security Summit. The Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore June 2, 2012....(size: 2.6Kb)

photo: AP / Alexandre Meneghini

In this Oct. 24, 2012 photo, soldiers stop to check a car as they patrol in a convoy near the town of El Alcalde in Michoacan state, Mexico. Knights Templar, a quasi-religious drug cartel that controls the area and most of the state, monitors the movements of the military and police around the clock.

Mexico to compensate drug-violence victims

Al Jazeera

10 Jan 2013

Mexican has enacted a law that will ensure that the victims and relatives of crime are compensated with payments and social services from the state. The law, enacted by President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday, comprises the creation of a fund to pay relatives up to $70,000 in compensation for an innocent victim killed in attacks by drug gangs ... “There are thousands of people who have suffered the ravages of violence....(size: 18.3Kb)

photo: AP / Jacques Brinon

Kurdish activists gather outside a building where three Kurdish women were shot dead, in Paris, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Police say three Kurdish women have been shot dead at a pro-Kurdish centre in Paris in what the French interior minister is calling an execution.

Three Kurdish women shot dead in Paris

The Times of India

10 Jan 2013

Three Kurdish women, including one of the founders of a militant group battling Turkish troops since 1984, were "executed" at a Kurdish center in Paris, the interior minister said on Thursday. Turkey's Anadolu news agency identified one of the victims as Sakine Cansiz, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK....(size: 1.7Kb)

photo: AP / Arshad Butt

Pakistani police officers and local residents gather at the site of a bomb blast that targeted paramilitary soldiers in a commercial area in Quetta, Pakistan, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 40 others, according to police, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013.

Bombings kill 115 in Pakistan

Newsday

11 Jan 2013

QUETTA, Pakistan -- A series of bombings killed 115 people in Pakistan yesterday, including 81 who died in a sectarian attack on a billiard hall in the southwest city of Quetta, officials said. The blasts punctuated one of the deadliest days in recent years in Pakistan, where the government faces a bloody insurgency by militants in the northwest and Baluch militants in the southwest ... No group claimed responsibility for the attack.....(size: 7.7Kb)

photo: White House / Pete Souza

File - Members of Congress, the Cabinet, and Supreme Court applaud as President Barack Obama enters the House Chamber to deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, Jan. 27, 2010.

Unworthy Governments and the Paine of It All

WorldNews.com

10 Jan 2013

"Lay then, the axe to the root, and teach governments humanity ... -Thomas Paine, "The Rights of Man". If alive today, Thomas Paine would recognize that the United States Government is not worthy of its citizens ... He would caution the People ... Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence, the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise."(1) ... the laborer who works in a paper mill....(size: 4.8Kb)

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Gorge on goodies this luscious Lohri

The Times of India

12 Jan 2013

Those buying the sweets to gift have an option of getting them gift wrapped too during the festival season ... Apart from the varieties made in and around the city, there are a few who have got the traditional sweets from other states to gift ... The longevity of these sweets makes them suitable for bulk purchase too. "The way these sweets are made keeps them good-to-eat for months....(size: 2.2Kb)

Plan a sweet trip to Boerne

The Examiner

12 Jan 2013

February is a sweet month and Boerne, Texas has the sweetest event in February. Start planning early for the Boerne Chocolate Walk on February 9th from 11.00am to 5.00pm ... It has that "Hill Country" small town attitude with the strength of its German heritage ... Tickets are limited so check the link above for all the details....(size: 1.7Kb)

Magic in the hall of mirrors

Irish Times

12 Jan 2013

The bread gets dipped in a grassy-sweet olive oil that I could happily drink ... And it works, dialing up the sweetness of these babies till you hardly remember what it was you didn’t like about them before ... The third meat dish is lamb sweetbreads, battered and fried so they are almost part-liquid with a simple sweet carrot puree and nut-hard dehydrated berries that are the colour of compressed coffee grinds....(size: 7.2Kb)

D.C. Adoptable Animals: 46 Dogs, Cats, Rabbits and Birds Need New Homes

Huffington Post

12 Jan 2013

She is sweet and pretty and has quickly gained confidence at the <a href=""http.//www.awla.org/">Animal" Welfare League of Arlington</a> ... Meet this sweet guy at the <a href=""http.//www.hsfc.org/">Humane" Society of Fairfax County</a>.Mary Lou ... Meet this sweet lady at the <a href=""http.//warl.org/">Washington" Animal Rescue League</a>....(size: 28.0Kb)

Lohri warmth spreads cheer

The Times of India

12 Jan 2013

Lohri, the first festival of the New Year was celebrated with traditional fervour at Green Land Convent School, Civil City. Celebrations included songs and dances replete with the spirit of Punjab. Dancing around the bonfire, students prayed for the prosperity of the country and had peanuts and sweets ... The Lohri fire lit at BCM School, Dugri, was fed with the traditional offerings of til, jaggery and groundnuts....(size: 2.1Kb)

NFL Playoffs Apple Pie (Photos)

The Examiner

12 Jan 2013

The NFL Playoffs have come around again and what better time to have friends over and regale them with tasty desserts?. "It's as American as Apple Pie" is a saying in the American lexicon ... Let's start with the crust. ... Take the dough and separate into two balls ... I am not a fan of Red Delicious because the can be mealy and are already sweet and given the amount of sugar you are adding the pie will be in danger of bing overly sweet....(size: 3.4Kb)

Chinese New Year high-tea buffet

New Straits/Business Times

12 Jan 2013

Royale Bintang Kuala Lumpur is having the buffet at its Sunflowers Brasserie on the first day of Chinese New Year ... A chef for 24 years now, Goh joined the profession after completing his SPM exams ... The salmon also gets the thumbs-up for its scrumptious taste, with its sweetness enhanced by the rose apple chutney which has caramelised sugar. Reinforcing the sweet theme of the feast is the walnut green tea tiramisu with strawberries....(size: 4.7Kb)

The Playlist: David Bowie/ Pere Ubu/ Iceage/ Angel Olsen/ Factory Floor

The Independent

12 Jan 2013

Bowie is back, returning to the musical fold with this soft, reflective ballad. The fragile, occasionally auto-tuned vocal betrays Bowie's age, but the song's overall melancholy is timeless....(size: 1.0Kb)

Dallas will help you keep your New Year's resolution (City of Mission Viejo)

noodls

12 Jan 2013

Dallas is an active 1½-year-old Boxer/Hound mix who is hoping the new year will bring her a ... Although slightly apprehensive at first, this sweet dog bonds firmly with people, so ... To see Dallas today, visit the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center at 28095 Hillcrest....(size: 1.6Kb)

Canada back on podium for women’s World Cup bobsleigh

Toronto Sun

12 Jan 2013

Canada’s bobsled duo of Kaillie Humphries and Chelsea Valois extended their podium streak to double digits on Friday after winning for the ninth time in 10 international events ... The pair won in Konigssee, Germany, with a two-run time of 1.43.07 on a 14-corner track....(size: 2.0Kb)

New fruit is crossed with mandarin for sweeter taste

The Daily Mail

12 Jan 2013

The first sweet lemon to be sold ......(size: 0.2Kb)

The Wayward Sisters listings

Skiddle

12 Jan 2013

The Wayward Sisters are a vintage style vocal trio who bring glamour and sweet harmonies to any event ...   event info venue news The Wayward Sisters details. Lineup and Details for The Wayward Sisters on Sun 13th January 2013....(size: 1.4Kb)

Wine: Best in show

NZ Herald

12 Jan 2013

Wine writer John Hawkesby welcomes in the New Year with a look back at the top offerings of 2012 ... On the palate, however, you don't get what you expect - and it's this point of difference that is so appealing ... Full, fragrant and fulsome, with a botrytis (sweet) influence, the colour has a slightly rosy hue and big flavours of pear, citrus and quince. An opulent and rich wine very much in the classic Alsace style....(size: 6.0Kb)

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This article is about the band Sweet. For other uses, see Sweet (disambiguation).

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)

Sweet
Sweet at the height of their career in the mid-1970s. Clockwise from top left: Steve Priest, Brian Connolly, Mick Tucker, and Andy Scott. Sweet at the height of their career in the mid-1970s. Clockwise from top left: Steve Priest, Brian Connolly, Mick Tucker, and Andy Scott.
Background information
Also known as	The Sweet
Origin	United Kingdom
Genres	Glam rock, bubblegum pop (early) Hard rock, heavy metal (later)
Years active	1968–1982 1985-present
Labels	RCA, Polydor
Website	thesweet.com thesweetband.com
Past members
Mick Tucker Steve Priest Brian Connolly Frank Torpey Mick Stewart Andy Scott

Sweet (also referred to as the Sweet) were a British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s as one of the most prominent glam rock acts, with the classic line-up of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker.

Sweet were formed in 1968 and achieved their first hit "Funny Funny" in 1971 after teaming up with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and record producer Phil Wainman. During 1971 and 1972, their musical style followed a marked progression from the Archies-like bubblegum style of "Funny Funny" to a Who-influenced hard rock style supplemented by a striking use of high-pitched backing vocals.

The band achieved notable success in the UK charts, with thirteen Top 20 hits during the 1970s alone, with "Block Buster!" (1973) topping the chart, followed by three consecutive number two hits in "Hell Raiser" (1973), "The Ballroom Blitz" (1973) and "Teenage Rampage" (1974). Their first self-written and produced single "Fox on the Run" (1975) also reached number two on the UK charts. From 1976 the success started to decline and Sweet had their last Top 10 hit in 1978 with "Love is Like Oxygen". The year after, Connolly left the group to start a solo career and the remaining members continued as a threesome until they finally disbanded in 1981.

Since the mid-1980s, Scott, Connolly and Priest have each played with their own versions of Sweet during different periods of time. Connolly died in 1997, and Tucker in 2002. The two surviving members are still active in their respective versions of the band; Scott's is based in the UK and Priest in the USA.

History [link]

Origins [link]

Sweet's origins can be traced back to UK soul band Wainwright's Gentlemen. Mark Lay's history of the band states they formed around 1962 and were initially known as Unit 4. Founder members included Chris Wright (vocals), Jan Frewer (bass), with Jim Searle and Alfred Fripp on guitars. Phil Kenton joined on drums as the band changed its named to Wainwright's Gentlemen (due to there being another band known as Unit 4). They performed locally in the Hayes, Harrow and Wembley area. By 1964 the group was also playing in London, including at the Saint Germain Club in Poland Street. Frewer's father managed the band, which had acquired an impressive array of equipment and found much work in local clubs.

In January 1964 the band entered Mecca Dancing and Wells' Ice Cream national beat group contest. They won their area heat against competition which included The Detours (featuring vocalist Roger Daltrey). The band won through to the national finals held at the Lyceum, Strand on 4 May 1964. Highlights of that show, judged by Jimmy Saville were featured on the BBC1, with the show hosted by Alan Freeman but the band only finished 5th overall. Chris Wright left the lineup in late 1964 and was replaced by Ian Gillan. A female vocalist named Ann Cully joined the band soon after. Mick Tucker, from Ruislip, joined on drums, replacing Phil Kenton. The band recorded a number of tracks including a cover of The Hollies hit "Ain't That Just Like Me", which was probably recorded at Jackson Sound Studios in Rickmansworth. It was eventually released in February 2011 on a compilation CD "Rare Mod, Volume 3" on the Acid Jazz label (AJXCD 238). The track features Gillan on vocals, Tucker on drums and, according to band bassist Jan Frewer, is thought to have been recorded in 1965. Gillan quit in May 1965 to join Episode Six, and, later, Deep Purple. Cully remained on as vocalist before departing some time later. Gillan's and Culley's eventual replacement was Scots-born vocalist Brian Connolly, who hailed more recently from Harefield. Tony Hall had joined on saxophone and when Fripp left he was replaced by Gordon Fairminer. Fairminer's position was eventually assumed by Frank Torpey- a schoolfriend of Tucker's. Torpey only lasted two or three months until mid-1967 when Robin Box took his place. Searle, regarded by many as the most talented musically, disappeared from the scene. Tucker and Connolly remained with Wainwright's Gentlemen until late 1967 or early 1968. Tucker was replaced in Wainwright's Gentlemen by Roger Hills. When the Gentlemen eventually broke up Hills and Box joined White Plains and scored a big hit with My Baby Loves Lovin'.

Early years [link]

In early 1968 Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker formed a new band, calling themselves The Sweetshop. They recruited the bass guitarist and lead vocalist Steve Priest of a local band called The Army, who had previously played with another local band The Countdowns. Frank Torpey was recruited to play guitar. The quartet made its public debut at the Pavilion in Hemel Hempstead in March 1968 and it did not take long to develop a following on the pub circuit and they were signed to the Fontana record label. At the time, another UK band released a single under the same name Sweetshop, so the band changed the name to The Sweet. Their debut single "Slow Motion" (July 1968), produced by Phil Wainman, failed to chart and due to its rarity now sells for several hundred pounds when auctioned. Sweet were released from the recording contract and Frank Torpey left. Steve Priest in his autobiography (Are You Ready Steve) says Gordon Fairminer was approached to play for them when Torpey decided to leave but turned the job down as he wanted to concentrate on other interests.

New line-up and new record deal [link]

In 1969 guitarist Mick Stewart joined and The Sweet signed a new record contract with EMI's Parlophone label. Three more bubblegum pop singles were released, "Lollipop Man" (September 1969), "All You'll Ever Get from Me" (January 1970), and a cover version of The Archies' "Get on the Line" (June 1970), which all failed to chart. Stewart then quit, and was replaced by ex-Scaffold, Mayfield's Mule, and The Elastic Band guitarist Andy Scott.

Out of all the members Welsh-born Scott had the most professional experience. As a member of The Elastic Band, he had played guitar on two singles for Decca "Think of You Baby" and "Do unto Others". He also appeared on the band's lone album release, Expansions on Life and on some recordings by The Scaffold.

With the new line-up now in place, a management deal was secured with a newly formed, and unknown song writing team, consisting of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Phil Wainman was the executive producer. This management deal also included a worldwide (the U.S. excepted) record contract with RCA Records. In the U.S., Sweet were on Bell Records then later Capitol Records.

Sweet initially attempted to combine various musical influences, including 1960s bubblegum pop groups such as The Archies and The Monkees, with more heavy rock-oriented groups such as The Who. The Sweet adopted the rich vocal harmony style of The Hollies, with distorted guitars and a heavy rhythm section. This fusion of pop and hard rock would remain a central trademark of Sweet's music and prefigured the hair metal of a decade later.

Another influence on The Sweet's music was 1960s drummer Sandy Nelson, who partially influenced Mick Tucker's drumming style. In particular, Sweet tracks such as "The Ballroom Blitz" and "The Man with the Golden Arm" contain elements of Sandy Nelson's 1961 U.S. Top 10 hit, "Let There Be Drums".^{[citation needed]}

First album appearance [link]

Sweet's first longplay appearance was on a Music for Pleasure compilation called Gimme Dat Ding. The Sweet and The Pipkins, EMI-MFP-5248, released in December 1970. The Sweet had one side only, The Pipkins (after whose sole hit, "Gimme Dat Ding", the LP took its name) had the other. The LP features the A- and B-sides of the three commercially unsuccessful Parlophone singles before The Sweet finally found success with "Funny Funny", which was the band's first single release for RCA. Despite the album cover shot of The Sweet featuring Andy Scott, he was not actually a band member until "Funny Funny" and is not featured in any of these recordings.

In January 1971, The Sweet made their UK television debut on a pop show called Lift Off, performing "Funny Funny".

International success [link]

In March 1971, "Funny Funny" became their first international hit, climbing to the Top 20 on many of the world's charts. EMI reissued their 1970 single, "All You'll Ever Get from Me" (May 1971) and it again failed to chart. "Co-Co" (June 1971) became a hit (UK #2). But the following single, "Alexander Graham Bell" (October 1971) was only a minor hit (UK #33).

Sweet's first official full-size LP album entitled Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be was released towards the end of 1971, and failed to chart. A collection of Chinn/Chapman novelty tunes (including "Chop Chop" and "Tom Tom Turnaround") and pop covers (such as The Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream" and The Supremes' "Reflections"), the album was not a serious contender on the charts, although RCA did press 10,000 copies. As the LP faded into obscurity, Sweet found themselves being labelled by music critics as nothing more than a Top 40 singles band.^{[citation needed]} Furthermore, Chinn and Chapman hindered the band's chance for respectability by bringing in session musicians, as with The Monkees, to play on the records, even though the members of Sweet were competent musically.

The relationship between Sweet, and Chinn and Chapman, was becoming increasingly tense. One major reason was that Sweet were not happy with the 'bubblegum' image that was being cast on them. At the band's insistence and as a conscious contrast, their B-sides got heavier with each release; for example, "Done Me Wrong All Right", the self-penned B-side of "Co-Co", amazed some listeners who had hated the pop sound but loved their rock style and realised there was more to the band than they had thought. This dichotomy of bubblegum A-sides and heavy-rock B-sides only served to confuse their teenage fan following. Indeed, The Sweet's live performances consisted of B-sides, album tracks, and various medleys of rock and roll classics; rarely were the singles played live. A 1973 performance at the Palace Theatre and Grand Hall in Kilmarnock which ended in Sweet being bottled off stage was one such performance; the disorder was attributed by some (including Steve Priest) to Sweet's lipstick and eye-shadow look and by others to the audience being unfamiliar with the concert set and would be immortalised later that year in the hit "The Ballroom Blitz".

February 1972 saw the release of "Poppa Joe" that peaked at number 11 in the UK Singles Chart. The next two singles of that year, "Little Willy" and "Wig-Wam Bam", both reached #4 in the UK, and "Little Willy" peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 after a re-issue in 1973, thus becoming the group's biggest American hit. Although "Wig-Wam Bam" remained largely true to the style of Sweet's previous recordings, the vocals and guitars had a harder, more rock-oriented sound - largely because it was the first Sweet single on which only the real members of Sweet played. It was in many ways, a transition single, paving the way for the change of musical emphasis that came in January 1973 with "Block Buster!", Sweet's first chart-topping single, which quickly reached #1 on the UK chart, remaining there for five consecutive weeks. "Hell Raiser" was released in May and reached position #2, the success of which was repeated by the subsequent singles, "The Ballroom Blitz" (September 1973) and "Teenage Rampage" (January 1974).

As the group's popularity grew, Sweet put in a heavy schedule of UK and European TV promotional appearances, including numerous Top of the Pops and Supersonic slots. Sweet soon picked up a large teenage audience. In one performance of "Block Buster!" on Top of the Pops, Priest aroused complaints after he appeared wearing a German uniform and displaying a swastika armband.^[1] The band also capitalised on the glam rock explosion, rivalling Gary Glitter, T. Rex, Queen, Wizzard, and Slade for outrageous stage clothing.

Forming a new image [link]

By 1974, Sweet had grown tired of the artistic control Chinn and Chapman exerted over their career, hence the group and Phil Wainman decided to record without the duo. The resulting album, Sweet Fanny Adams, was their first Top 40 entry in the UK Albums Chart. Sweet's technical proficiency was demonstrated for the first time on self-penned hard rock tracks such as "Sweet F.A." and "Set Me Free". Sweet also dropped their glam rock image in favour of a more conventional hard rock appearance. In response to UK music critics, Sweet concentrated on proving their musical talents with self-written tracks.

The Sweet Fanny Adams album also featured compressed high-pitched backing vocal harmonies, which was a trend that continued on all of Sweet's albums. Sweet, and later Queen, were recognised as some of the main exponents of high-pitched harmonies during the 1970s. During sessions for the album Brian Connolly was injured in a fight in Staines High Street. His throat was badly injured and his ability to sing severely limited. Priest and Scott filled in on lead vocals on some tracks ("No You Don't", "Into The Night" and "Restless") and Connolly under treatment from a Harley Street specialist managed to complete the album. The band did not publicise the incident and told the press that subsequent cancelled shows were due to Connolly having a throat infection.^{[citation needed]} No previous singles appeared on the album and none were released except in Japan and Australia where "Peppermint Twist/Rebel Rouser" gained a high chart position.

[edit] Desolation Boulevard

In early 1974 Sweet had received public praise from The Who's guitarist, Pete Townshend. Sweet had also frequently cited The Who as being one of their main influences and played a medley of their tracks in their live set for many years. At Townshend's invitation, Sweet were invited to support The Who, who were playing at Charlton Athletic's football ground, The Valley in June 1974. Connolly's badly bruised throat kept them from fulfilling the role. Some critics maintain that Connolly's voice never really recovered after this incident, and he was unable to sing with the strength and purity he had on their album and single releases.^{[citation needed]}

A second album was released during 1974 called Desolation Boulevard. One of the tracks off this album was a cover of The Who's "My Generation" (not on the U.S. version of the album). This album, produced by Mike Chapman in place of the now-departed Phil Wainman, was recorded in a mere six days and featured a rawer "live" sound.

The first single from the LP, the heavy-melodic "The Six Teens" (July 1974) was a Top 10 hit in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. However, the subsequent single release, "Turn It Down" (November 1974) reached only #41 on the UK chart. "Turn It Down" received minimal airplay on UK radio and was banned by some radio stations because of certain lyrical content - "God-awful sound" and "For God's sakes, turn it down" - which were deemed "unsuitable for family listening."

The U.S. version of this album, not released until 1975, was actually a combination of songs from Sweet Fanny Adams and the UK version of Desolation Boulevard. One side contained all Chapman-Chinn penned songs, with the other side featuring songs written and produced by Sweet.

Writing and producing their own material [link]

In 1975 Sweet went back into the studio to re-arrange and record a more pop-oriented version of the track "Fox on the Run", which originally appeared on the 1974 Desolation Boulevard LP. Sweet's first self-written and produced single, "Fox on the Run" (March 1975), was released worldwide and instantly became their biggest selling hit, reaching number one in Germany, Denmark, and South Africa, number two in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway and the Netherlands and number three in Austria and Switzerland. In Australia it not only made it to the top of the single charts, it also became the biggest selling single of that year.^[2] In North America, where it was only released the following year (1976), it was equally successful and reached number two in Canada and number five in the U.S.

The following single release, "Action" (July 1975), peaked at number 15 in the UK. Now confident in their own songwriting and production abilities, Sweet spent the mid to latter half of 1975 in Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany, where they recorded the Give Us A Wink album with German sound engineer Reinhold Mack, who later recorded with Electric Light Orchestra and co-produced Queen. The new album release was held over until 1976 so as not to stifle the chart success the Desolation Boulevard album was enjoying in North America, peaking at #25 in the US and #5 in Canada.

Since 1975 all subsequent RCA and Polydor single releases were now referred to as simply Sweet.

[edit] The Sweet Singles Album and Strung Up

In 1975 RCA released a compilation album entitled The Sweet Singles Album (Australia and New Zealand only). This LP featured singles recordings, including the hits "The Ballroom Blitz", "Teenage Rampage", "Block Buster" and "Hell Raiser". The album coincided with their Australian and New Zealand tour and was a big seller. Due to the delay in releasing Give Us A Wink! RCA decided to release a double album, Strung Up in November (except USA), which contained one (and first for the band) live disc, recorded in the UK in December 1973, the other disc being a compilation of previously released A and B side singles (plus a new song by Chinn and Chapman – "I Wanna Be Committed"). Also at the end of the year Andy Scott released his first solo single titled "Lady Starlight".With the B side "Where D'Ya Go" This was accompanied by a solo video clip of Scott playing the song. Tucker played drums on both tracks. A subsequent alternative version was later added to the Japanese and U.S. versions of the 1976 Give Us a Wink album, and to the Andy Scott 30 Years CD with an alternate version. This song also appeared on the Desolation Boulevard album, but with a softer remix). In Europe the single was also released with "Where D'Ya Go" as the A side and "Lady Starlight" as the B side with a different picture sleeve cover to the UK version.

Decline in popularity [link]

January 1976 saw the release of "The Lies In Your Eyes". This single was not very successful around the world, except parts of Europe and Australia. As a result of its lack of success, Australia was the only country to get the follow-up single "4th Of July". Give Us A Wink!, Sweet's first fully produced and written LP, was released in March 1976.

During 1976, Sweet strived to build on their growing popularity in America with a heavy schedule of more than fifty headline concert dates. Even though "Give Us A Wink's" release was imminent, the band were still in effect promoting the USA version of "Desolation Boulevard" and the only song from the new album played live was "Action" which had recently reached #20 as a single there. During an appearance at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in California on 24 March, Sweet played "All Right Now" with Ritchie Blackmore as a tribute to mark the death of Free guitarist Paul Kossoff, who was to have supported Sweet with his band Back Street Crawler. Following the end of the US tour the band went on to Scandinavia and Germany. A second single from the LP, The Lies In Your Eyes went into the Top 10 in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Australia, but only reached #35 on the UK charts. The band spent a week at The Who's Rampart Studio in Battersea demoing material for a new album before abandoning that project and playing eight dates in Japan.

Between October 1976 and January 1977, Sweet wrote and recorded new material at Kingsway Recorders and Audio International London studios for their next album. The first single from the yet to be released album was "Lost Angels". This single was only a hit in Germany and Sweden. In April 1977, Off the Record was released, which was Sweet's final RCA album release. The next single from the album, "Fever of Love", represented the band heading in a somewhat more Europop hard rock direction, and once again charting in Germany and Sweden, but also a surprise hit in South Africa (No.10 on its national Top 20 Charts). On this album, Sweet again worked with Give Us A Wink engineer Louis Austin, who would later engineer Def Leppard's On Through The Night 1980 début album.

The 1976 and 1977 years featured Sweet as a more album-oriented, glam metal act. Albums such as Give Us a Wink! and Off the Record were undoubtedly Sweet's heaviest studio albums. Indeed, U.S. Top 20 chart entry "Action" was the group's hardest rocking hit single. "Stairway To The Stars" was Sweet's final single release for RCA.

Split from RCA, Joining Polydor and a change in style [link]

Sweet split from RCA in late 1977. Earlier in the year, Sweet's Manager David Walker, from Handle artists, had been putting out feelers for a new record contract. Polydor, of what was then West Germany, showed extreme interest. A new record deal was signed, by mid 1977, however it would not come into force until later in the year. Reputed to be around 750,000 British Pounds Sterling, the event marked yet a new change in direction for the group.

The first album for new label Polydor, Level Headed in 1978 found Sweet experimenting by combining rock and classical sounds "a-la clavesin", an approach similar to UK band ELO - indeed "Love Is Like Oxygen" is often mistaken for an ELO song. Largely recorded at Château d'Hérouville near Paris, France and Clearwell Castle in the Forest Of Dean UK, the resulting Level Headed album represented a new musical direction with its Led Zeppelin influenced rock style, interspersed with ballads accompanied by a 30-piece orchestra. The ballad, "Lettres D'Amour", featured a duet between Brian and emerging singer Stevie Lange (who would emerge as lead singer with the group Night in 1979).

Whilst the band had seen Andy Scott and Steve Priest occasionally sing lead on an album track, this album tellingly saw Brian relegated to singing lead on only half the tracks. With the addition of session and touring musicians keyboardist Gary Moberley and guitarist Nico Ramsden, Sweet undertook a short European and Scandinavian tour followed by a single British concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon on 24 February 1978. However, "Love Is Like Oxygen" (January 1978) was their last UK, U.S. and German Top 10 hit. Scott was also nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for co-composing "Love Is Like Oxygen". One more single from the album, "California Nights" (May 1978), featuring Steve Priest as the lead vocalist, peaked at #23 on the German charts.

Departure of Brian Connolly [link]

Between March and May 1978 Sweet had extensively toured the USA. On this occasion, however, they had been reduced in status to a support act for Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. The tour included a disastrous date in Birmingham, Alabama at which visiting Capitol Records executives in the audience were to see Brian Connolly give a drunken and incoherent performance that terminated early in the set with his collapse on stage leaving the rest of the group to play on without him. The band returned briefly to England before resuming the second leg of their US tour in late May supporting Seger and other acts, including Foghat and Alice Cooper, finishing the US tour in early July 1978. Unfortunately, Brian's alcoholism was steadily becoming a greater issue. Although all the Sweet members lived the extreme rock lifestyle during the 70s - with alcohol, drugs, and women, among other things - the others were not as severely affected as Connolly.

In late October, Sweet arrived at The Town House studio in Shepherds Bush, London to write and record new material for their next album. Things were now coming to a head, with tension and difficulty with Brian Connolly. As a last-ditch effort, the group organised for Connolly's long-time friend and fellow founding member, Mick Tucker, to go into the studio without Andy Scott as producer, to attempt an outcome. A number of tracks were then recorded featuring Connolly on vocals for the "Cut Above the Rest" album.

Efforts were deemed unsatisfactory and some of the contributions were then erased from the ensuing album. Two tracks however, featuring Brian on lead vocals, "That Girl" and "Stay With Me", remain from the sessions. Later, Connolly would reflect on the difficulty, as a combination of musical and personal differences, particularly with Andy Scott.

On 23 February 1979, Brian Connolly's departure from Sweet was announced by Handle Artists Manager, David Walker, at a press conference. Publicly, Connolly was said to be pursuing a solo career with an interest in recording country rock.

Three piece Sweet [link]

Sweet continued as a trio with Steve Priest and Andy Scott, now both handling lead vocals, with Mick Tucker continuing on drums. Guest Keyboard player Gary Moberley continued to augment the group on stage. Also guitarist Ray McRiner, joined their touring line-up in 1979, with a small tour in the eastern part of the United States, to support the "Cut Above The Rest" album. Ray McRiner would also contribute the songs "Too Much Talking" and the single "Give The Lady Some Respect" to the next Sweet album, "Waters Edge". In the USA, the "Waters Edge" album was retitled by Capitol Records, as Sweet VI. The main singles for the "Waters Edge - Sweet VI" albums, were the singles, "Sixties Man", followed by "Give The Lady Some Respect". Sadly, another track, "Tall Girls", recorded shortly after the departure of Brian Connolly in 1979, never made it to the "Waters Edge", album. It did, however, become a single b-side.

One more studio album, Identity Crisis, was recorded during 1980-81 and Sweet performed their last live show at Glasgow University on 20 March 1981. Steve Priest had already relocated to the US and the original Sweet had effectively disbanded by mid 1981. The album "Identity Crisis", was released late during 1982. With no band to promote it, Polydor carefully released it only in West Germany and Mexico.

Re-formed Version [link]

In 1985, Scott and Tucker re-formed the Sweet, with new players, singer Paul Day (of Iron Maiden, More, Wildfire), keyboardist Phil Lanzon (ex-Grand Prix, Lionheart; now with Uriah Heep), and bass player Malcolm McNulty (who became lead singer for fellow glam rockers Slade). Steve Priest was asked to join Tucker and Scott for their 1986 Australian tour, but he declined. Reasons given were for Priest to remain with his family, as they were now resident in New York. Later, Steve Priest would comment further, saying the money being offered was not enough. Adding to the confusion, Brian Connolly had in early 1984 also formed his own version of the Sweet, but without any other of the original members.

Singer Paul Mario Day ended up marrying the band's Australian tour guide and relocating to Australia. He continued with Sweet for a bit, commuting back and forth to Europe for the group's tours until this proved to be too cumbersome. He departed in late 1988. As McNulty moved into the front man spot, Jeff Brown came in to take over bass early in 1989. Lanzon too went back and forth between Sweet and Uriah Heep during 1986-1988 before Heep's schedule grew too busy. Ian Gibbons (who had played with The Kinks and The Records) and then Malcolm Pearson both filled in for Lanzon until Steve Mann (ex-Liar, Lionheart, McAuley Schenker Group) arrived in December 1989 for a five and a half year term.

In 1991, Tucker departed due to ill health.

Brief reunions and the deaths of Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker [link]

Mike Chapman contacted all four members of the classic lineup in 1988, offering to finance a recording session in Los Angeles. As he remembers, he was in for a ghastly surprise: "I met them at the airport and Andy and Mick came off the plane. I said, 'Where's Brian?' They said, 'Oh, he's coming.' All the people had come off the plane by now. Then this little old man hobbled towards us. He was shaking, and had a ghostly white face. I thought, 'Oh, Jesus Christ.' It was horrifying."Reworked studio versions of "Action" and "The Ballroom Blitz" were recorded, but it became clear that Connolly's voice and physical health had made Sweet's original member comeback too difficult to promote commercially. Consequently, the reunion attempt was aborted.^[3]

In 1990 the classic lineup was again reunited for the promotion of a music documentary entitled Sweet's Ballroom Blitz. This UK video release, which contained UK television performances from the 1970s and current-day interviews, was released at Tower Records, London.

Brian Connolly died at the age of 51 on 9 February 1997 from liver failure and repeated heart attacks, attributed to his earlier 1970s and early 1980s chronic drinking. Mick Tucker subsequently died on 14 February 2002 from leukaemia, aged 54.

Recent years [link]

Today, two versions of The Sweet are still active with original members, Andy Scott's Sweet, who frequently tour across Europe as Sweet and makes occasional sojourns to other markets including regular visits to Australia and Steve Priest's Sweet who tour the USA and Canada.

On 28 April 2009, Shout! Factory released a two-disc, career-spanning greatest hits album called Action: The Sweet Anthology.^[4] It received a coveted four-star (out of five) rating in Rolling Stone.^[5]

Band member timeline [link]

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 bar:Brian    text:"Brian Connolly"
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 bar:Brian    from:01/01/1968 till:23/02/1979 color:vocals
 bar:Mick_T   from:01/01/1968 till:30/06/1981 color:drums
 bar:Steve    from:01/01/1968 till:30/06/1981 color:bass
 bar:Frank    from:01/01/1968 till:31/12/1968 color:guitar
 bar:Mick_S   from:01/01/1969 till:30/06/1970 color:guitar
 bar:Andy     from:01/08/1970 till:30/06/1981 color:guitar

LineData =

 at:01/01/1969 color:black layer:back
 at:30/06/1970 color:black layer:back
 at:01/08/1970 color:black layer:back
 at:23/02/1979 color:black layer:back
 at:30/06/1981 color:black layer:back

</timeline>

Discography [link]

Main article: Sweet discography

References [link]

^ Top of the Pops, January 1973 - see YouTube
^ Gibson, Mark (5 September 2007). "Australian Singles Chart For 1975". Australian Music History. http://www.australianmusichistory.com/australian-singles-chart-for-1975/. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
^ David Cavanagh (23 September 2010). "Glam rock bottom: why did it go so sour for Sweet?". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/sep/23/sweet-strange-history. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
^ "Action: The Sweet Anthology". Shout! Factory. http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257013. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
^ "Rolling Stone Magazine". http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/sweet/albums/album/26654991/review/26749750/action_the_sweet_anthology. Retrieved 7 September 2009.

Ain't That Just Like Me- The Unsung Story of Wainwright's Gentlemen, Mark Lay (2011, Scribe, ISBN 5800072530987)

External links [link]

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Live albums	Strung Up Live in Denmark 1976 Live at the Rainbow 1973

Compilation albums	Gimme Dat Ding The Sweet's Biggest Hits The Sweet The Sweet Singles Album Strung Up The Golden Greats The Ballroom Blitz & More Sweet Hits Action: The Sweet Anthology

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Yusuf Islam / Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens in Böblingen, Germany in 1976
Background information
Birth name	Steven Demetre Georgiou
Also known as	Steve Adams, Yusuf
Born	(1948-07-21) 21 July 1948 (age 63) Marylebone, London, England, United Kingdom
Genres	Folk rock, psychedelic rock,^[1] soft rock,^[1] pop rock,^[1] synthpop,^[2] electro,^[3] nasheed, spoken word, hamd
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, mandolin, organ, piano, mellotron, double bass, percussion
Years active	1966–1980 (as Cat Stevens) 1995–present (as Yusuf Islam)
Labels	Deram, Island, A&M, Jamal, Ya
Associated acts	Alun Davies
Website	www.yusufislam.com
Notable instruments
Baldwin piano Epiphone Casino Fender Rhodes Fender Telecaster Gibson Everly Brothers Flattop Gibson ES-335 Gibson J-200

Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou, 21 July 1948), commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam.^[4]

His early 1970s record albums Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat were both certified triple platinum in the United States by the RIAA.^[5] His 1972 album Catch Bull at Four sold half a million copies in the first two weeks of release alone and was Billboard's number-one LP for three consecutive weeks.^[6] He has also earned two ASCAP songwriting awards in consecutive years for "The First Cut Is the Deepest", which has been a hit single for four different artists.^[7]

Stevens converted to Islam in December 1977^[8] and adopted the name Yusuf Islam the following year. In 1979, he auctioned all his guitars for charity^[9] and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. He has been given several awards for his work in promoting peace in the world, including the 2003 World Award, the 2004 Man for Peace Award, and the 2007 Mediterranean Prize for Peace. In 2006, he returned to pop music with his first album of new pop songs in 28 years, entitled An Other Cup. He now goes professionally by the single name Yusuf.^[10]^[11] His most recent album, Roadsinger, was released on 5 May 2009.

1 Early life (1948–1965)
2 Musical career (1966–1970)
3 Musical career (1970–1978)
4 Religious conversion
5 Life as Yusuf Islam (1978–present)
6 Return to music
- 6.1 2006: An Other Cup
- 6.2 2009–present: Roadsinger, appearances and tours
7 Awards
- 7.1 Philanthropic and humanitarian awards
- 7.2 Music awards and recognition
8 Discography
9 See also
10 Notes and references
11 Further reading
12 External links

Early life (1948–1965)[link]

Steven Georgiou, born in Marylebone, London, England,^[12] was the third child of a Greek-Cypriot father, Stavros Georgiou (b. 1900),^[13] and a Swedish mother, Ingrid Wickman (b. 1915).^[14] He has an older sister, Anita, and brother, David.^[12] The family lived above the Moulin Rouge, a restaurant that his parents operated on the north end of Shaftesbury Avenue which was a short walk from Piccadilly Circus in the Soho theatre district of London. All family members worked in the restaurant.^[12] His parents divorced when he was about 8 years old, but they continued to maintain the family restaurant and live above it.

Although his father was Greek Orthodox and his mother a Swedish Baptist, Georgiou was sent to a Catholic school, St. Joseph Roman Catholic Primary School in Macklin Street, which was closer to his father's business on Drury Lane.^[15] Georgiou developed an interest in piano at a fairly young age, eventually using the family baby grand piano to work out the chords, since no one else there played well enough to teach him.^[16] Inspired by the popularity of The Beatles, at age 15 he extended his interest to the guitar,^[8] convinced his father to pay £8 for his first instrument, and began playing it and writing songs.^[16] He would escape at times from his family responsibilities to the rooftop above their home, and listen to the tunes of the musicals drifting from just around the corner^[12] from Denmark Street, which was then the centre of the British music industry.^[8] Later, Stevens has emphasised that the advent of West Side Story in particular affected him, giving him a "different view of life", he said in 2000, on a VH1 Behind the Music programme.^[17] With interests in both art and music, he and his mother moved to Gävle, Sweden, where he attended primary school (Solängsskolan) and started developing his drawing skills after being influenced by his uncle Hugo Wickman, a painter. They subsequently returned to England.^[18]

He attended other local West End schools, where he says he was constantly in trouble, and did poorly in everything but art. He was called "the artist boy" and mentions that "I was beat up, but I was noticed".^[19] He went on to take a one-year course of study at Hammersmith School of Art,^[20] as he considered a career as a cartoonist. Though he enjoyed art (his later record albums would feature his original artwork on his album covers),^[19] he wanted to establish a musical career and began to perform originally under the stage name "Steve Adams" in 1965 while at Hammersmith.^[20]^[21] At that point, his goal was to become a songwriter. Among the musicians who influenced him were Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, blues artists Lead Belly and Muddy Waters,^[22] John Lennon, Biff Rose (who played on his first album), Leo Kottke,^[19] and Paul Simon.^[23] He also wanted to emulate composers who wrote musicals, like Ira Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein. In 1965 he signed a publishing deal with Ardmore & Beechwood and cut several demos, including "The First Cut Is the Deepest".^[24]

Musical career (1966–1970)[link]

Early musical career [link]

Georgiou began to perform his songs in coffee houses and pubs. At first he tried forming a band, but soon realised he preferred performing solo.^[16] Thinking that his given name might not be memorable to prospective fans, he chose a stage name Cat Stevens, in part because a girlfriend said he had eyes like a cat, but mainly because he said, "I couldn't imagine anyone going to the record store and asking for 'that Steven Demetre Georgiou album'. And in England, and I was sure in America, they loved animals."^[25] In 1966, at age 18, he impressed manager/producer Mike Hurst, formerly of British vocal group The Springfields, with his songs and Hurst arranged for him to record a demo and then helped him get a record deal. The first singles were hits. "I Love My Dog" charted at number 28, and "Matthew and Son", the title song from his debut album, went to number 2.^[26] "I'm Gonna Get Me a Gun" reached Britain's Top 10, and the album Matthew and Son itself began charting. The original version of the The Tremeloes cover hit, "Here Comes My Baby", was written and recorded by Stevens.

	"The First Cut is the Deepest" (1967) noicon Sample of "The First Cut is the Deepest", performed by Cat Stevens. Appears on New Masters.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Over the next two years, Stevens recorded and toured with an eclectic group of artists ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Engelbert Humperdinck. Stevens was considered a fresh-faced teen star, placing several single releases in the British pop music charts.^[27] Some of that success was attributed to the pirate radio station Wonderful Radio London, which gained him fans by playing his records. In August 1967, he went on the air with other recording artists who had benefited from the station to mourn its closure.^[28]

His December 1967 album New Masters failed to chart in the United Kingdom. The album is now most notable for his song "The First Cut Is the Deepest", a song he sold for £30 to P.P. Arnold that was to become a massive hit for her,^[29] and an international hit for Keith Hampshire, Rod Stewart, James Morrison, and Sheryl Crow. Forty years after he recorded the first demo of the song, it earned him two back-to-back ASCAP "Songwriter of the Year" awards, in 2005 and 2006.^[30]^[31]

Tuberculosis [link]

Stevens contracted tuberculosis in 1969^[19]^[32] and was close to death at the time of his admittance to the King Edward VII Hospital, Midhurst;^[32] he spent months recuperating in the hospital and a year of convalescence. During this time Stevens began to question aspects of his life, and spirituality. He later said, "to go from the show business environment and find you are in hospital, getting injections day in and day out, and people around you are dying, it certainly changes your perspective. I got down to thinking about myself. It seemed almost as if I had my eyes shut."^[26]

He took up meditation, yoga, and metaphysics;^[33] read about other religions; and became a vegetarian.^[25] As a result of his serious illness and long convalescence,^[33] and as a part of his spiritual awakening and questioning, he wrote as many as forty songs, many of which would appear on his albums in years to come.^[9]

Changes in musical sound after illness [link]

The lack of success of Stevens' second album mirrored a difference of personal tastes in musical direction, and a growing resentment at producer Mike Hurst's attempts to re-create another album like that of his debut, with heavy-handed orchestration, and over-production,^[23] rather than the folk rock sound Stevens was attempting to produce. He admits having purposefully sabotaged his own contract with Hurst, making outlandishly expensive orchestral demands and threatening legal action, which resulted in his goal: release from his contract with Deram Records, a sub-label of major Decca Records.^[26] Upon regaining his health at home after his release from the hospital, Stevens recorded some of his newly written songs on his tape recorder, and played his changing sound for a few new record executives. After hiring agent Barry Krost, who had arranged for an audition with Chris Blackwell of Island Records, Blackwell offered him a "chance to record [his songs] whenever and with whomever he liked, and more importantly to Cat, however he liked".^[33] With Krost's recommendation, Stevens signed with Paul Samwell-Smith, previously the bassist of the Yardbirds, to be his new producer.^[34]

Musical career (1970–1978)[link]

Height of popularity [link]

Healthy and sporting a new beard, Stevens was armed with a catalogue of new songs that reflected his new perspective on what he wanted to bring to the world with his music. His previous work had sold in the United Kingdom, but Stevens was still relatively unknown by the public across the Atlantic. To rectify this, after signing with Island Records in 1970, an American distribution deal was arranged with A&M Records' Jerry Moss in North America. Stevens began work on Mona Bone Jakon, a folk rock based album.

Producer Paul Samwell-Smith paired Stevens with guitarist Alun Davies, who was currently working as a session musician. Alun was the more experienced veteran of two albums which already had begun to explore the emerging genres of skiffle and folk rock music. Davies was also thought a perfect fit with Stevens in particular for his "fingerwork" on the guitar, harmonising and his backing vocals. They originally met just to record Mona Bone Jakon,^[35] but developed a fast friendship. Davies, like Stevens, was a perfectionist,^[36] appearing after all the sound checks had been completed, just to be sure that all the equipment and sound were prepared for each concert.^[37] He collaborated with Stevens on all but two of the succeeding albums Stevens released, and performed and recorded with him until Stevens' retirement. Their friendship continued, however, and when Stevens re-emerged as Yusuf Islam after 27 years, Davies appeared again performing at his side, and has remained there.

	"Wild World" (1971) noicon Sample of "Wild World", performed by Cat Stevens. Appears on Tea for the Tillerman.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The first single released from Mona Bone Jakon was "Lady D'Arbanville", which Stevens wrote about his young American girlfriend Patti D'Arbanville. The record, with a madrigal sound unlike most music played on pop radio, with sounds of djembes and bass in addition to Stevens' and Davies' guitars, reached number 8 in the UK. It was the first of his hits to get real airplay in the United States.^[26] It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record in 1971.^[38] Other songs written for D'Arbanville included "Maybe You're Right", and "Just Another Night".^[39] In addition, the song "Pop Star", about his experience as a teen star, and "Katmandu", featuring Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel playing flute, were featured. Mona Bone Jakon was an early example of the solo singer-songwriter album format that was becoming popular for other artists as well. Rolling Stone magazine compared its popularity with that of Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection, saying it was played "across the board, across radio formats".^[40]

Mona Bone Jakon was the precursor for Stevens' international breakthrough album, Tea for the Tillerman, which became a Top 10 Billboard hit. Within six months of its release, it had sold over 500,000 copies, attaining gold record status in the United States and in Britain. The combination of Stevens' new folk rock style and accessible lyrics which spoke of everyday situations and problems, mixed with the beginning of spiritual questions about life, would remain in his music from then on. The album features the Top 20 single "Wild World"; a parting song after D'Arbanville moved on. "Wild World" has been credited as the song that gave Tea for the Tillerman 'enough kick' to get it played on FM radio; and the head of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, was quoted as calling it "the best album we’ve ever released".^[23] Other album cuts include "Hard-Headed Woman", and "Father and Son", a song sung both in baritone and tenor, about the struggle between fathers and their sons who are faced with their own personal choices in life. In 2001, this album was certified by the RIAA as a Multi-Platinum record, having sold 3 million copies in the United States at that time.^[41] It is ranked at No. 206 in Rolling Stone Magazine's 2003 list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".^[42]

	"Father and Son" (1970) noicon Sample of "Father and Son", performed by Cat Stevens. Appears on Tea for the Tillerman.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

After the end of his relationship with D'Arbanville, Stevens noted the effect it had on writing his music, saying,

"Everything I wrote while I was away was in a transitional period and reflects that. Like Patti. A year ago we split; I had been with her for two years. What I write about Patti and my family... when I sing the songs now, I learn strange things. I learn the meanings of my songs late..."^[42]

Having established a signature sound, Stevens enjoyed a string of successes over the following years. 1971's Teaser and the Firecat album reached number two and achieved gold record status within three weeks of its release in the United States. It yielded several hits, including "Peace Train", "Morning Has Broken" (a Christian hymn with lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon), and "Moon Shadow". This album was also certified by the RIAA as a Multi-Platinum record in 2001, with over three million US sales through that time. When interviewed on a Boston radio station, Stevens said about Teaser and the Firecat:

"I get the tune and then I just keep on singing the tune until the words come out from the tune. It's kind of a hypnotic state that you reach after a while when you keep on playing it where words just evolve from it. So you take those words and just let them go whichever way they want... 'Moonshadow'? Funny, that was in Spain, I went there alone, completely alone, to get away from a few things. And I was dancin' on the rocks there... right on the rocks where the waves were, like, blowin' and splashin'. Really, it was so fantastic. And the moon was bright, ya know, and I started dancin' and singin' and I sang that song and it stayed. It's just the kind of moment that you want to find when you're writin' songs."^[43]

For seven months from 1971 to 1972 Stevens was romantically linked to popular singer Carly Simon while both were produced by Samwell-Smith. During that time both wrote songs for and about one another. Simon wrote and recorded at least two Top 50 songs, "Legend in Your Own Time" and "Anticipation" about Stevens. He reciprocated in his song to her, after their romance, entitled, "Sweet Scarlet".^[44]^[45]^[46]

His next album, Catch Bull at Four, released in 1972, was his most rapidly successful album in the United States, reaching gold record status in 15 days, and holding the number-one position on the Billboard charts for three weeks. This album continued the introspective and spiritual lyrics that he was known for, combined with a rougher-edged voice and a less acoustic sound than his previous records, utilising synthesisers and other instruments. Although the sales of the album indicated Stevens' popularity, the album did not produce any real hits, with the exception of the single "Sitting", which charted at number 16. Catch Bull at Four was Platinum certified in 2001.

Exploration with movie soundtracks [link]

In July 1970, Stevens recorded one of his songs, "But I Might Die Tonight", for the Jerzy Skolimowski film Deep End.^[47] In 1971, Stevens provided nine songs to the soundtrack of the black comedy Harold and Maude which became a popular cult movie celebrating the free spirit, and brought Stevens' music to a wider audience, continuing to do so long after he stopped recording in the late 1970s. Among the songs were "Where Do the Children Play?", "Trouble", and "I Think I See the Light". Two of the songs, "Don't Be Shy" and "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out", were not released on any album until their inclusion in 1984 on a second "greatest hits" collection: Footsteps in the Dark: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2.

After his religious conversion in the late 1970s, Stevens stopped granting permission for his songs to be used in films. However, almost twenty years later, in 1997, the movie Rushmore was allowed to use his songs "Here Comes My Baby" and "The Wind", showing a new willingness on his part to release his music from his Western "pop star" days.^[17] This was followed in 2000 by the inclusion of "Peace Train" in the movie Remember the Titans,^[48] in 2000 by the use in Almost Famous of the song "The Wind",^[49] and in 2006 the inclusion of "Peace Train" on the soundtrack to We Are Marshall.^[50] In 2007, an excerpt of "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out" is sung by characters in Charlie Bartlett whose title character resembles the character of Harold in Harold and Maude, where the song first appeared.^[51] In 2009, the song "Father and Son" was in the soundtrack of the movie The Boat That Rocked (known as Pirate Radio in the U.S.). In 2010, the song "Wild World" was sung out by characters in the TV series Skins.

Later recordings [link]

Subsequent releases in the 1970s also did well on the charts and in ongoing sales, although they did not touch the success he had from 1970 to 1973. In 1973, Stevens moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a tax exile from the United Kingdom, however, he later donated the money to UNESCO.^[52] During that time he created the album Foreigner, which was a departure from the music that had brought him to the height of his fame. It differed in several respects: entirely written by Stevens, he dropped his band and produced the record without the assistance of Samwell-Smith, who had played a large role in catapulting him to fame, and instead of guitar, he played keyboard instruments throughout the album. It was intended to show a funk/soul element rising in popularity that Stevens had come to appreciate. One side of Foreigner was continuous, much different from the radio-friendly pop tunes fans had come to expect. In November 1973 he performed side two of the album at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood, with a pre-arranged uninterrupted quadraphonic simulcast on the ABC network titled the "Moon and Star" concert; this performance included his band, but they were all but overshadowed by an orchestra. The album produced a couple of singles including "The Hurt", but did not reach the heights he had once enjoyed.

	"Later" (1973) noicon Sample of "Later", performed by Cat Stevens. Appears on Foreigner.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The follow-up to Foreigner was Buddha and the Chocolate Box, largely a return to the instrumentation and styles employed in Teaser and the Firecat and Tea for the Tillerman. Featuring the return of Alun Davies and best known for "Oh Very Young", Buddha and the Chocolate Box reached platinum status in 2001. Stevens' next album was the concept album Numbers, a less successful departure for him.

In April 1977, his Izitso album updated his pop rock and folk rock style with the extensive use of synthesisers,^[53] giving it a more synthpop style.^[2] "Was Dog a Doughnut" in particular was an early techno-pop fusion track and a precursor to the 1980s electro music genre,^[3] making early use of a music sequencer.^[54] Izitso included his last chart hit, "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard", an early synthpop song^[2] that utilised a polyphonic synthesiser; it was a duet with fellow UK singer Elkie Brooks.^[54] Linda Lewis appears in the song's video, with Cat Stevens singing to her, as they portray former schoolmates, singing to each other on a schoolyard merry-go-round. This is one of the few music videos that Stevens made, other than simple videos of concert performances.

His final original album under the name Cat Stevens was Back to Earth, released in late 1978, which was also the first album produced by Samwell-Smith since his peak in single album sales in the early 1970s.

Several compilation albums were released before and after he stopped recording. After Stevens left Decca Records they bundled his first two albums together as a set, hoping to ride the commercial tide of his early success; later his newer labels did the same, and he himself released compilations. The most successful of the compilation albums was the 1975 Greatest Hits which has sold over 4 million copies in the United States. In May 2003 he received his first Platinum Europe Award^[55] from the IFPI for Remember Cat Stevens, The Ultimate Collection, indicating over one million European sales.

Religious conversion [link]

Yusuf in 2008

While on holiday in Marrakech, Morocco, shortly after visiting Ibiza, Stevens was intrigued by the sound of the Aḏhān, the Islamic ritual call to prayer, which was explained to him as "music for God". Stevens said, "I thought, music for God? I’d never heard that before – I’d heard of music for money, music for fame, music for personal power, but music for God!"^[56]

In 1976 Stevens nearly drowned off the coast of Malibu, California, USA and said he shouted: “Oh God! If you save me I will work for you.” He related that right afterward a wave appeared and carried him back to shore. This brush with death intensified his long-held quest for spiritual truth. He had looked into "Buddhism, Zen, I Ching, Numerology, tarot cards and Astrology".^[25] Stevens' brother David Gordon brought him a copy of the Qur'an as a birthday gift from a trip to Jerusalem.^[17] Stevens took to it right away, and began his transition to Islam.

During the time he was studying the Qur'an, he began to identify more and more with the name of Joseph, a man bought and sold in the market place, which is how he says he had increasingly felt within the music business.^[34] Regarding his conversion, in his 2006 interview with Alan Yentob,^[57] he stated, "to some people, it may have seemed like an enormous jump, but for me, it was a gradual move to this." And, in a Rolling Stone magazine interview, he reaffirmed this, saying, "I had found the spiritual home I'd been seeking for most of my life. And if you listen to my music and lyrics, like "Peace Train" and "On The Road To Find Out", it clearly shows my yearning for direction and the spiritual path I was travelling."^[58]

Stevens formally converted to the Islamic religion on 23 December 1977, taking the name Yusuf Islam in 1978. Yusuf is the Arabic rendition of the name Joseph. He stated that he "always loved the name Joseph" and was particularly drawn to the story of Joseph in the Qur'an.^[34] Although he discontinued his pop career, he was persuaded to perform one last time before what would become his twenty-five year musical hiatus. Appearing with his hair freshly shorn and an untrimmed beard, he headlined a charity concert on 22 November 1979 in Wembley Stadium to benefit UNICEF's International Year of the Child.^[59] The concert closed with a performance by Stevens, David Essex, Alun Davies, and Stevens' brother, David, who wrote the song that was the finale, "Child for a Day".^[59]

Yusuf married Fauzia Mubarak Ali on 7 September 1979,^[59] at Regent's Park Mosque in London. They have five children and three grandchildren and currently live in London, spending part of each year in Dubai.^[10]

Life as Yusuf Islam (1978–present)[link]

Muslim faith and musical career [link]

Following his conversion, Yusuf abandoned his music career. When he became a Muslim in 1977, he said, the Imam at the mosque was told that he was a pop star, and he told Yusuf that it was fine to continue as a musician, so long as the songs were morally acceptable. But Yusuf says he knew there were aspects of the music business, such as vanity and temptations, that did go against the teachings of the Qur'an,^[60] and this was the primary reason he gave for retreating from the spotlight. But in his first performance on the television show Later... with Jools Holland, 27 years after leaving the music business, and in other interviews, he gave different reasons for leaving: "A lot of people would have loved me to keep singing," he said. "You come to a point where you have sung, more or less ... your whole repertoire and you want to get down to the job of living. You know, up until that point, I hadn't had a life. I'd been searching, been on the road."^[15]

Estimating in January 2007 that he continues to earn approximately $1.5 million USD a year from his Cat Stevens music,^[61] he decided to use his accumulated wealth and ongoing earnings from his music career on philanthropic and educational causes in the Muslim community of London and elsewhere. In 1981, he founded the Islamia Primary School in Salusbury Road in the north London area of Kilburn and, soon after, founded several Muslim secondary schools; in 1992, Yusuf set up The Association of Muslim Schools (AMS-UK), a charity that brought together all the Muslim schools in the UK. He is also the founder and chairman of the Small Kindness charity, which initially assisted famine victims in Africa and now supports thousands of orphans and families in the Balkans, Indonesia, and Iraq.^[62] He served as chairman of the charity Muslim Aid from 1985 to 1993.^[63]

In 1985, Yusuf decided to return to the public spotlight for the first time since his religious conversion, at the historic Live Aid concert, concerned with the famine threatening Ethiopia. Though he had written a song especially for the occasion, his appearance was skipped when Elton John's set ran too long.^[64]

Salman Rushdie controversy [link]

Main article: Cat Stevens' comments about Salman Rushdie

The singer attracted controversy in 1989, during an address to students at London's Kingston University, where he was asked about the fatwa calling for the death of author Salman Rushdie. The media interpreted his response as support for the fatwa. Yusuf released a statement the following day denying that he supported vigilantism, and claiming that he had merely recounted the legal Islamic punishment for blasphemy. In a BBC interview, he displayed a newspaper clipping from that period, with quotes from his statement. Subsequent comments made by him in 1989 on a British television programme were also seen as being in support of the fatwa. In a statement in the FAQ section of one of his Web sites, Yusuf asserted that while he regretted the comments, he was joking and that the show was improperly edited.^[65] In the years since these comments, he has repeatedly denied ever calling for the death of Rushdie or supporting the fatwa.^[9]^[58]

11 September 2001 attacks [link]

Immediately following the 11 September 2001, attacks on the United States, he said:

I wish to express my heartfelt horror at the indiscriminate terrorist attacks committed against innocent people of the United States yesterday. While it is still not clear who carried out the attack, it must be stated that no right-thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action. The Qur'an equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity. We pray for the families of all those who lost their lives in this unthinkable act of violence as well as all those injured; I hope to reflect the feelings of all Muslims and people around the world whose sympathies go out to the victims of this sorrowful moment.^[66]^[67]

He appeared on videotape on a VH1 pre-show for the October 2001 Concert for New York City, condemning the attacks and singing his song "Peace Train" for the first time in public in more than 20 years, as an a cappella version. He also donated a portion of his box-set royalties to the Fund for victims' families, and the rest to orphans in underdeveloped countries.^[68] During the same year, Yusuf Islam dedicated time and effort in joining the Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism, an organisation that worked towards battling misperceptions and acts against others because of their religious beliefs or their racial identity (or both), after many Muslims reported a backlash against them due in part to the grief caused by the events in the United States on 9-11.^[52]

Denial of entry into the United States [link]

On 21 September 2004, Yusuf was on a United Airlines flight from London to Washington, travelling to a meeting with U.S. entertainer Dolly Parton, who had recorded "Peace Train" several years earlier and was planning to include another Cat Stevens song on an upcoming album.^[57] While the plane was in flight, his name was flagged as being on a no fly list. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers alerted the United States Transportation Security Administration, which then diverted his flight to Bangor, Maine, where he was detained by officers from the Department of Homeland Security.^[69]

The following day, Yusuf was denied entry and flown back to the United Kingdom. A spokesman for Homeland Security claimed there were "concerns of ties he may have to potential terrorist-related activities".^[70] The Israeli government had deported Yusuf in 2000 over allegations that he provided funding to the Palestinian organisation Hamas;^[71] he denied doing so knowingly.^[72] "I have never knowingly supported or given money to Hamas," says Yusuf, who repeatedly has condemned terrorism and Islamic extremism.^[73] "At the time I was reported to have done it, I didn't know such a group existed. Some people give a political interpretation to charity. We were horrified at how people were suffering in the Holy Land."^[72] However, the United States Department of Homeland Security added him to a "watch list".^[20] The US removal provoked a small international controversy, and led British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to complain personally to US Secretary of State Colin Powell at the United Nations.^[74] Powell responded by stating that the watchlist was under review, adding, "I think we have that obligation to review these matters to see if we are right".^[75]

Yusuf believed his inclusion on a "watch list" may have simply been an error: a mistaken identification of him for a man with the same name, but different spelling. On 1 October 2004 Yusuf requested the removal of his name, "I remain bewildered by the decision of the US authorities to refuse me entry to the United States".^[76] According to a statement by Yusuf, the man on the list was named "Youssef Islam", indicating that Yusuf himself was not the suspected terrorism supporter.^[15] Romanization of Arabic names can easily result in different spellings: the transliteration of the Islamic name for Joseph (Yusuf's chosen name) lists a dozen spellings.

Two years later, in December 2006 Yusuf was admitted without incident into the United States for several radio concert performances and interviews to promote his new record.^[77] Yusuf said of the incident at the time, that, "No reason was ever given, but being asked to repeat the spelling of my name again and again, made me think it was a fairly simple mistake of identity. Rumors which circulated after made me imagine otherwise."^[78]

Yusuf has written a song about the 2004 exclusion from the U.S., entitled "Boots and Sand", recorded in the summer of 2008 and featuring Paul McCartney, Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, and Terry Sylvester.^[79]

Libel cases [link]

British reports regarding inadmissibility to the U.S.[link]

In October 2004 the British newspapers The Sun and The Sunday Times voiced their support for Yusuf's exclusion from the U.S., claiming that he had supported terrorism. Yusuf successfully sued for libel and received a substantial out-of-court financial settlement and apologies from the newspapers stating that he had never supported terrorism and acknowledging that he had recently been given a Man of Peace award from the private Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Committee. However The Sunday Times managing editor Richard Caseby said that while there was an "agreed settlement", they "always denied liability" and "disagreed with Cat Stevens' lawyers interpretation", but took a "pragmatic view" of the lawsuit.^[80]

Yusuf responded that he was "delighted by the settlement [which] helps vindicate my character and good name. ... It seems to be the easiest thing in the world these days to make scurrilous accusations against Muslims, and in my case it directly impacts on my relief work and damages my reputation as an artist. The harm done is often difficult to repair", and added that he intended to donate the financial award given to him by the court to help orphans of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.^[80]

Yusuf wrote about the experience in a newspaper article titled "A Cat in a Wild World".^[81]

False rumour regarding unveiled women [link]

On 18 July 2008, Yusuf received substantial undisclosed damages from the World Entertainment News Network following their distribution of the false rumour that the singer did not speak to unveiled women.^[82] The allegations first surfaced in German newspaper B.Z. after Yusuf's trip to Berlin in March 2007 to collect the Echo music award for "life achievements as musician and ambassador between cultures".^[83] Once again he was awarded damages after the World Entertainment News Network allowed an article to be published on Contactmusic.com, a "website said to have 2.2 million page views a month",^[82] alleging that Yusuf would not speak to unveiled women with the exception of his wife. His solicitor was reported as having said that "he was made out to be 'so sexist and bigoted that he refused at an awards ceremony to speak to or even acknowledge any women who were not wearing a veil'".^[82]^[84] The offending news agency apologised, admitting that Yusuf has never had any problem in working with women and, contrary to the article in question, never has required a third party as an intermediary to function at work.^[83] The money from this lawsuit will go to Yusuf's Small Kindness Charity.^[82]

Yusuf himself discusses this topic on his website, saying, "It’s true that I have asked my manager to respectfully request lady presenters refrain from embracing me when giving awards or during public appearances, but that has nothing to do with my feelings or respect for them. Islam simply requires me to honour the dignity of ladies or young girls who are not closely related to me, and avoid physical intimacy, however innocent it may be." He adds, "My four daughters all follow the basic wearing of clothes which modestly cover their God-given beauty. They’re extremely well educated; they do not cover their faces and interact perfectly well with friends and society."^[85]

Return to music [link]

Yusuf at the 2009 MOJO Awards in London.

Yusuf gradually resumed his musical career in the 1990s. His initial recordings had not included any musical instruments other than percussion, and featured lyrics about Islamic themes. He invested in building his own recording studio which he named Mountain of Light Studios in the late 1990s, and he was featured as a guest singer on "God Is the Light", a song on an album of nasheeds by the group Raihan. In addition, he invited and collaborated with other Muslim singers, including Canadian artist Dawud Wharnsby. After Yusuf's friend, Irfan Ljubijankic, the Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was killed by a Serbian rocket attack, Yusuf appeared at a 1997 benefit concert in Sarajevo and recorded a benefit album named after a song written by Ljubijankic, I Have No Cannons That Roar.^[86] Realizing there were few educational resources designed to teach children about the Islamic religion, Yusuf wrote and produced a children's album, A Is for Allah, in 2000^[87] with the assistance of South African singer-songwriter Zain Bhikha. The title song was one Yusuf had written years before to introduce his first child to both the religion and the Arabic alphabet. He also established his own record label, "Jamal Records", and Mountain of Light Productions, and he donates a percentage of his projects' proceeds to his Small Kindness charity, whose name is taken from the Qur'an.^[88]

On the occasion of the 2000 re-release of his Cat Stevens albums, he explained that he had stopped performing in English due to his misunderstanding of the Islamic faith. "This issue of music in Islam is not as cut-and-dried as I was led to believe ... I relied on heresy [sic],^[89] that was perhaps my mistake."^[87]

Yusuf has reflected that his decision to leave the Western pop music business was perhaps too quick with too little communication for his fans. For most, it was a surprise, and even his guitarist, Alun Davies said in later interviews that he hadn't believed that Stevens would actually go through with it, after his many forays into other religions throughout their relationship.^[34] Yusuf himself has said the "cut" between his former life and his life as a Muslim might have been too quick, too severe, and that more people might have been better informed about Islam, and given an opportunity to better understand it, and himself, if he had simply removed those items that were considered harām, in his performances, allowing him to express himself musically and educate listeners through his music without violating any religious constraints.^[90]

In 2003, after repeated encouragement from within the Muslim world,^[91] Yusuf once again recorded "Peace Train" for a compilation CD, which also included performances by David Bowie and Paul McCartney. He performed "Wild World" in Nelson Mandela's 46664 concert with his former session player Peter Gabriel, the first time he had publicly performed in English in 25 years. In December 2004, he and Ronan Keating released a new version of "Father and Son": the song entered the charts at number two, behind Band Aid 20's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" They also produced a video of the pair walking between photographs of fathers and sons, while singing the song. The proceeds of "Father and Son" were donated to the Band Aid charity. Keating's former group, Boyzone, had a hit with the song a decade earlier. As he had been persuaded before, Yusuf contributed to the song, because the proceeds were marked for charity. However, this marked a point in his artistic career where he entertained the concept of using more than simply voice and drums.

On 21 April 2005 Yusuf gave a short talk before a scheduled musical performance in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on the anniversary of Muhammad's birthday. He said, "There is a great deal of ignorance in the world about Islam today, and we hope to communicate with the help of something more refined than lectures and talks. Our recordings are particularly appealing to the young, having used songs as well as Qur'an verses with pleasing sound effects..."^[92] Yusuf observed that there are no real guidelines about instruments and no references about the business of music in the Qur'an, and that Muslim travellers first brought the guitar to Moorish Spain. He noted that Muhammad was fond of celebrations, as in the case of the birth of a child, or a traveller arriving after a long journey. Thus, Yusuf concluded that healthy entertainment was acceptable within limitations, and that he now felt that it was no sin to perform with the guitar. Music, he now felt, is uplifting to the soul; something sorely needed in troubled times.^[93] At that point, he was joined by several young male singers who sang backing vocals and played a drum, with Yusuf as lead singer and guitarist. They performed two songs, both half in Arabic, and half in English; "Tala'a Al-Badru Alayna", an old song in Arabic which Yusuf recorded with a folk sound to it, and another song, "The Wind East and West", which was newly written by Yusuf and featured a distinct R&B sound.

With this performance, Yusuf began slowly to integrate instruments into both older material from his Cat Stevens era (some with slight lyrical changes) and new songs, both those known to the Muslim communities around the world and some that have the same Western flair from before with a focus on new topics and another generation of listeners.^[90]

In a 2005 press release, he explained his revived recording career:

After I embraced Islam, many people told me to carry on composing and recording, but at the time I was hesitant, for fear that it might be for the wrong reasons. I felt unsure what the right course of action was. I guess it is only now, after all these years, that I've come to fully understand and appreciate what everyone has been asking of me. It's as if I've come full circle; however, I have gathered a lot of knowledge on the subject in the meantime.^[91]

"In Islam there is something called the principle of common good. What that means is that whenever one is confronted by something that is not mentioned in the scriptures, one must observe what benefit it can bring. Does it serve the common good, does it protect the spirit, and does it serve God? If the scholars see that it is something positive, they may well approve of what I'm doing."

Yusuf Islam^[94]

In early 2005, Yusuf released a new song entitled "Indian Ocean" about the 2004 tsunami disaster. The song featured Indian composer/producer A. R. Rahman, a-ha keyboard player Magne Furuholmen and Travis drummer Neil Primrose. Proceeds of the single went to help orphans in Banda Aceh, one of the areas worst affected by the tsunami, through Yusuf's Small Kindness charity. At first, the single was released only through several online music stores but later featured on the compilation album Cat Stevens: Gold. "I had to learn my faith and look after my family, and I had to make priorities. But now I've done it all and there's a little space for me to fill in the universe of music again."^[95]

On 28 May 2005, Yusuf delivered a keynote speech and performed at the Adopt-A-Minefield Gala in Düsseldorf. The Adopt-A-Minefield charity, under the patronage of Paul McCartney, works internationally to raise awareness and funds to clear landmines and rehabilitate landmine survivors. Yusuf attended as part of an honorary committee which also included George Martin, Richard Branson, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Klaus Voormann, Christopher Lee and others.^[96]

In mid-2005, Yusuf played guitar for the Dolly Parton album, Those Were the Days, on her version of his "Where Do the Children Play?" (Parton had also covered "Peace Train" a few years earlier.)

In May 2006, in anticipation of his forthcoming new pop album, the BBC1 programme "Imagine" aired a 49-minute documentary with Alan Yentob called Yusuf: The Artist formerly Known as Cat Stevens. This documentary film features rare audio and video clips from the late 1960s and 1970s, as well as an extensive interview with Yusuf, his brother David Gordon, several record executives, Bob Geldof, Dolly Parton, and others outlining his career as Cat Stevens, his conversion and emergence as Yusuf Islam, and his return to music in 2006. There are clips of him singing in the studio when he was recording An Other Cup as well as a few 2006 excerpts of him on guitar singing a few verses of Cat Stevens songs including "The Wind" and "On the Road to Find Out".^[57]

Yusuf has credited his then 21-year-old son Muhammad Islam, also a musician and artist, for his return to secular music, when the son brought a guitar back into the house, which Yusuf began playing.^[9] Muhammad's professional name is Yoriyos^[10]^[97] and his debut album was released in February 2007.^[98] Yoriyos created the art on Yusuf's album An Other Cup, something that Cat Stevens did for his albums in the 1970s.

Starting in 2006, the Cat Stevens song "Tea for The Tillerman" was used as the theme tune for the Ricky Gervais BBC-HBO sitcom Extras. A Christmas-season television commercial for gift-giving by the diamond industry aired in 2006 with Cat Power's cover of "How Can I Tell You". That song is also covered by John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers frequently in concert.

In December 2006, Yusuf was one of the artists who performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, in honour of the prize winners, Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank. He performed the songs "Midday (Avoid City After Dark)", "Peace Train", and "Heaven/Where True Love Goes". He also gave a concert in New York City that month as a Jazz at Lincoln Center event, recorded and broadcast by KCRW-FM radio, along with an interview by Nic Harcourt. Accompanying him, as in the Cat Stevens days, was Alun Davies, on guitar and vocals.

	"I Think I See the Light" (2007) noicon Sample of "I Think I See the Light", performed by Yusuf Islam at BBC Sessions
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

In April 2007, BBC1 broadcast a concert given at the Porchester Hall by Yusuf as part of BBC Sessions, his first live performance in London in 28 years (the previous one being the UNICEF "Year of the Child" concert in 1979). He played several new songs along with some old ones like "Father and Son", "The Wind", "Where Do the Children Play?", "Don't Be Shy", "Wild World", and "Peace Train".

In July 2007, he performed at a concert in Bochum, Germany, in benefit of Archbishop Desmond Tutu's Peace Centre in South Africa and the Milagro Foundation of Deborah and Carlos Santana. The audience included Nobel Laureates Mikhail Gorbachev, Desmond Tutu and other prominent global figures. He later appeared as the final act in the German leg of Live Earth in Hamburg performing some classic Cat Stevens songs and more recent compositions reflecting his concern for peace and child welfare. His set included Stevie Wonder's "Saturn", "Peace Train", "Where Do the Children Play?", "Ruins", and "Wild World". He performed at the Peace One Day concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 21 September 2007.^[99] In 2008 Yusuf contributed the song "Edge of Existence" to the charity album Songs for Survival, in support of the indigenous rights organisation Survival International.

In January 2009, Yusuf released a charity song in aid of children in Gaza. He recorded a rendition of the George Harrison song "The Day the World Gets Round", along with the German bassist Klaus Voorman, who formerly collaborated with The Beatles. Yusuf said that all proceeds from the song will be donated to the U.N. agency in charge of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and to the nonprofit group Save the Children to be directed to aiding Gaza residents.^[100] Israeli Consul David Saranga criticised Yusuf for not dedicating the song to all the children who are victims of the violence, including Israeli children.^[101]

[edit] 2006: An Other Cup

In March 2006, Yusuf finished recording his first all-new pop album since 1978.^[102] The album, An Other Cup, was released internationally in November 2006 on his own label, Ya Records (distributed by Polydor Records in the UK and internationally by Atlantic Records) — the 40th anniversary of his first album, Matthew and Son. A single, called Heaven/Where True Love Goes, was simultaneously released. The album was produced with Rick Nowels, who has worked with Dido and Rod Stewart. The performer is noted as "Yusuf", with a cover label identifying him as "the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens". The art on the album is credited to Yoriyos. Yusuf wrote all of the songs except "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood",^[103] and recorded it in the United States and the United Kingdom.^[102]

Yusuf actively promoted this album, appearing on radio, television and in print interviews. In November, 2006, he told the BBC, "It's me, so it's going to sound like that of course ... This is the real thing.... When my son brought the guitar back into the house, you know, that was the turning point. It opened a flood of, of new ideas and music which I think a lot of people would connect with."^[104] Originally, Yusuf began to return only to his acoustic guitar as he had in the past, but his son encouraged him to "experiment", which resulted in the purchase of a Stevie Ray Vaughan Fender Stratocaster^[105] in 2007.

Also in November 2006, Billboard magazine was curious as to why the artist is credited as just his first name, "Yusuf" rather than "Yusuf Islam".^[95] His response was "Because 'Islam' doesn't have to be sloganized. The second name is like the official tag, but you call a friend by their first name. It's more intimate, and to me that's the message of this record." As for why the album sleeve says "the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens", he responded, "That's the tag with which most people are familiar; for recognition purposes I'm not averse to that. For a lot of people, it reminds them of something they want to hold on to. That name is part of my history and a lot of the things I dreamt about as Cat Stevens have come true as Yusuf Islam."^[95]

Yusuf was asked by the Swiss periodical Das Magazin why the title of the album was An Other Cup, rather than "Another Cup". The answer was that his breakthrough album, Tea for the Tillerman in 1970, was decorated with Yusuf's painting of a peasant sitting down to a cup of steaming drink on the land. Yusuf commented that the two worlds "then, and now, are very different". His new album shows a steaming cup alone on this cover. His answer was that this was actually an other cup; something different; a bridge between the East and West, which Yusuf explained was his own perceived role. He added that, through him, "Westerners might get a glimpse of the East, and Easterners, some understanding of the West. The cup, too, is important; it's a meeting place, a thing meant to be shared."^[94]

On CBS Sunday Morning in December 2006, he said, "You know, the cup is there to be filled ... with whatever you want to fill it with. For those people looking for Cat Stevens, they'll probably find him in this record. If you want to find [Yusuf] Islam, go a bit deeper, you'll find him."^[9]

Yusuf has since described the album as being too "over-produced" and refers to An Other Cup as being a necessary hurdle he had to overcome before he could release his new album, Roadsinger.

[edit] 2009–present: Roadsinger, appearances and tours

In January 2009, Yusuf recorded a George Harrison song, "The Day the World Gets 'Round", collaborating with Klaus Voormann. Proceeds from the single were donated to a charity to help the people of war-torn Gaza. To promote the new single, Voormann re-designed his famous Beatles Revolver album cover, drawing a picture of a young Cat Stevens along with himself and Harrison.^[106]

Performance 28 May 2009 at Shepherds Bush Empire, London for Island Records' 50th Anniversary

A new pop album, Roadsinger, was released on 5 May 2009. The lead track, "Thinking 'Bout You", received its debut radio play on a BBC programme on 23 March 2009.^[107] Unlike An Other Cup, Yusuf promoted the new album with appearances on American television as well as in the U.K. He appeared on the Chris Isaak Hour on the A&E network in April 2009, performing live versions of his new songs, "World O'Darkness", "Boots and Sand", and "Roadsinger". On 13 May he appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in Los Angeles, and on 14 May, on The Colbert Report in New York City, performing the title song from the Roadsinger album. On 15 May, he appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, performing "Boots and Sand" and "Father and Son". On 24 May he appeared on the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show, where he was interviewed and performed the title track of Roadsinger. On 15 August, he was one of many guests at Fairport Convention's annual Fairport's Cropredy Convention where he performed five songs accompanied by Alun Davies, with Fairport Convention as his backing band.

A world tour was announced on his web site to promote the new album. He was scheduled to perform at an invitation-only concert at New York City's Highline Ballroom on 3 May^[108] and to go on to Los Angeles, Chicago and Toronto, as well as some to-be-announced European venues.^[10] However, the New York appearance was postponed due to issues regarding his work visa. He appeared in May 2009 at Island Records' 50th Anniversary concert in London.^[10] In November and December 2009 Yusuf undertook his "Guess I'll Take My Time Tour" which also showcased his musical play Moonshadow. The tour took him to Dublin, where he had a mixed reception; subsequently he was well received in Birmingham and Liverpool, culminating in an emotional performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In June 2010 he toured Australia for the first time in 36 years,^[109] and New Zealand for the first time ever.^[110]

On 30 October 2010 Yusuf appeared at Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington, DC, singing alongside Ozzy Osbourne. Yusuf performed "Peace Train" and Ozzy performed "Crazy Train" at the same time, followed by The O'Jays performance of "Love Train".^[111]

On 2 March 2011, Yusuf released his latest song, "My People", as a free download available through his official website, as well as numerous other online outlets.^[112] Said to have been recorded at a studio located within a hundred yards of the site of the Berlin Wall, the song is inspired by a series of popular uprisings in the Arab world.^[113]

On 1 April 2011, Yusuf launched a new tour website (yusufinconcert.com) to commemorate his first European tour in over 36 years scheduled from 7 May to 2 June 2011. The ten-date tour visited Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and cities such as Stockholm, Hamburg, Oberhausen, Berlin, Munich, Rotterdam, Paris, Mannheim, Vienna and Brussels.^[114]

In May 2012, Moonshadow, a new musical by Yusuf, featuring music from throughout his career, will open at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, Australia.^[115] The public can register on the musical's website (www.moonshadowthemusical.com.au) to receive updated news and information, including updates on ticket sales. According to the Theatre's website, "Through [Yusuf's] much loved songs and music, Moonshadow will take the audience on an incredible journey with a magical story of a young man and his moonshadow's struggle against the oncoming of darkness and the search for everlasting happiness".^[116]

Awards [link]

Philanthropic and humanitarian awards [link]

2003 World Award also known as the "World Social Award" for "humanitarian relief work helping children and victims of war".^[117]
2004 Man for Peace Award presented by Mikhail Gorbachev for his "dedication to promote peace, the reconciliation of people and to condemn terrorism", the ceremony was held in Rome, Italy and attended by five Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
(2005) Honorary Doctorate by the University of Gloucestershire for services to education and humanitarian relief.^[118]
4 January 2007, The Mediterranean Prize for Peace in Naples, Italy. The award was received "as a result of the work he has done to increase peace in the world."^[119]
10 July 2007, honorary doctorate (LLD) by the University of Exeter, in recognition of "his humanitarian work and improving understanding between Islamic and Western cultures".^[120]^[121]
6 November 2009, Special Achievement Award of the German Sustainability Award.

Music awards and recognition [link]

2005 Nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame^[122]
20 October 2005, ASCAP named Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year for "The First Cut Is the Deepest"^[7]
8 June 2006, listed as number 49 in Paste magazine's "100 Best Living Songwriters"^[123]
11 October 2006, awarded Songwriter of the Year for the second year running, for the same song "The First Cut Is the Deepest"^[124]
25 March 2007, received the German ECHO "special award for life achievements as musician and ambassador between cultures", Europe's Grammy, in Berlin^[83]
2008 Nominated for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame^[125]

Discography [link]

Main article: Cat Stevens discography

(includes Yusuf discography)

Notes and references [link]

^ ^a ^b ^c Ruhlmann, William (21 July 1948). "(Cat Stevens > Overview)". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5528. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Cat Stevens – Izitso". Island Records. Discogs. http://www.discogs.com/Cat-Stevens-Izitso/release/1119030. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
^ ^a ^b David Toop (March 1996), "A-Z Of Electro", The Wire (145), http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/210/, retrieved 2011-05-29
^ "Footsteps in the Light: Yusuf Islam new CD". Review of album. muslimbase.com, a Silverline Company. 1995-2006. http://www.muslimbase.com/product_info.php?products_id=949. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
^ RIAA – Gold and Platinum Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved 22 January 2011
^ Billboard – Catch Bull at Four Allmusic. Retrieved 20 October 2011
^ ^a ^b "2005 ASCAP Press release". Ascap.com. http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/awards/prs/2005/songwriter.html. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c Fitzsimmons, Mick; Harris, Bob (5 January 2001). "Cat Stevens – A Musical Journey". Taped documentary interview synopsis. BBC2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/documentaries/catstevens.shtml. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Phillips, Mark and Faber, Judy (12 August 2007). "Yusuf Islam Reflects On His Return: Artist Once Known As Cat Stevens Talks About New Album". CBS Sunday Morning (CBS News). http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/30/sunday/main2221286.shtml?source=search_story. Retrieved 11 February 2009. This story originally aired on 3 December 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Donahue, Ann (18 April 2009). "Yusuf Islam's past, present in harmony on new album". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE53H0D720090418?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
^ "Why Has Yusuf Dropped Islam From His Stage Name?". Chinese Whiskers-FAQs. YusufIslam.com. http://www.yusufislam.com/faq/why-has-yusuf-dropped-islam-f/. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Yusuf Islam Lifeline:1948". Yusuf Islam official website. http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/lifeline/0/bdf531e09252cc4c73fc5d84c4138cb3/. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
^ "Yusuf Islam Lifeline:1900". Yusuf Islam official website. http://www.yusufislam.com/lifeline/0/c0a000278bb374d0e7ccc4fff9c6f50c/. Retrieved 26 September 2008.
^ "Yusuf Islam Lifeline:1915". Yusuf Islam official website. http://www.yusufislam.com/lifeline/0/89e745cf04fb2557b83cc08c8319216d/. Retrieved 26 September 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Interview With Yusuf Islam, Formerly Cat Stevens, Larry King Live". CNN. 7 October 2004. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/07/lkl.01.html. Retrieved 7 January 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Yusuf Islam Lifeline:1963". Yusuf Islam official website. http://www.yusufislam.com/lifeline/5/e7d1d7b4ed05dee95e2e98b6f8b9cabb/. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Durrani, Anayat (October 2000). "VH1 Profiles Cat Stevens in "Behind the Music"". Islamfortoday.com. http://www.islamfortoday.com/vh1catstevens.htm. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
^ "From kitten to cat". Fabulous 208. http://majicat.com/articles/kittycat.htm. Retrieved 26 November 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Windeler, Robert (October 1972). "Cat Stevens". Volume 29, No. 4 (Stereo Review): p. 76. http://www.majicat.com/articles/sterereview72.htm. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Yusuf's return to musical roots". BBC. 22 September 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3679808.stm. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
^ Ruhlmann, William. "Cat Stevens Biography on Yahoo Music". Allmusic. http://music.yahoo.com/ar-265346-bio--Cat-Stevens. Retrieved 26 November 2008.
^ Islam, Yusuf (2008). "Yusuf Islam Lifeline 1964". Official Website. p. 1964. http://www.yusufislam.com/lifeline/5/732059b53c9209c0cc0b34c7549ce4a2/. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Scoppa, Bud (24 May 1971). "Easy Does It". Rock Magazine. http://majicat.com/articles/rock71.htm. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
^ "Yusuf Islam Lifeline:1965". Yusuf Islam official website. http://www.yusufislam.com/lifeline/5/060ab65489b4e02c6a8b3d932af0c3b0/. Retrieved 26 September 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Reiter, Amy (14 August 1999). "Salon People: Cat Stevens". Salon. http://www.salon.com/people/rewind/1999/08/14/cat/index1.html. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Yusuf Islam: Biography". Yusuf Islam official website. http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/biography/. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
^ "Yusuf Islam Lifeline:1967". Yusuf Islam official website. http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/lifeline/0/bdf531e09252cc4c73fc5d84c4138cb3/. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
^ "Cat Stevens". Basic Music. http://basicmusic.net/musicians.php?aid=5025. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
^ Marrin, Minette (26 September 2004). "Profile: Yusuf Islam aka Cat Stevens: Not so much a zealot more a lost musician". The Sunday Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/article486773.ece. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
^ "Songwriter of the Year, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), First Cut Is The Deepest". ASCAP. http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/awards/prs/2005/songwriter.html. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
^ 2006 PRS Awards, The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers; Islam, Yusuf (2006 List of Winners). "Songwriter of the Year". "The First Cut is the Deepest" (2006 PRS Awards EMI Music Publishing). http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/awards/prs/2006/winners.html. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
^ ^a ^b O'Driscoll, Michelle (29 July 1972). "Tea With The Tillerman". Disc Magazine. http://www.majicat.com/articles/disc72_cat.htm. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hely, Allan (1972). "Cat Stevens 1972 Concert Programme". Festival Records PTY, Limited. The Paul Dainty Corporation (Australia) Pty.. http://majicat.com/programs/ozprog.htm. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Forbes, Jim (host) (2000). Cat Stevens: Behind the Music (TV-Series). United States: VH1.
^ "Cat’s Man". Disc and Music Echo. 5 February 1972. http://majicat.com/alun/catman2.htm. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
^ Fox-Cumming, Ray (1972, 2007). "Taff at the Top". Majicat.com. http://majicat.com/alun/taffattop.htm. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
^ "Alun Davies' Main Page". http://majicat.com/alun.htm. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 286. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
^ DesBarres, Pamela; D'Arbanville, Patti (1 September 2008). Helter Skelter Publishing. ed. Let's Spend the Night Together. Chicago Review Press. p. 54. ISBN 1-55652-789-6. http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Spend-Night-Together-Supergroupies/dp/1556527896/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236996639&sr=1-1. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
^ Fong-Torres, Ben (1 April 1971). "Cat Stevens Out of a Bag". Magazine article and interview. Rolling Stone Magazine. http://majicat.com/articles/RS471.htm. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
^ "RIAA Platinum Ranking". http://www.riaa.com. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ ^a ^b "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 3 November 2003. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/catstevens/articles/story/6598898/206_tea_for_the_tillerman. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
^ Crouse, Timothy (9 December 1971). "Cat Stevens on Teaser and the Firecat". Rolling Stone. http://www.superseventies.com/spstevenscat1.html. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
^ Stamberg, Susan (28 July 2005). "Carly Simon Sings American Classics, Again". Morning Edition (NPR). http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4771736. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ Farber, Jim (18 October 2009). "Carly Simon revisits her hits on new album 'Never Been Gone' and spills about a past love". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2009/10/18/2009-10-18_carly_simon_revisits_her_hits_on_new_album_never_been_gone_and_spills_about_a_pa.html. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
^ "Cat Stevens & Carly Simon". http://www.majicat.com/photos/Carly_Cat.htm. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ "Yusuf Islam Lifeline:1970". Yusuf Islam official website. http://www.yusufislam.com/lifeline/10/a45dd1dc1476115ceb7fa21a45cbcd0f/. Retrieved 26 September 2008.
^ "Soundtrack for "Remember the Titans"". imdb.com. 2000. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210945/soundtrack. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
^ "Soundtrack for Almost Famous". imdb.com. 2002. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181875/soundtrack. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
^ "Soundtracks for We Are Marshall". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758794/soundtrack. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
^ "Movie Connections for Charlie Bartlett". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423977/movieconnections.
^ ^a ^b Williamson, Nigel (29 March 2005). "Music is Part of God's Universe". The Guardian. UK. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2005/mar/29/usa.tsunami2004. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
^ Ruhlmann, William. "Review". Izitso. Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/izitso-r19012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
^ ^a ^b "Cat Stevens – Izitso". A&M Records. Discogs. http://www.discogs.com/Cat-Stevens-Izitso/release/493125. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
^ "May 2003 – Platinum Europe Awards". IFPI. 6 June 2003. http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat_month_20030605a.html. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ Garner, Lesley (19 April 2002). "Playing God’s Music". Evening Standard: pp. Life Articles. http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Yentob, Alan (2006). Yusuf Islam: The Artist Formerly Known as Cat Stevens. BBC.
^ ^a ^b Dansby, Andrew (14 June 2000). "Cat Stevens Breaks His Silence". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/cat-stevens-breaks-his-silence-20000621. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c "International Year of the Child". 'Together for Children' (a joint Oxfam/Unicef Programme) presents:. Performance at the Year of the Child Concert. 1979. http://majicat.com/programs/unicefprog.htm. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
^ Stroumboulopoulos, George (3 January 2007). "Interview with Yusuf Islam, aka Cat Stevens". The Hour (CBC). http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1264. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
^ Solomon, Deborah (7 January 2007). "Questions for Yusuf Islam: Singing a New Song". The New York Times Magazine. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/magazine/07WWLN_Q4.t.html?_r=1&scp=8&sq=Yusuf%20Islam&st=cse. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
^ "Word from Our Chairman Yusuf Islam". Small Kindness. http://yusufislam.org.uk/sk/mission.htm. Retrieved 6 May 2006.
^ "Doesn’t Yusuf Have Links With Terrorists?". Chinese Whiskers -FAQs. Mountain of Light. http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/talks_cw.html. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ Kelly, Jane (24 March 1998). "Worlds Apart: People thought I was mad when I stopped being Cat Stevens the rock star – but I've never been happier". Daily Mail (UK). http://www.majicat.com/yusufislam/dailymail1998.htm. Retrieved 6 May 2006.
^ "Yusuf Islam Wants to See Salman Rushdie Burnt, Right?". Chinese Whiskers-FAQs. Mountain of Light. http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/talks_cw.html#20. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
^ Dansby, Andrew (17 September 2001). "Cat Stevens Condemns Attack". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/catstevens/articles/story/5933040/cat_stevens_condemns_attack. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
^ Wiederhorn, Jon (18 September 2001). "Yusuf Islam Expresses 'Heartfelt Horror' Over Terrorist Attacks". VH1. http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1448948/20010918/stevens_cat.jhtml. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ Staff writer (28 September 2001). "Former Cat Stevens To Donate Some Box Set Royalties To September 11 Fund". VH1. http://www.vh1.com/thewire/content/news/1449391.jhtml. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ Goo, Sara Kehaulani (22 September 2004). "Cat Stevens held after D.C. flight diverted". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39772-2004Sep21.html. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
^ Goo, Sara Kehaulani (23 September 2004). "Cat Stevens leaves U.S. after entry denied". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43282-2004Sep22.html. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
^ Dansby, Andrew (13 July 2000). "Israel Rejects the Former Cat Stevens". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5922705/israel_rejects_the_former_cat_stevens. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
^ ^a ^b Edna Gundersen (15 December 2006). "'Cat Stevens' returns to music". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-12-14-yusuf-islam_x.htm?loc=interstitialskip. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
^ "Cat Stevens 'In the Dark' Over No-Fly List". ABC News 20/20. 1 October 2004. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/News/story?id=139607. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
^ "Cat Stevens "shock" at US refusal". BBC. 23 September 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3682434.stm. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
^ "Powell orders review". Sky News. 30 September 2004. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1153665,00.html. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
^ "Yusuf Islam wants name off 'no-fly' list". Associated Press. 2 October 2004. http://www.entertainment-news.org/breaking/8585/yusuf-islam-wants-name-off-no-fly-list.html. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
^ Pareles, Jon (20 December 2006). "Yusuf Islam Steps Back Into Cat Stevens's Old Sound". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/20/arts/20yusuf.html?_r=1&oref=slogin. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
^ "Why was he turned away from USA?". Chinese Whiskers – FAQs. YusufIslam.com. http://www.yusufislam.com/faq/a083efb2edcf4c567c792d95e528149f/. Retrieved 26 November 2008.
^ "Yusuf Islam Lifeline:August 2008". Yusuf Islam official website. http://www.yusufislam.com/lifeline/50/112858136a274e64da8f3d0dd2ae30c7/. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
^ ^a ^b "Singer Islam gets libel damages". BBC. 15 February 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4268651.stm. Retrieved 6 May 2006.
^ Islam, Yusuf (1 October 2004). "A cat in a wild world". The Guardian (UK). http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1317260,00.html. Retrieved 6 May 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Yusuf Islam wins damages for "veiled women" slur". Reuters. 18 July 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1888341620080718?sp=true. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Marot, Marc (2 April 2007). "Yusuf Islam's Manager Refutes 'Veil' Allegations". PR Inside. http://www.pr-inside.com/yusuf-islam-s-manager-refutes-veil-allegations-r83327.htm. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
^ "Cat Stevens accepts libel damages". BBC. 18 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7513574.stm. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
^ "Yusuf Islam : Mountain of Light". mountainoflight.co.uk. http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/talks_cw.html#19. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
^ "Yusuf Islam At House Of Commons Album Launch". March 1998. http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=43127. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ ^a ^b Nolen, Stephanie (22 May 2000). "The Cat's Comeback". Globe and Mail (Canada): p. R1. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20000522.RVCATT/TPStory/?query=Yusuf+Islam. Retrieved 12 January 2007.
^ "Surah 107:Small Kindness – al Ma'oun". http://web.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/tafsir/syed_qutb/surah_107.htm. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ Note that some online sources render this word as "hearsay" but the official copy from The Globe and Mail online archives says "heresy".
^ ^a ^b Islam, Yusuf. "NEW Yusuf Islam Interview And A Is For Allah Peace Train Cat Stevens". Video of Interview. Turn to Islam. pp. 1–6. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2645580672038253877. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
^ ^a ^b "Yusuf Islam sings for tsunami victims and told to make more music and spread Peace" (Press release). Mountain of Light. 24 January 2005. http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/news_tsunami.html. Retrieved 6 May 2006.
^ "New Recordings by Yusuf Islam". March 2001. http://www.islamicvoice.com/march.2001/news.htm. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
^ Islam, Yusuf (22 May 2005). "Yusuf Islam in Abu Dhabi". Emirates TV. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1897010327804155638&q=&hl=en. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
^ ^a ^b Mingels, Guido (12 December 2006). ""To Be, You Must Give up What You Are" – Interview with Yusuf Islam". ARABIA.pl. http://www.arabia.pl/english/content/view/308/16/. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Williamson, Nigel (17 November 2006). "The Billboard Q and A: Yusuf Islam". Billboard Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 March 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080306082826/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/feature/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003409809. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
^ "Yusuf Islam Official website". Yusufislam.org.uk. http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
^ "Cat Stevens' Son Makes Music Debut". NME. UK. 8 November 2006. http://www.nme.com/news/25009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
^ "Official website for Yoriyos". Yoriyos.com. http://www.yoriyos.com. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
^ "All-star line up for Peace One Day". Musicnews.virginmedia.com. http://musicnews.virginmedia.com/news/?news_id=29437. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
^ Heller, Aron (26 January 2009). ""Former Cat Stevens sings for Gaza," ''Washington Times'', 26 January 2009". The Washington Times. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/26/former-cat-stevens-sings-gaza/. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
^ Israeli Official Blasts Cat Stevens' Song for Gaza Children, Joshua Rhett Miller, Fox News, 26 January 2009.
^ ^a ^b Newman, Melinda (17 March 2006). "A cat in a wild world". Billboard.com. http://billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002199215. Retrieved 9 June 2006.
^ written by Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell and Sol Marcus; discussed by Islam in a November 2006 interview
^ Quoted in Agence France-Presse article^{[dead link]}
^ Dean Goodman (20 October 2007). "Folk artist Yusuf Islam to sing about deportation". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSN1945933420071020. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
^ 2:46 (27 January 2009). "Download Music : The Day The World Gets 'Round by Yusuf & Klaus Voormann". Altnet.com. http://www.altnet.com/album/1491491/The_Day_The_World_Gets_Round/index.aspx. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
^ "New Single – Radio 2 Exclusive". YUSUF Islam » News Items. 23 March 2009. http://www.yusufislam.com/news/2009/new-single-radio-2-exclusive/. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
^ "YUSUF to Appear at LA & NYC "Secret" Concerts". Music News Net. 26 April 2009. http://www.musicnewsnet.com/2009/04/yusuf-to-appear-at-nyc-secret-concert.html. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
^ Cashmere, Paul (22 April 2010). "Cat Stevens aka Yusuf To Tour Australia". http://undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=10784_Cat_Stevens_aka_Yusuf_To_Tour_Australia. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
^ "Cat Stevens to tour NZ for first time – National – NZ Herald News". The New Zealand Herald. 25 April 2010. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10640810. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
^ Ziegbe, Mawuse (30 October 2010). "Ozzy Osbourne, Yusuf Islam Duel At Jon Stewart Rally". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1651162/20101030/osbourne_ozzy.jhtml.
^ "‘My People’ Free Download Available Now!". 2 March 2011. http://www.yusufislam.com/news/2011/my-people-free-download-avail/. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
^ Khan, Riz (24 February 2011). "The music of revolution". Al Jazeera. http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/rizkhan/2011/02/201122484440953389.html. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
^ "Yusuf In Concert Website". Yusufinconcert.com. http://www.yusufinconcert.com/about.php. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
^ "Yusuf Islam Facebook Page". facebook.com. https://www.facebook.com/yusufofficial?ref=ts. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
^ "Princess Theatre/Marriner Group Homepage". marrinergroup.com.au. http://www.marrinergroup.com.au/shows-tickets-details.php?id_show=4982. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
^ "The World Awards 2003 Honoring The Best". World Connection. 2003. Archived from the original on 25 March 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060325223737/http://www.worldawards.com/winners2003.asp. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
^ "World should do more". New Sunday Times. 6 November 2005. p. 26.
^ "Yusuf Awarded Prestigious Peace Award". top40-charts.com. 5 January 2007. http://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=29582. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
^ Honorary degree for Cat Stevens}}
^ "Honorary degree for musician". Birmingham Post & Mail. 11 July 2007. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Honorary+degree+for+musician%3B+EDUCATION.-a0166253640. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
^ Friedman, Roger, Published 15 September 2005; Accessed 6 May 2006 Cat Stevens Nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
^ Paste staff (8 June 2006). "Paste's 100 Best Living Songwriters: The List". Paste. http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2006/06/pastes-100-best-living-songwriters-the-list.html. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
^ "2006 ASCAP Press release". Ascap.com. 11 October 2006. http://www.ascap.com/press/2006/101106_prs.html. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
^ "SHOF Today: Vote". Songhall.org. http://songhall.org/index.php/vote/. Retrieved 27 July 2009.

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cat Stevens

Official website
Cat Stevens at the Internet Movie Database
Small Kindness, Yusuf Islam's charity
Mountain of Light, Yusuf Islam's spiritual website

v t e Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam recordings

Studio pop albums	Matthew and Son New Masters Mona Bone Jakon Tea for the Tillerman Teaser and the Firecat Catch Bull at Four Foreigner Buddha and the Chocolate Box Numbers Izitso Back to Earth An Other Cup (as Yusuf) Roadsinger (as Yusuf)

Live albums	Saturnight Majikat

Spiritual albums	The Life of the Last Prophet Prayers of the Last Prophet A Is for Allah I Look I See Footsteps in the Light

Compilations	Greatest Hits Footsteps in the Dark: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 The Very Best of Cat Stevens Gold I Have No Cannons That Roar

Singles	"I Love My Dog" "Matthew and Son" "I'm Gonna Get Me a Gun" "Lady D'Arbanville" "Wild World" "Moon Shadow" "Peace Train" "Morning Has Broken" "Another Saturday Night" "Trouble" "Oh Very Young" "Father and Son" (as Ronan Keating/Yusuf)

Other songs	"Blue Monday" "Boots and Sand" "The First Cut Is the Deepest" "Here Comes My Baby" "(I Never Wanted) to Be a Star" "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" "Into White" "Where Do the Children Play?"

Categories	Albums Compilation albums Live albums Songs Songs written by Cat Stevens

Related topics	Discography Harold and Maude (soundtrack)

Persondata
Name	Yusuf Islam
Alternative names	Georgiou, Steven Demetre Giorgiou (birth name); Cat Stevens (pseudonym 1965–1978); Yusuf (today's pseudonym)
Short description	English Singer-Songwriter
Date of birth	21 July 1948
Place of birth	London, England
Date of death
Place of death

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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Stevens

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Eric Clapton CBE
Clapton on stage at the Hard Rock Calling concert, Hyde Park, London on 28 June 2008.
Background information
Birth name	Eric Patrick Clapton
Also known as	Slowhand
Born	(1945-03-30) 30 March 1945 (age 67) Ripley, Surrey, England
Genres	Rock, blues rock, blues, psychedelic rock, hard rock
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, artist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Warner Bros., Reprise, Polydor, RSO, Atco, Apple, Deram^[1]
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, John Mayer, Roger Waters, Dire Straits
Website	www.ericclapton.com
Notable instruments
See: Guitars section "Blackie": Fender Stratocaster "Brownie": Fender Stratocaster

Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, (born 30 March 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.^[2] Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"^[3] and fourth in Gibson's Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.^[4]

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.^[5] Two of his most popular recordings were "Layla", recorded by Derek and the Dominos, another band he formed and Robert Johnson's "Crossroads", recorded by Cream. A recipient of seventeen Grammy Awards,^[6] in 2004 Clapton was awarded a CBE for services to music.^[7] In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for recovering substance abusers.^[8]

Early life [link]

Eric Patrick Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey, England, the son of 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton (b. 7 January 1929 d. March 1999) and Edward Walter Fryer (21 March 1920 – 15 May 1985), a 25-year-old soldier from Montreal, Quebec.^[9] 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).^[10] Years later, his mother married another Canadian soldier and moved to Germany,^[11] leaving young Eric with his grandparents in Surrey.^[12]

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.^[12] Two years later Clapton picked it up again and started playing consistently.^[12] 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.^[13] 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.^[13]^[14]

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 16 he was getting noticed.^[14] Around this time Clapton began busking around Kingston, Richmond, and the West End.^[15] In 1962, Clapton started performing as a duo with fellow blues enthusiast David Brock in pubs around Surrey.^[14] 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.^[16] In October of that year, Clapton did a seven-gig stint with Casey Jones & The Engineers.^[16]

Career [link]

1960s [link]

The Yardbirds and the Bluesbreakers [link]

Main articles: The Yardbirds and John Mayall & 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.^[17] 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".^[18]

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 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.^[17] 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. During his second Bluesbreakers stint, Clapton gained a reputation 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.^[19]

Cream [link]

Main article: Cream (band)

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.^[20] 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.^[17] Cream's first gig was an unofficial performance at the Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester on 29 July 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 1 October 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 11–15 May 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.^[21]

Cream's farewell album, Goodbye, featuring live performances recorded at The Forum, Los Angeles, 19 October 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.^[22]

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,^[23] and three shows at New York's Madison Square Garden that October.^[24] 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.^[25]

Blind Faith and Delaney and Bonnie and Friends [link]

Main articles: 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 7 June 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 autumn, including a recorded performance at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival in September 1969 released as the album Live Peace in Toronto 1969.^[26] 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.^[26]

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,^[27] and Bonnie Bramlett co-wrote "Let It Rain".^[28] 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 [link]

Derek and the Dominos [link]

Main article: Derek and the Dominos

	"Layla" noicon 27-second sample of the song "Layla", as performed by Derek and the Dominos
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

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.^[29] 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.^[30] Clapton's biography states that Tony Ashton of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke 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".^[31]

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.^[32]^[33] 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.^[31]

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 9 September, they recorded Hendrix's "Little Wing" and the title track. The following day, the final track, "It's Too Late", was recorded.^[34]

Eric Clapton in Barcelona, 1974

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 17 September 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.^[35] 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 29 October 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.^[17]

Solo career [link]

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.^[36] 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).^[17] 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.^[31]

Yvonne Elliman with Clapton promoting 461 Ocean Boulevard in 1975

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 ^[37]), 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.^[38] 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);^[39] 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 [link]

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.^[40]^[41]

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."^[42]

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.^[43] 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.

Tina Turner and Eric Clapton at Wembley Arena, 18 June 1987

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 unimpressed "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.

George Harrison and Clapton at the Prince's Trust Concert, Wembley Arena, 1987

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.^[44] Boyd criticised Clapton because he had not revealed the child's existence.^[45]

At the 1987 Brit Awards in London, Clapton picked up the prize for Outstanding Contribution to Music.^[46] 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.^[44] Clapton and Boyd divorced in 1988 following his affair with Italian model Lory Del Santo, who gave birth to their son, Conor, on 21 August 1986.^[47] Boyd was never able to conceive children, despite attempts at in vitro fertilisation.^[45]^[47] Their divorce was granted on grounds of "infidelity and unreasonable behaviour."^[45]

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.^[48]

1990s [link]

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 27 August 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 20 March 1991, Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor, died after falling from the 53rd-floor window of his mother's friend's New York City apartment at 117 East 57th Street. 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.^[49] 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.^[50] 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.^[51]^[52]

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.^[53] 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.^[41] 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 1 January 2002 at St Mary Magdalene church in Clapton's birthplace, Ripley. As of 2005 they have three daughters, Julie Rose (13 June 2001), Ella May (14 January 2003), and Sophie Belle (1 February 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".^[54] 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.^[55]^[56]

2000s [link]

Clapton performing at the TUI Arena of Hannover (Germany) on 2 April 2004

Following the release of the 2001 record Reptile, in June 2002, Clapton performed "Layla" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the Party at the Palace concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.^[57] On 29 November 2002, the Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall, a tribute to George Harrison, who had died a year earlier of cancer.^[58] 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.^[58] In 2004, Clapton released two albums of covers of songs by bluesman Robert Johnson, Me and Mr. Johnson and Sessions for Robert J. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Clapton #53 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".^[59]

Performance for Tsunami Relief Cardiff

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 30 August. 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, Hampshire, in support of the Countryside Alliance.^[60] On 13 August 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.^[61] A collaboration with guitarist J. J. Cale, titled The Road to Escondido, was released on 7 November 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 US$4 million.^[62]

On 26 February 2008, it was reported that North Korean officials had invited Clapton to play a concert in the communist state.^[63] 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.^[64] 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."^[65]

Eric Clapton (fourth from left) and his band live in 2007

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 21 March 1920, in Montreal and died 15 May 1985 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.^[66] Clapton thanked Woloschuk in an encounter at Macdonald Cartier Airport, in Ottawa, Canada.^[67]

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 3 May at the Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa Bay, Florida, and then moved to Canada, Ireland, England, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Poland, Germany, and Monaco. On 28 June 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.^[68]^[69] 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.

Clapton performing with The Allman Brothers Band at the Beacon Theater

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 4 May 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 30 October 2009, but cancelled due to gallstone surgery.^[70] Van Morrison (who also cancelled)^[71] 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".^[72]

2010s [link]

Clapton performed a two-night show with Jeff Beck at London's O2 Arena on 13–14 February 2010.^[73] The two former Yardbirds extended their 2010 tour with stops at Madison Square Garden,^[74] the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and the Bell Centre in Montreal.^[75] Clapton performed a series of concerts in 11 cities throughout the United States from 25 February to 13 March 2010, including Roger Daltrey as opening act. His third European tour with Steve Winwood began on 18 May and ended 13 June, including Tom Norris as opening act. He then began a short North American tour lasting from 26 June to 3 July, starting with his third Crossroads Guitar Festival on 26 June at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. Clapton released a new studio album, Clapton, on 27 September 2010 in the United Kingdom and 28 September 2010 in the United States. On 17 November 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.^[76]

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. On 24 February 2012 Clapton, Keith Richards, Gary Clark Jr., Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall II, Kim Wilson and other artists performed together in the Howlin' For Hubert Tribute concert held at the Apollo Theater of NYC honoring blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin who died at age 80 in 4 December.

Influences [link]

Clapton cites Freddie King, B.B. King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, and Hubert Sumlin as guitar playing influences. Clapton stated blues musician Robert Johnson to be his single most important influence. In 2004 Clapton released CDs and DVDs entitled Sessions for Robert Johnson, featuring Clapton covering Robert Johnson songs using electric and acoustic guitars.^[77]

Clapton co-authored with others the book Discovering Robert Johnson, in which Clapton said Johnson was^[78]

"...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 [link]

Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time.^[2]^[79]^[80]^[81] 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.^[82] He ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"^[3] and fourth in Gibson's Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.^[4]

Guitarists influenced by Clapton include Richie Sambora, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore, Duane Allman, Derek Trucks,^[83] Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Lenny Kravitz, Slash, Orianthi,Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Jonny Buckland, Joe Don Rooney, Alex Lifeson, Jonny Lang, John Mayer, Joe Satriani, Joe Bonamassa, Davy Knowles, and George Harrison.

Guitars [link]

Clapton on the There's One In Every Crowd Tour, with "Blackie" on 15 August 1975

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.^[84] 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.^[85]

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)^[86] until 1967, when he acquired his most famous guitar in this period, a 1964 Gibson SG.^[87] 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.^[87] 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 US$847,500 at a 2004 auction.^[88] Gibson produced a limited run of 250 "Crossroads 335" replicas. The 335 was only the second electric guitar Clapton bought.^[89]

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.^[87] 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."^[90] 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 with "Blackie" on tour in the Netherlands, 1978

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 13 January 1973 at the Rainbow Concert.^[91] Clapton called the 1956/57 Strat a "mongrel".^[92] On 24 June 2004, Clapton sold "Blackie" at Christie's Auction House, New York, for US$959,500 to raise funds for his Crossroads Centre for drug and alcohol addictions. "Brownie" is now on display at the Experience Music Project.^[93] 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 17 May 2006.^[94]

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."^[95]

In 1988 Fender honoured Clapton with the introduction of his signature Eric Clapton Stratocaster.^[96] 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, gauge .10 to.46.^[97] 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.^[98] His 1939 000-42 Martin that he played on the Unplugged album sold for US$791,500 at auction.^[88] Clapton plays a custom 000-ECHF Martin these days.

In 1999, Clapton auctioned off some of his guitar collection to raise more than US$5 million for continuing support of the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, which he founded in 1997.^[99] 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 24 June 2004. His Lowden acoustic guitar sold for US$41,825. The revenue garnered by this auction at Christie's was US$7,438,624.^[88]

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.^[100] In March 2011 Clapton raised more than US$2.15 million 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.^[101] 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.^[102]

Perhaps the best example of the "woman tone" is 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 [link]

Clapton frequently appears as a guest on the albums of other musicians. For example, he is credited on Dire Straits's 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 30 June 1990, Dire Straits, Clapton, and Elton John made a guest appearance in the Nordoff-Robbins charity show held at Knebworth.^[103] 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.^[104] The concert was taped and the footage was released both on VHS video cassette and later, on DVD.^[104]

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^[105] 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 [link]

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."^[106]

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.

Controversy over remarks on immigration [link]

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!"^[107] The latter phrase was at the time a British National Front slogan.^[108] 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!"^[109]

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 30 April 1978.^[110]

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!"^[110]

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'."^[111]

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".^[112] 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."^[113] 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".^[114]

Wealth and assets [link]

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 Bernie Ecclestone), his back music catalogue, his touring income, and his Marshbrook holding company, which had earned him £110 million since 1989.^[115] In 2003, he purchased a 50 per cent share of gentleman's outfitters Cordings Piccadilly.^[116] At the time, owner Noll Uloth was trying to save the shop from closure and thought 'I will go and talk to my best client". He is reported to have contacted Eric and within five minutes he had a reply saying 'I can't let this happen."^[116]

Awards and honours [link]

Year	Award / Recognition
1983	Presented the Silver Clef Award from Princess Michael of Kent for outstanding contribution to British music.^[117]
1985	Presented with BAFTA for Best Original Television Music for Score of Edge of Darkness with Michael Kamen.^[118]
1993	"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".^[119]
1994	Awarded the OBE for services to music.^[120]
2000	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.^[121]
2004	Promoted to CBE, receiving the award from the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace as part of the New Year's Honours list.^[122]^[123]
2006	Awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (as a member of Cream)

Football [link]

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 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.^[124]

Clapton's music in film and TV [link]

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"^[125]
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 [link]

Main article: Eric Clapton discography

References [link]

^ "Rock & Roll Library – Eric Clapton's Releases". List. Rock & Roll Library. http://www.rocklibrary.com/Library/qs/releases.aspx?id=de20a9f0-1c31-4632-a807-336d3a4c537b. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
^ ^a ^b "55 – Eric Clapton". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/eric-clapton-19691231. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
^ ^a ^b "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time – 2. Eric Clapton". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/eric-clapton-19691231. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time – 10 to 1". Gibson Guitar Company. http://www.gibson.com/en-us/lifestyle/Features/Top-50-Guitarists-528/. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
^ Inductee: Eric Clapton. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 23 February 2010.
^ Eric Clapton, All Music: Grammy Awards Retrieved 29 December 2010
^ Ex-rebel Clapton receives his CBE The Telegraph Retrieved 30 December 2010
^ "Retrieved 4 January 2011". Rollingstone.com. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/eric-clapton/biography. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
^ Harry Shapiro (1992) Eric Clapton: Lost in the Blues pg. 29. Guinness, 1992
^ Ladies and gentlemen, Eric Clapton msnbc Retrieved 30 December 2010
^ Profiles in Popular Music pg. 71. Sura Books, 2005. Retrieved 29 December 2010
^ ^a ^b ^c Bob Gulla (2008) Guitar Gods: The 25 Players Who Made Rock History pgs. 40–41. Retrieved 29 December 2010
^ ^a ^b Clapton, Eric (2007) Eric Clapton: The Autobiography, pg. 22. Century, 2007
^ ^a ^b ^c Thompson, Dave (2006) Cream: How Eric Clapton Took the World by Storm pgs. 31–32. Virgin Books, 2006
^ Welch, Chris (1994) Extract
^ ^a ^b Eric Clapton: Biography^{[dead link]} Rolling Stone Retrieved 30 December 2010
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Romanowski, Patricia (2003)
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^ "Where's Eric Website: Nickname". Archived from the original on 26 January 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070126080239/http://www.whereseric.com/ecfaq/biography-ecs-life-career/clapton-is-god-graffiti-nickname.html. Retrieved 17 February 2007.
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^ ^a ^b The words and music of John Lennon p.15. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007
^ "allmusic ((( Eric Clapton > Overview )))". http://www.allmusic.com/album/r4028. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
^ "allmusic ((( Let It Rain )))". http://www.allmusic.com/song/t2546826. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
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^ "Derek And The Dominoes". Artistfacts. http://www.artistfacts.com/detail.php?id=100. Retrieved 17 February 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c Schumacher, Michael (1992)
^ William McKeen, "Rock and roll is here to stay: an anthology", Published by W. W. Norton & Company, 2000. pg 127: "Clapton poured all he had into Layla's title track, which was inspired by the Persian love story he had read, the story of Layla and Majnun.
^ Gene Santoro, "Dancing in Your Head: Jazz, Blues, Rock, and Beyond", Published by Oxford University Press US, 1995. Excerpt page 62: "At the time, he started to read The story of Layla and Majnun by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi
^ "The Layla Sessions" CD liner notes.
^ The Layla Sessions liner notes, page 12.
^ Marc Roberty, Chris Charlesworth (1995) The complete guide to the music of Eric Clapton p.67. Omnibus Press, 1995
^ "Longtime Eric Clapton Keyboardist Dick Sims Dies". Gibson.com. 2008-06-24. http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/News/dick-sims-death-1209-2011/. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
^ Legends of rock guitar: the essential reference of rock's greatest guitarists p.70. Hal Leonard Corporation, 1997
^ Janet Maslin (27 August 2007). "The Muse Who Made the Guitars Gently Weep". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/27/books/27masl.html?_r=1&ref=review&oref=slogin. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
^ Moritz, Charles (1987)
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^ Clapton, Eric (2007 and 2008). Clapton, The Autobiography. Broadway Books. p. 198.
^ Legends of Rock Guitar: The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists p.69. Hal Leonard Corporation, 1 Mar 1997
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^ ^a ^b ^c The Daily Mail, 'I'd pray Eric would pass out and not touch me': Part 2 of Pattie Boyd's sensational autobiography. Consulted on 12 August 2007.
^ Brit Awards 1987 Brits.co.uk. Retrieved 1 December 2011
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^ 1992 MTV VMAS Rock On The Net. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
^ D. Dicaire, More blues singers: biographies of 50 artists from the later 20th century (McFarland, 2001), p. 203.
^ Past Winners Search: Eric Clapton Grammy.com. Retrieved 29 December 2011
^ Clapton Chronicles: The Best of Eric Clapton All music. Retrieved 29 December 2011
^ The Runaway Bride (Original Soundtrack) All music. Retrieved 29 December 2011
^ "Palace party draws 15m viewers". BBC. Retrieved 15 May 2012
^ ^a ^b Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Concert for George". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 May 2012
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^ Glenn Povey (2007). Echoes: the complete history of Pink Floyd Mind Head Publishing, Retrieved 29 December 2011
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^ "Eric Clapton 'receives North Korean invite'". CNN. 26 February 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080303060303/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/26/clapton.northkorea.ap/index.html. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
^ "Clapton asked to play in North Korea". BBC News. 26 February 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7265467.stm. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
^ "North Korea Seeks A Clapton Concert". The New York Times. 27 February 2008. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980DE2DE113FF934A15751C0A96E9C8B63. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
^ Woloschuk, Michael. "His Father's Eyes". Ottawa Citizen. http://www.eric-clapton.co.uk/interviewsandarticles/hisfatherseyes.htm. Retrieved 17 February 2007.
^ Woloschuk, Michael. "Clapton Thanks Reporter". Canoe Jam. http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/C/Clapton_Eric/1998/09/16/743979.html. Retrieved 17 February 2007.
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^ "Hard Rock Calling, Hyde Park, London Saturday 28 June 2008". Eric Clapton Online. http://www.ericclapton-online.com/2008-summer-tour/hard-rock-calling-hyde-park-london-saturday-28-june-2008.html. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
^ "Eric Clapton pulls out of rock and roll gig". entertainment.oneindia.in. http://entertainment.oneindia.in/music/international/2009/eric-out-rocknroll-hall-gig-281009.html. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
^ "Leonard Cohen and Van Morrison at MSG this weekend but Van will not be back for Rock Hall of Fame". brooklynvegan.com. http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/10/leonard_cohen_a_2.html. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
^ "Imus in the morning: highlights and interviews". wabcradio.com. http://www.wabcradio.com/sectional.asp?id=22807. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
^ McCormick, Neil (14 February 2010). "Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck at the O2 Arena, review: A meeting of guitar geniuses Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck at the O2 Arena felt too formal and polite. Rating: * * *". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/live-music-reviews/7238056/Eric-Clapton-and-Jeff-Beck-at-the-O2-Arena-review.html. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
^ Ratliff, Ben (20 February 2010). "Yes, Two Guitar Idols Are Better Than One". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/arts/music/20clapton.html. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
^ "Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck announce London O2 Arena gig". New Musical Express. UK: IPC Media. 23 November 2009. http://www.nme.com/news/eric-clapton/47471. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
^ In pictures: The Prince's Trust Rock Gala 2010 The Telegraph Retrieved 1 Jan 2010
^ Eric Clapton: Me and Mr. Johnson All music. Retrieved 29 December 2011
^ Caviness, Crystal; Dan Kimpel, Eric Clapton David A. Mitchell Lisa Zhito, Kevin Zimmerman (Fall 2003). "Sesac Focus Fall 2003" (PDF). Magazine. Sesac. http://sesac.com/pdf/Focus_Fall_2003.pdf. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
^ Meisel, Perry (2010) The myth of popular culture from Dante to Dylan p.143. Retrieved 30 December 2010
^ Eric Clapton: Blues guitar legend BBC News Retrieved 30 December 2010
^ Kenn Chipkin (1998-03). Real Blues Guitar. Alfred Music Publishing, 1998. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-89898-579-5. http://books.google.com/?id=wPmuwEWoqyMC&pg=PA58&dq=Eric+Clapton+important+guitarist#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
^ "Eric Clapton: inducted in 2000". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved 31 May 2012
^ Tatangelo, Wade (4 January 2007). "Derek Trucks on playing with Allman, Clapton, Dylan". PopMatters.com. McClatchy Newspapers. http://www.popmatters.com/pm/article/derek-trucks-on-playing-with-allman-clapton-dylan. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
^ "Clapton – The early years". Legendarytones.com. 31 July 1966. http://www.legendarytones.com/claptonearly1.html. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ "Clapton's Bluesbreakers Guitar Was A 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard". Xs4all.nl. http://www.xs4all.nl/~slowhand/ecfaq/Le%20Paul.htm. Retrieved 22 August 2010. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Andy Summers". Guitarplayer.com. http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/andy-summers/apr-07/27240. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
^ ^a ^b ^c Bob Gulla (2008) Guitar Gods: The 25 Players Who Made Rock History p.45. Retrieved 30 December 2010
^ ^a ^b ^c Published 18 March 2004 9:09 PM. (18 March 2004). "Strat Collector News Desk: Eric Clapton Guitar Auction, 24 June 2004: More Information and Images". Stratcollector.com. http://www.stratcollector.com/newsdesk/archives/000180.html. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ Published 27 June 2004 6:03 PM. (27 June 2004). "Strat Collector News Desk: 2004 Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Auction: the Auction, the Burst Brothers, and Lee Dickson". Stratcollector.com. http://www.stratcollector.com/newsdesk/archives/000257.html. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ Tom Wheeler (2004) The Stratocaster chronicles: Fender : celebrating 50 years of the Fender Strat p.8. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2004
^ Published 28 June 2004 8:08 PM. (28 June 2004). "Strat Collector News Desk: An Interview with Eric Clapton Guitar Technician Lee Dickson". Stratcollector.com. http://www.stratcollector.com/newsdesk/archives/000259.html. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ "The Eric Clapton FAQ – Guitars". Xs4all.nl. 3 September 2001. http://www.xs4all.nl/~slowhand/ecfaq/guitars.html. Retrieved 22 August 2010. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Rock Memorabilia Market Booms: Eric Clapton". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ericclapton/articles/story/8928554/rock_memorabilia_market_booms. Retrieved 22 August 2010. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Eric Clapton's Blackie – Guitar Center". Gc.guitarcenter.com. http://gc.guitarcenter.com/clapton/detail.cfm. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ Clapton's guitar: watching Wayne Henderson build the perfect instrument p.164. Simon and Schuster, 2005
^ Snogod. "Eric Clapton – ClaptonWeb.com – E.C. Mainline Florida". Claptonweb.com. http://www.claptonweb.com/guitares_ang.php. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ "Ernie Ball – Artists". Ernie Ball. Archived from the original on 5 August 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080805040814/http://www.ernieball.com/artists.php. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
^ Where's Eric! Magazine (2010). Martin Guitars: Eric Clapton Acoustic Models. Retrieved on: 18 August 2011.
^ Christie's – Eric Clapton Guitars^{[dead link]}
^ "Eric Clapton Will Auction Vintage Guitars & Amps For His Crossroads Centre". http://iknowjack.radio.com/2010/12/10/eric-clapton-will-auction-vintage-guitars-amps-for-his-crossroads-centre/.
^ Ted Drozdowski (9 January 2009). "How to Get Clapton's Classic 'Woman Tone'". Lifestyle. Gibson.com. http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/ProductSpotlight/Tone-Tips/how-to-get-claptons-classic/. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
^ "Eric Clapton Shows Some Guitar Skills". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq6r23-le5o. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ Tobler, John: Who's who in rock & roll p.1988. Crescent Books, 1991
^ ^a ^b Live in Hyde Park (Video/DVD) All music. Retrieved 29 December 2011
^ "Rhapsody.com Eric Clapton advert". 2007. http://play.rbn.com/?url=realguide/music/ads/clapton.smi. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
^ "Clapton headlines pro-hunt concert". http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/story/clapton-headlines-pro-hunt-concert_30_04_2006.
^ Bainbridge, Luke (14 October 2007). "The ten right-wing rockers". The Guardian (London). http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,330925087-111639,00.html. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
^ Hall, John (19 August 2009). "Dabbling in right wing politics – David Bowie, Brian Ferry and Eric Clapton". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-ten-worst-rocknroll-career-moves-1774270.html?action=Popup&ino=3. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
^ Rebel Rock by J. Street. First Edition (1986).Oxford Press Basil Blackwell.pp.74–75.
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^ Charone, Barbara (October 1976, (again, 1996)). "Eric Clapton: Farther On Up The Road". Reprint for the web, article from Sounds Magazine. Sounds Magazine. http://theband.hiof.no/articles/clapton_interview_sounds_oct_1976.html. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
^ "dead link". Scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/review.cfm?id=408192004. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
^ "The gospel according to God". The Guardian (London). 21 October 2007. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2195792,00.html. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
^ "Eric Clapton". The South Bank Show. 2 December 2007. ITV.
^ Beresford, Philip (June 2009). "Surrey's Richest 50; The Top Ten". Rank of the wealthiest residents of Surrey, England. Surrey Life Magazine. http://surrey.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/surreys-richest-50-the-top-ten-2497/. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Clapton rescues gentlemen's shop". BBC. 2 August 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3528296.stm.
^ Michael Schumacher, Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton. Consulted on 12 August 2007.
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^ "1993 Grammy Winners". Newspaper Article (New York Times). 26 February 1993. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE3DB133CF935A15751C0A965958260. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
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^ "Soundtracks for Goodfellas". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099685/soundtrack. Retrieved 17 February 2007.

External links [link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Eric Clapton

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eric Clapton

Official website
Eric Clapton discography at MusicBrainz
Eric Clapton at the Internet Movie Database
Works by or about Eric Clapton in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
Eric Clapton collected news and commentary at The Guardian
Eric Clapton collected news and commentary at The New York Times
Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood at Bucharest (review)
An Interview with Eric Clapton guitar technician Lee Dickson
Article on Bluesbreakers Les Paul^{[dead link]}
Gibson article on obtaining the "Woman Tone"
Review: Eric Clapton at Floridita
Eric Clapton FAQ^{[dead link]}

v t e Eric Clapton

Studio albums	Eric Clapton 461 Ocean Boulevard There's One in Every Crowd No Reason to Cry Slowhand Backless Another Ticket Money and Cigarettes Behind the Sun Edge of Darkness August Journeyman Rush From the Cradle Pilgrim Riding with the King Reptile Me and Mr. Johnson / Sessions for Robert J Back Home The Road to Escondido Clapton

Live albums	Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert E. C. Was Here Just One Night Time Pieces Vol.II Live in the Seventies 24 Nights Unplugged Crossroads 2: Live in the Seventies One More Car, One More Rider Live from Madison Square Garden Live in Hyde Park

Compilation albums	Guitar Boogie (w/ Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page) The History of Eric Clapton Eric Clapton at His Best Clapton Steppin' Out Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton Backtrackin' The Cream of Eric Clapton Crossroads Story The Cream of Clapton Blues Clapton Chronicles: The Best of Eric Clapton Complete Clapton

Associated acts	The Yardbirds Immediate All-Stars John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse Cream Free Creek Dire Straits George Harrison The Dirty Mac The Band Blind Faith Derek and the Dominos Roger Waters Delaney, Bonnie & Friends Plastic Ono Band Paul McCartney

Related articles	Discography Blackie Brownie Crossroads Centre Pattie Boyd The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus

v t e Grammy Award for Song of the Year (1990s)

1990 Larry Henley & Jeff Silbar - "Wind Beneath My Wings" 1991 Julie Gold - "From a Distance" 1992 Irving Gordon - "Unforgettable" 1993 Eric Clapton - "Tears in Heaven" 1994 Alan Menken & Tim Rice - "A Whole New World" 1995 Bruce Springsteen - "Streets of Philadelphia" 1996 Seal - "Kiss from a Rose" 1997 Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick & Tommy Sims - "Change the World" 1998 Shawn Colvin & John Leventhal - "Sunny Came Home" 1999 James Horner & Will Jennings - "My Heart Will Go On"

Complete list (1960s) (1970s) (1980s) (1990s) (2000s) (2010s)

Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1990s)

"Wind Beneath My Wings"* by Bette Midler produced by Arif Mardin (1990)	"Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins produced by Hugh Padgham & Phil Collins (1991)
"Unforgettable"* by Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole produced by David Foster (1992)	"Tears in Heaven"* by Eric Clapton produced by Russ Titelman (1993)
"I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston produced by David Foster (1994)	"All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow produced by Bill Bottrell (1995)
"Kiss from a Rose"* by Seal produced by Trevor Horn (1996)	"Change the World"* by Eric Clapton produced by Babyface (1997)
"Sunny Came Home"* by Shawn Colvin produced by John Leventhal (1998)	"My Heart Will Go On"* by Celine Dion engineered/mixed by David Gleeson, Humberto Gatica & Simon Franglen; produced by James Horner, Simon Franglen & Walter Afanasieff (1999)

Grammy Award for Album of the Year (1970s)

Year

Album

Artist(s)

Producer(s)

1970

Blood, Sweat & Tears

Blood, Sweat & Tears (Dick Halligan, Jerry Hyman, Steve Katz, Fred Lipsius, Lou Soloff, David Clayton-Thomas, Chuck Winfield)

James William Guercio

1971

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel (Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon)

Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Roy Halee

1972

Tapestry

Carole King

Lou Adler

1973

The Concert for Bangladesh

George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann

George Harrison, Phil Spector

1974

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

1975

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Stevie Wonder

1976

Still Crazy After All These Years

Paul Simon

Paul Simon, Phil Ramone

1977

Songs in the Key of Life

Stevie Wonder

1978

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac (Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, Stevie Nicks)

Fleetwood Mac, Ken Caillat, Richard Dashut

1979

Saturday Night Fever:
The Original Movie Sound Track

· Bee Gees (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb)
· KC and the Sunshine Band (Harry Wayne Casey, Richard Finch, Fermin Goypisolo, Robert Johnson, Jerome Smith)
· Kool & the Gang (Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, George Brown, Larry Gittens, Robert Mickens, Otha Nash, Claydes Smith, Dennis Thomas, Rickey West)
· MFSB
· Ralph MacDonald
· Tavares (Butch Tavares, Chubby Tavares, Pooch Tavares, Ralph Tavares, Tiny Tavares)
· The Trammps (Jimmy Ellis, Robert Upchurch, Harold Wade, Stanley Wade, Earl Young)
· Walter Murphy
· Yvonne Elliman

Albhy Galuten, Arif Mardin, Bee Gees, Bill Oakes, Bobby Martin, Broadway Eddie, David Shire, Freddie Perren, Harry Wayne Casey, K.G. Productions, Karl Richardson, Ralph MacDonald, Richard Finch, Ron Kersey, Thomas J. Valentino, William Salter

Grammy Award for Album of the Year (1990s)

Year

Album

Artist(s)

Producer(s)*

1990

Nick of Time

Bonnie Raitt

Don Was

1991

Back on the Block

Quincy Jones and various artists

Quincy Jones

1992

Unforgettable… with Love

Natalie Cole

André Fischer, David Foster, Tommy LiPuma

1993

Unplugged

Eric Clapton

Russ Titelman

1994

The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album

Whitney Houston

Babyface, BeBe Winans, David Cole, David Foster, L.A. Reid, Narada Michael Walden, Robert Clivilles

1995

MTV Unplugged

Tony Bennett

David Kahne

1996

Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette

Glen Ballard

1997

Falling into You

Celine Dion

Aldo Nova, Billy Steinberg, Dan Hill, David Foster, Humberto Gatica, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Jeff Bova, Jim Steinman, John Jones, Ric Wake, Rick Hahn, Rick Nowels, Roy Bittan, Steven Rinkoff

1998

Time Out of Mind

Bob Dylan

Daniel Lanois

1999

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

*Engineers/Mixers hidden unless notable

Associated bands

v t e The Yardbirds

Original members (1963-68) Keith Relf Chris Dreja Paul Samwell-Smith Top Topham Jim McCarty Eric Clapton Jeff Beck Jimmy Page Rod Demick Laurie Garman Alan Glen John Idan Ben King Billy Boy Miskimmin Ray Majors Gypie Mayo

Albums	For Your Love (1965) Having a Rave Up (1965) Yardbirds/Over Under Sideways Down aka Roger the Engineer (1966) Little Games (1967) Birdland (2003)

Live albums	Five Live Yardbirds (1964) Sonny Boy Williamson and The Yardbirds (1966) Live Yardbirds! Featuring Jimmy Page (1971) BBC Sessions (1997) Blueswailing '64 (2003) Live at B.B. King Blues Club (2007)

Compilations	The Yardbirds Greatest Hits (1967) Little Games Sessions and More (1992) Cumular Limit (2000) Ultimate! (2001)

Singles	1964 "I Wish You Would" "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" 1965 "For Your Love" "Heart Full of Soul" "Evil Hearted You" "I'm a Man" 1966 "Shapes of Things" "Boom Boom" "Over Under Sideways Down" "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" 1967 "Ten Little Indians"

Other songs	1963 "Let It Rock" "Who Do You Love" "Talkin' 'Bout You" You Can't Judge a Book by Looking at the Cover 1964 "Too Much Monkey Business" "Smokestack Lightning" "Five Long Years" "The Sky Is Crying" 1965 "My Girl Sloopy" "Train Kept A-Rollin'" "Spoonful" "The Stumble" 1966 "Dust My Blues" 1967 "White Summer" "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way" "Dazed and Confused" 1968 "Knowing that I'm Losing You" "I'm Waiting for the Man"

Related articles	Discography Members Giorgio Gomelsky Simon Napier-Bell Mickie Most Peter Grant Cream The Jeff Beck Group Led Zeppelin Renaissance Box of Frogs Immediate All-Stars

v t e Cream

Ginger Baker Jack Bruce Eric Clapton

Studio albums	Fresh Cream Disraeli Gears Wheels of Fire Goodbye

Live albums	Live Cream Live Cream Volume II BBC Sessions Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005

Compilations	Best of Cream Heavy Cream Strange Brew: The Very Best of Cream The Very Best of Cream Those Were the Days Cream Gold I Feel Free - Ultimate Cream*

Singles	"Wrapping Paper" "I Feel Free" "Strange Brew"/"Tales of Brave Ulysses" "Spoonful" "Anyone for Tennis?" "Sunshine of Your Love"/"SWLABR" "White Room" "Crossroads" "Badge"

Other songs	"Toad" "Rollin' and Tumblin'" "I'm So Glad" "We're Going Wrong" "Sitting on Top of the World" "Born Under a Bad Sign" "Outside Woman Blues"

Collaborators	Pete Brown Felix Pappalardi Martin Sharp Gail Collins Janet Godfrey George Harrison Mike Taylor

Related articles	Discography John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse Blind Faith Derek and the Dominos The Yardbirds BBM Ginger Baker's Air Force The Dirty Mac Graham Bond

Book:Cream Category:Cream Portal:Blues

v t e Derek and the Dominos

Duane Allman Eric Clapton Jim Gordon Carl Radle Bobby Whitlock

Studio album	Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

Live albums	In Concert Live at the Fillmore

Reissues	The Layla Sessions: 20th Anniversary Edition

Songs	"Layla" "Bell Bottom Blues" "Tell the Truth"

Related articles	Blind Faith Delaney & Bonnie Dave Mason The Allman Brothers Band Pattie Boyd

v t e John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

John Mayall Eric Clapton Jack Bruce Peter Green John McVie Mick Fleetwood Hughie Flint Mick Taylor Colin Allen Don "Sugarcane" Harris Harvey Mandel Larry Taylor Aynsley Dunbar Dick Heckstall-Smith Andy Fraser Roger Dean Alan Skidmore Keef Hartley Jon Hiseman Henry Lowther Tony Reeves Rocky Athas Jay Davenport Greg Rzab

Studio albums	Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966) A Hard Road (1967) Crusade (1967) Bare Wires (1968)

John Mayall solo	The Blues Alone (1967) Blues from Laurel Canyon (1968) Empty Rooms (1969) USA Union (1970) Back to the Roots (1971) Ten Years Are Gone (1973)

Live and compilation albums	John Mayall Plays John Mayall (1965) Looking Back (1969) The Turning Point (1969) Jazz Blues Fusion (1972) Moving On (1973) The 1982 Reunion Concert (1994) 70th Birthday Concert (2003) Road Dogs (2005) Live from Austin, TX (2007)

Production	Tony Clarke Jimmy Page Mike Vernon Gus Dudgeon Eddie Kramer Eddy Offord John Judnich Don Nix

Record labels	Decca Deram London Ace of Clubs Polydor Eagle

Related artists	Cream Fleetwood Mac Canned Heat Free Mark-Almond

Book Category

The Beatles

v t e The Beatles

John Lennon Paul McCartney George Harrison Ringo Starr Stuart Sutcliffe Pete Best

History	The Quarrymen In Hamburg At The Cavern Club Decca audition Beatlemania in the United Kingdom North American releases In the United States In 1966 More popular than Jesus The studio years In India Breakup Death of John Lennon Reunions Anthology Love (Cirque du Soleil) The Beatles: Rock Band Line-ups Religious beliefs Timeline

Filmography and videography	A Hard Day's Night Help! Magical Mystery Tour Yellow Submarine Let It Be The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit The Beatles at Shea Stadium The Compleat Beatles The Beatles Anthology All Together Now

Live performances	Winter 1963 Helen Shapiro UK Tour 1964 world tour 1965 European tour 1965 US tour 1966 US tour List of live performances

Associated places	34 Montagu Square, Marylebone Abbey Road Abbey Road Studios The Bag O'Nails Beatlemania Hamburg Beatles-Platz Blue Angel The Casbah Coffee Club Candlestick Park The Cavern Club Kaiserkeller Kinfauns Savile Row Scotch of St James Stanley Street The Star-Club Strawberry Field Tittenhurst Park The Top Ten Club Wigmore Street Yellow Submarine sculpture

Associated companies	Apple Corps Apple Records Harrisongs Lingasong Records MPL Communications Northern Songs Parlophone Phillips' Sound Recording Services Seltaeb Sony/ATV Music Publishing Startling Music

Influence	Artists who have covered The Beatles Beatlemania British Invasion Fifth Beatle Influence on popular culture Jeff Lynne and The Beatles Recording technology The Rutles Tributes

Lists	Awards and nominations Bootlegs Cover songs Discography Instruments Post-breakup collaborations Record sales Recording sessions Songs Sgt. Pepper cover

Related articles	Apple Corps v Apple Computer Apple scruffs Beatle boots The Beatles (TV series) The Beatles Anthology (book) Beatles Day The Beatles Tapes from the David Wigg Interviews The Beeb's Lost Beatles Tapes The Ed Sullivan Show How I Won the War In My Life Lennon–McCartney Paul is dead Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film) Up Against It

Book Category Portal WikiProject

v t e People associated with The Beatles

Personnel	Neil Aspinall Dave Dexter, Jr. Geoff Emerick Mal Evans Glyn Johns Bert Kaempfert Jeff Lynne Magic Alex Ken Mansfield George Martin Giles Martin Phil McDonald Ken Scott Norman Smith Phil Spector Alistair Taylor Chris Thomas Ken Townsend

Businessmen	Peter Bennett Sid Bernstein Peter Brown Lee Eastman Brian Epstein Dick James Allen Klein Larry Parnes Allan Williams

Musicians	Eric Clapton The Dirty Mac Donovan Bob Dylan Johnny Gentle Nicky Hopkins Johnny Hutchinson Mick Jagger Brian Jones Jim Keltner David Mason Tommy Moore Chas Newby Jimmie Nicol Harry Nilsson Peter and Gordon Plastic Ono Band Billy Preston Ronnie Scott Ravi Shankar Tony Sheridan Rory Storm and the Hurricanes Andy White

Writers	Tony Barrow Ray Connolly Hunter Davies Mark Lewisohn Alan W. Pollack Bruce Spizer Derek Taylor

Girlfriends / wives	Jane Asher Pattie Boyd Astrid Kirchherr Cynthia Lennon Linda McCartney Yoko Ono Francie Schwartz Maureen Starkey

Parents / guardians	Mona Best Alfred Lennon Julia Lennon Jim and Mary McCartney George Smith Mimi Smith

Other	Bill Harry Ken Brown George Dunning Horst Fascher The Fool Robert Freeman Bruno Koschmider Richard Lester Murray the K Pete Shotton Ivan Vaughan Jürgen Vollmer Klaus Voormann Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

v t e The Beatles album discography

Albums in the core catalogue are marked in bold.

Studio albums	Please Please Me With The Beatles A Hard Day's Night Beatles for Sale Help! Rubber Soul Revolver Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band The Beatles Yellow Submarine Abbey Road Let It Be

US albums	Introducing... The Beatles Meet The Beatles! The Beatles' Second Album Something New The Beatles' Story Beatles '65 The Early Beatles Beatles VI Yesterday and Today Magical Mystery Tour Hey Jude

Canadian albums	Beatlemania! With The Beatles Twist and Shout The Beatles' Long Tall Sally

Extended plays	Twist and Shout The Beatles' Hits The Beatles (No. 1) All My Loving Souvenir of Their Visit to America Four by The Beatles Long Tall Sally Extracts from the Film A Hard Day's Night Extracts from the Album A Hard Day's Night 4-by The Beatles Beatles for Sale Beatles for Sale (No. 2) The Beatles' Million Sellers Yesterday Nowhere Man Magical Mystery Tour

Live albums	The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl Live at the BBC

Compilations	The Beatles' Christmas Album / From Then to You Past Masters Anthology vol. 1 2 3

Remixes	Yellow Submarine Songtrack Let It Be... Naked Love

Box sets	The Beatles Collection The Beatles: The Collection The Beatles Box The Beatles Box Set The Capitol Albums vol. 1 2 The Beatles in Mono The Beatles Stereo Box Set

v t e The Beatles compilation discography

Bert Kaempfert recordings (with Tony Sheridan)	My Bonnie (GER, 1962) The Beatles with Tony Sheridan & Guests (1964) Ain't She Sweet (1964) The Beatles' First (GER, 1964 / UK, 1967) Very Together (1969) In the Beginning (Circa 1960) (1970) The Early Tapes of The Beatles (1984) Beatles Bop – Hamburg Days (2001)

Hits	A Collection of Beatles Oldies (1966) 1962–1966 (1973) 1967–1970 (1973) 20 Greatest Hits (1982) The Number Ones (AUS, 1983) 1 (2000)

Themes	Rock 'n' Roll Music (1976) Love Songs (1977) The Beatles' Ballads (1980) Reel Music (1982)

Non-album tracks	Hey Jude (US, 1970 / UK, 1979) Rarities (UK, 1978) Rarities (US, 1980) Past Masters, Volume One (1988) Past Masters, Volume Two (1988)

Alternative versions	Yellow Submarine Songtrack (1999) Let It Be... Naked (2003)

Other	The Beatles in Italy (ITA, 1965) The Beatles' Christmas Album (US) / From Then to You (UK) (1970) Por Siempre Beatles (ARG, 1971) Love (2006)

Unreleased	Sessions (due date 1985)

Live albums	Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 (1977) The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl (1977) First Live Recordings (1979) Live at the BBC (1994)

Anthology	Anthology 1 (1995) Anthology 2 (1996) Anthology 3 (1996)

Boxed sets	The Beatles Collection (UK, 1978 / US, 1979) The Beatles Box (1980) The Beatles: The Collection (1982) The Beatles Mono Collection (1982) The Beatles Box Set (1988) The Capitol Albums, Volume 1 (2004) The Capitol Albums, Volume 2 (2006) The Beatles Stereo Box Set (2009) The Beatles in Mono (2009)

The Beatles singles discography

UK and US
(all labels)

1963	"Please Please Me" / "Ask Me Why" "From Me to You" / "Thank You Girl" "She Loves You" / "I'll Get You" "I Want to Hold Your Hand" / "This Boy" (UK) - "I Saw Her Standing There" (US)

1964	"Can't Buy Me Love" / "You Can't Do That" "A Hard Day's Night" / "Things We Said Today" (UK) - "I Should Have Known Better" (US) "I Feel Fine" / "She's a Woman"

1965	"Ticket to Ride" / "Yes It Is" "Help!" / "I'm Down" "We Can Work It Out" / "Day Tripper"

1966	"Paperback Writer" / "Rain" "Yellow Submarine" / "Eleanor Rigby"

1967	"Penny Lane" / "Strawberry Fields Forever" "All You Need Is Love" / "Baby, You're a Rich Man" "Hello, Goodbye" / "I Am the Walrus"

1968	"Lady Madonna" / "The Inner Light" "Hey Jude" / "Revolution"

1969	"Get Back" / "Don't Let Me Down" "The Ballad of John and Yoko" / "Old Brown Shoe" "Something" / "Come Together"

1970	"Let It Be" / "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)"

1978	"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help from My Friends" / "A Day in the Life"

1995	"Free as a Bird" / "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)"

1996	"Real Love" / "Baby's in Black"

UK only
(Parlophone,
Apple)

1962	"My Bonnie" / "The Saints" "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You"

1964	"Ain't She Sweet" / "If You Love Me, Baby"

1976	"Yesterday" / "I Should Have Known Better" "Back in the U.S.S.R." / "Twist and Shout"

US only
(Vee-Jay, Swan,
Tollie, Capitol,
Apple)

1964	"Twist and Shout" / "There's a Place" "Do You Want to Know a Secret" / "Thank You Girl" "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You "She Loves You" / "I'll Get You" "I'll Cry Instead" / "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" "And I Love Her" / "If I Fell" "Matchbox" / "Slow Down"

1965	"Eight Days a Week" / "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" "Yesterday" / "Act Naturally"

1966	"Nowhere Man" / "What Goes On"

1970	"The Long and Winding Road" / "For You Blue"

1976	"Got to Get You into My Life" / "Helter Skelter" "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" / "Julia"

1982	"The Beatles Movie Medley" / "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"

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Robert Cray
Robert Cray in concert, 2007
Background information
Born	(1953-08-01) 1 August 1953 (age 58) Columbus, Georgia United States
Genres	Blues
Occupations	Musician
Years active	1977-present
Labels	Mercury, Vanguard, Nozzle
Website	www.robertcray.com/entry.php
Notable instruments
Robert Cray Signature Model Stratocaster

Robert Cray (born August 1, 1953, Columbus, Georgia, United States) is an American blues guitarist and singer. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has led his own band, as well as an acclaimed solo career.^[1]

1 Career
2 Robert Cray Band
3 Discography
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Career [link]

Cray started playing guitar in his early teens. At Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia, his love of blues and soul music flourished as he started collecting records. Originally, he wanted to become an architect, but around the same time that he began to study architectural design, he formed the band Steakface, described as "the best band from Lakewood you never heard of".^[2] Cray's guitar and vocals contributed greatly to Steakface's set list of songs by Jimi Hendrix, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Fleetwood Mac, The Grease Band, Blodwyn Pig, Jethro Tull, Spirit and The Faces.

By the age of twenty, Cray had seen his heroes Albert Collins, Freddie King and Muddy Waters in concert and decided to form his own band; they began playing college towns on the West Coast. In the late 1970s he lived in Eugene, Oregon, where he formed the Robert Cray Band and collaborated with Curtis Salgado in the Cray-Hawks. In the 1978 film, National Lampoon's Animal House, Cray was the uncredited bassist in the house party band Otis Day and the Knights. After several years of regional success, Cray was signed to Mercury Records in 1982. His third album release, Strong Persuader, produced by Dennis Walker, received a Grammy Award, while the crossover single "Smokin' Gun" gave him wider appeal and name recognition.

By now, Cray was an opening act for such major stars as Eric Clapton (who remains a friend to this day), and sold out larger venues as a solo artist. Cray has generally played Fender guitars (Telecasters and Stratocasters) and there are two signature Robert Cray Stratocasters models available from Fender. The Robert Cray Custom Shop Stratocaster is made in the United States in the Fender custom shop and is identical to the guitars that Cray currently plays, while the Robert Cray Standard Stratocaster is a less-expensive model made in Fender's Ensenada, Mexico plant.

Cray had the opportunity to play alongside John Lee Hooker on his album Boom Boom, playing the guitar solo in the song "Same Old Blues Again". He is also featured on the Hooker album, The Healer; he plays a guitar solo on the song "Baby Lee". The entire Robert Cray Band backs Hooker on the title track of Hooker's 1992 album "Mr. Lucky", where Cray plays lead guitar, sings, and banters with Hooker throughout the song.

Cray was invited to play at the "Guitar Legends" concerts in Seville, Spain at the 1992 Expo, where he played a signature track, "Phone Booth". Albert Collins was also on the bill on this blues night of the "Legends" gigs.

Cray continues to record and tour. He appeared at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, and supported Eric Clapton on his 2006-2007 world tour. In Fargo, North Dakota, he joined Clapton on backup guitar for the Cream song "Crossroads". In 2011, Cray was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.^[3]

Robert Cray Band [link]

The Robert Cray Band

Robert Cray's current band:

Robert Cray - guitar/singer
Tony Braunagel - drums
Jim Pugh - keyboards
Richard Cousins - bass guitar

Discography [link]

Albums [link]

Year	Album	US Blues^[4]	US^[4]	UK^[5]
1980	Who's Been Talkin'?	-	-	-
1983	Bad Influence	-	#143	-
1985	False Accusations	-	#141	#68
1985	Showdown! (recorded with Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland)	-	-	-
1986	Strong Persuader	-	#13	#34
1988	Don't Be Afraid of the Dark	-	#32	#13
1990	Midnight Stroll	-	#51	#19
1992	I Was Warned	-	#103	#29
1993	Shame + A Sin	-	#143	#48
1995	Some Rainy Morning	#2	#127	#63
1997	Sweet Potato Pie	#3	#184	-
1999	Take Your Shoes Off	#2	#181	-
2001	Shoulda Been Home	#2	-	-
2003	Time Will Tell	#3	-	-
2005	Twenty	#2	-	-
2007	Live From Across The Pond	#1	-	-
2008	Live At The BBC	#7	-	-
2009	This Time	#2	-	-
2010	Cookin' In Mobile	-	-	-

Compilation albums and re-issues [link]

In Concert - live album - 1999
Who's Been Talkin' (re-released as Too Many Cooks in 1990, and re-issued as Who's Been Talkin' in 2001)
Heavy Picks - The Robert Cray Band Collection - 1999 - U.S. Top Blues Albums #9
The Best Of Robert Cray edition of 20th Century Masters / The Millennium Collection - 2002 - U.S. Top Blues Albums #11

^[4]

Singles [link]

Year	Title	U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart^[6]	U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart^[6]	UK Singles Chart^[5]
1986	"Smoking Gun"	#2	#22	-
1987	"I Guessed I Showed Her"	#28	-	-
1987	"Right Next Door (Because of Me)"	#27	#80	#50
1987	"Nothin' But A Woman"	-	-	-
1988	"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark"	#4	#74	-
1988	"Night Patrol"	-	-	-
1989	"Acting This Way"	#24	-	-
1990	"Consequences"	#32	-	-
1990	"The Forecast (Calls for Pain)"	#11	-	-
1992	"Just a Loser"	#33	-	-
1993	"1040 Blues"	-	-	-
1996	"Baby Lee" (John Lee Hooker with Robert Cray)	-	-	#65

References [link]

^ Cray (2011). "Robert Cray official website". http://www.robertcray.com/band. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
^ "Steakface" PNW Bands
^ "Blues Hall of Fame inductees 2011". Blues.org. http://www.blues.org/halloffame/#ref=halloffame_inductees. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Allmusic ((( Robert Cray > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p320/charts-awards/billboard-albums.
^ ^a ^b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 125. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
^ ^a ^b "Allmusic ((( Robert Cray > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p320/charts-awards/billboard-singles.

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Robert Cray

Official site
Robert Cray at the Internet Movie Database
Robert Cray on Myspace
Robert Cray at Allmusic
Review of Time Will Tell

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Buddy Guy
Guy in a 2008 performance
Background information
Birth name	George Guy
Born	(1936-07-30) July 30, 1936 (age 75) Lettsworth, Louisiana, United States
Genres	Chicago blues, electric blues
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1953–present
Labels	RCA, Cobra, Chess, Delmark, Silvertone, MCA, Atlantic, MPS, Charly, Zomba Music Group, Jive, Vanguard, JSP Records, Rhino Records, Purple Pyramid, Flyright, AIM Recording Co., Alligator Records, Blues Ball Records
Associated acts	Junior Wells
Website	http://www.buddyguy.net/
Notable instruments
Fender Buddy Guy Signature Stratocaster

George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936)^[1] is an American blues guitarist and singer. Critically acclaimed, he is a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation. "A key influence on Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy put the Louisiana hurricane in 1960s electric Chicago blues as a member of Muddy Waters' band and as a house guitarist at Chess Records. A native of the Baton Rouge area, he combined a blazing modernism with a fierce grip on his roots, playing frantic leads heavy with swampy funk on Howlin' Wolf's 'Killing Floor' and Koko Taylor's 'Wang Dang Doodle' as well as on his own Chess sides and the fine series of records he made with harp man Junior Wells. One of the last active connections to the golden age of Chess, Guy still plays with his original fire."

Ranked thirtieth in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time",^[2] Guy is known for his showmanship on stage: playing his guitar with drumsticks or strolling into the audience while playing solos. His song "Stone Crazy" was ranked seventy-eighth in list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time also of Rolling Stone.^[3]

Guy's autobiography, When I Left Home: My Story, was released on May 8, 2012.^[4]

1 Biography
2 Music
3 Influence
4 Awards
- 4.1 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
5 Discography
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Biography [link]

Born and raised in Lettsworth, Louisiana, Guy began learning guitar on a two string diddley bow he made. Later he was given a Harmony acoustic guitar, which, decades later in Guy's lengthy career was donated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the early '50s he began performing with bands in Baton Rouge. Soon after moving to Chicago in 1957, Guy fell under the influence of Muddy Waters. In 1958, a competition with West Side guitarists Magic Sam and Otis Rush gave Guy a record contract. Soon afterwards he recorded for Cobra Records. He recorded sessions with Junior Wells for Delmark Records under the pseudonym Friendly Chap in 1965 and 1966.^[5]

Guy’s early career was held back by both conservative business choices made by his record company (Chess Records) and "the scorn, diminishments and petty subterfuge from a few jealous rivals"^{[citation needed]}. Chess, Guy’s record label from 1959 to 1968, refused to record Buddy Guy’s novel style that was similar to his live shows. Leonard Chess (Chess founder and 1987 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee) denounced Guy’s playing as "noise". In the early 1960s, Chess tried recording Guy as a solo artist with R&B ballads, jazz instrumentals, soul and novelty dance tunes, but none were released as singles. Guy’s only Chess album, "Left My Blues in San Francisco", was finally issued in 1967. Most of the songs belong stylistically to the era's soul boom, with orchestrations by Gene Barge and Charlie Stepney. Chess used Guy mainly as a session guitarist to back Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Koko Taylor and others.

Buddy Guy appeared onstage at the March 1969 Supershow at Staines, England that also included Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Jack Bruce, Stephen Stills, Buddy Miles, Glen Campbell, Roland Kirk, Jon Hiseman, and The Misunderstood. But by the late 1960s, Guy's star was in decline.

Guy's career finally took off during the blues revival period of the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was sparked by Clapton's request that Guy be part of the '24 Nights' all-star blues guitar lineup at London's Royal Albert Hall and Guy's subsequent signing with Silvertone Records.

When not traveling, Guy performs at his Downtown Chicago nightclub, Buddy Guy Legends at 700 S. Wabash Ave.^[6]

Music [link]

Buddy Guy in 1993 performing in Toronto, Canada

While Buddy Guy's music is often labeled Chicago blues, his style is unique and separate. His music can vary from the most traditional, deepest blues to a creative, unpredictable and radical gumbo of the blues, avant rock, soul and free jazz that morphs at each night’s performance.

As New York Times music critic Jon Pareles noted in 2004:

Mr. Guy, 68, mingles anarchy, virtuosity, deep blues and hammy shtick in ways that keep all eyes on him... [Guy] loves extremes: sudden drops from loud to soft, or a sweet, sustained guitar solo followed by a jolt of speed, or a high, imploring vocal cut off with a rasp...Whether he's singing with gentle menace or bending new curves into a blue note, he is a master of tension and release, and his every wayward impulse was riveting.

In a revealing interview taped on April 14, 2000 for WRUW-FM Cleveland (a college station), Guy said "The purpose of me trying to play the kind of rocky stuff is to get airplay...I find myself kind of searching, hoping I'll hit the right notes, say the right things, maybe they'll put me on one of these big stations, what they call 'classic'...if you get Eric Clapton to play a Muddy Waters song, they call it classic, and they will put it on that station, but you'll never hear Muddy Waters."

Influence [link]

For almost 50 years, Guy performed flamboyant live concerts of energetic blues and blues rock, predating the 1960s blues rockers. As a musician’s musician, he had a fundamental impact on the blues and on rock and roll, influencing a new generation of artists.

Buddy Guy has been called the bridge between the blues and rock and roll. He is one of the historic links between Chicago electric blues pioneers Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf and popular musicians like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page as well as later revivalists like Stevie Ray Vaughan. Vaughan stated that, "Without Buddy Guy, there would be no Stevie Ray Vaughan." Guitarist magazine observed:

Without Buddy Guy, the blues, not to mention rock as we know it, might be a heckuva lot less interesting today. Take the blues out of contemporary rock music—or pop, jazz and funk for that matter—and what you have left is a wholly spineless affair. A tasteless stew. Makes you shudder to think about it...^[where?]

Buddy Guy at the Liri Blues Festival, Italy, in 1989

In addition, Guy's pathfinding guitar techniques also contributed greatly to rock and roll music. His guitar playing was loud and aggressive; used pioneering distortion and feedback techniques; employed longer solos; had shifts of volume and texture; and was driven by emotion and impulse. These lessons were eagerly learned and applied by the new wave of 1960s British artists and later became basic attributes of blues-rock music and its offspring, hard rock and heavy metal music. Jeff Beck realized in the early 1960s: "I didn't know a Strat could sound like that — until I heard Buddy's tracks on the Blues From Big Bill's Copa Cabana album" (reissue of 1963 Folk Festival Of The Blues album) and "It was the total manic abandon in Buddy's solos. They broke all boundaries. I just thought, this is more like it! Also, his solos weren't restricted to a three-minute pop format; they were long and really developed."^{[citation needed]}

Clapton has stated that he got the idea for a blues-rock power trio while watching Buddy Guy's trio perform in England in 1965. Clapton later formed the rock band Cream, which was "the first rock supergroup to become superstars" and was also "the first top group to truly exploit the power-trio format, in the process laying the foundation for much blues-rock and hard rock of the 1960s and 1970s."^[where?]

Eric Clapton said "Buddy Guy was to me what Elvis was for others." Clapton said in a 1985 Musician magazine article that "Buddy Guy is by far and without a doubt the best guitar player alive...if you see him in person, the way he plays is beyond anyone. Total freedom of spirit, I guess. He really changed the course of rock and roll blues."

Buddy Guy performing in 1999

Recalls Guy: "Eric Clapton and I are the best of friends and I like the tune "Strange Brew" and we were sitting and having a drink one day and I said 'Man, that "Strange Brew"...you just cracked me up with that note.' And he said 'You should...cause it's your licks...' " As soon as Clapton completed his famous Derek & the Dominos sessions in October 1970, he co-produced (with Ahmet Ertegün and Tom Dowd) the Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Play The Blues album with Guy's longtime harp and vocal compatriot, Junior Wells. The record, released in 1972, is regarded by some critics as among the finest electric blues recordings of the modern era.^{[citation needed]}

In recognition of Guy's influence on Hendrix's career, the Hendrix family invited Buddy Guy to headline all-star casts at several Jimi Hendrix tribute concerts they organized in recent years, "calling on a legend to celebrate a legend." Jimi Hendrix himself once said that "Heaven is lying at Buddy Guy’s feet while listening to him play guitar."^{[citation needed]}

Songs such as "Red House", "Voodoo Chile" and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" partly came from the sonic world that Buddy Guy helped to create. According to the Fender Players' Club: "Almost ten years before Jimi Hendrix would electrify the rock world with his high-voltage voodoo blues, Buddy Guy was shocking juke joint patrons in Baton Rouge with his own brand of high-octane blues. Ironically, when Buddy’s playing technique and flamboyant showmanship were later revealed to crossover audiences in the late Sixties, it was erroneously assumed that he was imitating Hendrix." (In 1993, Guy covered "Red House" on Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix.)

Guy performing at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2006.

Stevie Ray Vaughan once declared that Buddy Guy "plays from a place that I've never heard anyone play." Vaughan continued:

Buddy can go from one end of the spectrum to another. He can play quieter than anybody I've ever heard, or wilder and louder than anybody I've ever heard. I play pretty loud a lot of times, but Buddy's tones are incredible. He pulls such emotion out of so little volume. Buddy just has this cool feel to everything he does. And when he sings, it's just compounded. Girls fall over and sweat and die! Every once in a while I get the chance to play with Buddy, and he gets me every time, because we could try to go to Mars on guitars but then he'll start singing, sing a couple of lines, and then stick the mike in front of me! What are you gonna do? What is a person gonna do?!

Jeff Beck affirmed:

Geez, you can't forget Buddy Guy. He transcended blues and started becoming theater. It was high art, kind of like drama theater when he played, you know. He was playing behind his head long before Hendrix. I once saw him throw the guitar up in the air and catch it in the same chord.

Beck recalled the night he and Stevie Ray Vaughan jammed with Guy at Buddy Guy’s Legends club^[7] in Chicago: "That was just the most incredible stuff I ever heard in my life. The three of us all jammed and it was so thrilling. That is as close you can come to the heart of the blues." According to Jimmy Page: "Buddy Guy is an absolute monster" and "There were a number of albums that everybody got tuned into in the early days. There was one in particular called, I think, American Folk Festival Of The Blues, which featured Buddy Guy. He just astounded everybody."

Singer-songwriter and guitarist John Mayer, who has performed with Guy on numerous occasions (including with Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival and on PBS' SoundStage) and collaborated with him on Guy's 2005 album Bring 'Em In, cited on several occasions that Buddy Guy was one of his top influences.

Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman: "Guitar Legends do not come any better than Buddy Guy. He is feted by his peers and loved by his fans for his ability to make the guitar both talk and cry the blues. Such is Buddy's mastery of the guitar that there is virtually no guitarist that he cannot imitate."

Guy has opened for the Rolling Stones on numerous tours since the early 1970s. Slash: "Buddy Guy is the perfect combination of R&B and hardcore rock and roll." ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons: "He (Buddy Guy) ain't no trickster. He may appear surprised by his own instant ability but, clearly, he knows what's up."

Guy was a judge for the 6th and 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.^[8]

Guy appeared and performed in an episode of the popular children's show, Jack's Big Music Show, as the "King of Swing". Guy has influenced the styles of subsequent artists such as Jesse Marchant of JBM.^[9]

On February 21, 2012, Guy performed in concert at the White House for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle.^[10] During the finale of the concert Guy successfully encouraged the President to sing a few bars of Sweet Home Chicago.^[11]

Awards [link]

Guy previously served on the Hall of Fame’s nominating committee. Guy has won six^[12] Grammy Awards both for his work on his electric and acoustic guitars, and for contemporary and traditional forms of blues music. In 2003, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. This medal is awarded by the President of the United States of America to those who have made extraordinary contributions to the creation, growth and support in the arts in the United States.^[13] By 2004, Guy had also earned 23 W.C. Handy Awards (more than any other artist has received), Billboard magazine's The Century Award (Guy was its second recipient) for distinguished artistic achievement, and the title of Greatest Living Electric Blues Guitarist.

In 2008, Buddy Guy was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame while performing at Texas Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [link]

Guy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 14, 2005 by Eric Clapton and B.B. King. Clapton recalled seeing Guy perform in London’s Marquee Club in 1965, impressing him with his technique, his looks and his charismatic showmanship. He remembered seeing Guy pick the guitar with his teeth and play it over his head—two tricks that later influenced Jimi Hendrix.^{[citation needed]} Guy’s acceptance speech was concise: "If you don’t think you have the blues, just keep living."

In October 2009, he performed "Let Me Love You Baby" with Jeff Beck at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert.^[14]

Discography [link]

Album	Year	Label	Notes
Hoodoo Man Blues	1965	Delmark	w/ Junior Wells band
Chicago/The Blues/Today! vol. 1	1966	Vanguard	w/ Junior Wells band
It’s my Life, Baby!	1966	Vanguard	w/ Junior Wells band
I Left My Blues in San Francisco	1967	Chess	^[15]
Berlin festival - Guitar Workshop	1967	MPS	Long Play released in Argentina by Microphone Argentina S.A. (1974)
A Man and the Blues	1968	Vanguard	^[15]
Coming At You	1968	Vanguard	^[15]
Blues Today	1968	Vanguard	^[15]
This Is Buddy Guy (live)	1968	Vanguard	^[15]
Hot And Cool	1969	Vanguard
First Time I Met the Blues-Python	1969
Buddy and the Juniors	1970	MCA	w/ Junior Mance & Junior Wells^[15]
Buddy & Junior Mance & Junior Wells	1971	Harvest (UK)	UK release of Buddy and the Juniors^[15]
South Side Blues Jam	1970	Delmark	w/ Junior Wells and Otis Spann
In The Beginning	1971	Red Lightnin’
Play The Blues	1972	Rhino	w/ Junior Wells
Hold That Plane!	1972	Vanguard	^[15]
I Was Walking Through the Woods	1974	Chess	rec. 1960–64
Got to Use Your Head	1979	Blues Ball	^[15]
The Dollar Done Fell	1980	JSP	^[15]
Buddy+Phil	1981	JSP (1024)	also P-Vine CD 23886 (2007)
Stone Crazy!	1981	Alligator	^[15]
Alone & Acoustic	1981	Alligator	w/ Junior Wells, released only in France
Drinkin' TNT 'n' Smokin' Dynamite (live)	1982	Blind Pig	rec. 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival
DJ Play My Blues	1982	JSP	^[15]
Buddy Guy	1983	Chess
The Original Blues Brothers (live)	1983	Blue Moon
Ten Blue Fingers	1985	JSP Records	^[15]
Atlantic Blues: Chicago	1986	Atlantic
Chess Masters	1987	Charly
Live at the Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago-1979	1988	JSP Records
Breaking Out	1988	JSP Records	^[15]
I Ain’t Got No Money	1989	Flyright	^[15]
Alone & Acoustic	1991	Alligator	reissue, rec. 1981 w/ Junior Wells
Damn Right, I've Got the Blues	1991	Silvertone/BMG	won the 1991 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album ^[15]
Buddy's Baddest: The Best of Buddy Guy	1991	Silvertone
My Time After Awhile	1992	Vanguard
The Very Best of Buddy Guy	1992	Rhino/WEA
The Complete Chess Studio Recordings	1992	Chess	2 CD, 1960–67
Live at Montreaux	1992	Evidence	w/ Junior Wells
Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix	1993	Reprise	performed "Red House"
Feels Like Rain	1993	Silvertone	won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album ^[15]
Slippin' In	1994	Silvertone	won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album ^[15]
Live: The Real Deal	1996	Silvertone
Buddy's Blues	1997	Chess "Chess Masters"
Buddy’s Blues 1978-1982: The Best of the JSP Recordings	1998	JSP Records
As Good As It Gets	1998	Vanguard
Heavy Love	1998	Silvertone	^[15]
Last Time Around - Live at Legends	1998	Jive	w/Junior Wells
This Is Buddy Guy	1998	VMD
Blues Master	1998	Vanguard
Buddy’s Baddest: The Best of Buddy Guy	1999	Silvertone
The Complete Vanguard Recordings	2000	Vanguard
Every Day I Have the Blues	2000	Purple Pyramid	w/ Junior Wells
20th Century Masters: The Millennium: The Best of Buddy Guy	2001	MCA
Sweet Tea	2001	Jive	nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album ^[15]
Double Dynamite	2001	AIM Recording Co.	Import
Blues Singer	2003	Silvertone	won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album ^[15]
Chicago Blues Festival 1964 (live)	2003	Stardust
Jammin’ Blues Electric & Acoustic	2003	Sony	a compilation of tracks from Live: The Real Deal and Last Time Around - Live At Legends
Live At the Mystery Club	2003	Quicksilver	the same recording as Every Day I Have The Blues
A Night of the Blues	2005		w/ Junior Wells - Master Classics - the same recording as Every Day I Have The Blues
Bring 'Em In	2005	Jive
Can't Quit The Blues:Box Set	2006	Silvertone/Legacy Recordings
Live: The Real Deal	2006	Sony	with G. E. Smith & the Saturday Night Live Band
Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino	2007	Vanguard	with Joss Stone and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, performing "Every Night About This Time".
Skin Deep	2008	Jive	^[15]
The Definitive Buddy Guy	2009	Shout! Factory	his first single-disc career-spanning CD
Living Proof	2010	Jive	won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album^[16]

References [link]

^ "Buddy Guy". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/buddy-guy.
^ "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2004-03-24. Archived from the original on 2008-08-22. http://web.archive.org/web/20080822023300/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/20. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
^ "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-01-25. "Cut in 1961 for Chess, the full seven minutes of this blinding blues went unreleased for nearly a decade. Guy solos with a steel-needle tone, answering his own barking vocal with dizzying pinpoint stabs. 'I don't know how to bend the string', he told RS. 'Let me break it.’"
^ Guy, Buddy with Ritz, David. (2012) When I Left Home: My Story, Cambridge: Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-81957-5
^ Lockhart, John M. "Words & Music", The Riverside Reader, February 4, 2008, p. 1
^ http://chicago.citysearch.com/profile/3649100/chicago_il/buddy_guy_s_legends.html
^ "Buddy Guy's Legends". Buddyguys.com. 2011-11-26. http://www.buddyguys.com/. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
^ Independent Music Awards - Past Judges
^ Andrew Duncan (Jul 9th, 2010). "JBM – Reflections". Zaptown. http://www.zaptownmag.com/2010/07/jbm-reflections. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
^ "In Performance @ the White House | Blues Legend Buddy Guy talks about playing at the White House". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU6z0uj-hug. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
^ Matt Compton (2012-02-21). "President Obama Sings "Sweet Home Chicago" | The White House". Whitehouse.gov. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/02/22/president-obama-sings-sweet-home-chicago. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
^ "Grammys 2011: Beatles, McCartney Honored on Music’s Big Night". Hollywoodtoday.net. 2011-02-13. http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/2011/02/13/grammys-2011-beatles-mccartney-honored-on-musics-big-night/. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
^ Lifetime Honors - National Medal of Arts
^ "The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Concerts (4CD)". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042ZH87C/. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v Buddy Guy > Discography > Main Albums from Allmusic
^ Buddy Guy's website

“Damn Right I've Got the Blues: Buddy Guy and the Blues Roots of Rock-And-Roll (1993) by Donald Wilcox and Buddy Guy, Duane Press 1999 paperback: ISBN 0-942627-13-X

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Buddy Guy

Official website
Buddy Guy at the Open Directory Project
Buddy Guy at the Internet Movie Database

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Guy

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Film Summary

Persondata
Name	Clapton, Eric
Alternative names	Clapton, Eric Patrick; Slowhand
Short description	guitarist, singer, and composer
Date of birth	30 March 1945
Place of birth	Ripley, Surrey, England
Date of death
Place of death

Persondata
Name	Cray, Robert
Alternative names
Short description	American blues guitarist and singer
Date of birth	August 1, 1953
Place of birth	Columbus, Georgia, United States
Date of death
Place of death

Persondata
Name	Guy, Buddy
Alternative names
Short description	American blues guitarist and singer
Date of birth	July 30, 1936
Place of birth	Lettsworth, Louisiana, United States
Date of death
Place of death

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Contents

[edit] Desolation Boulevard

[edit] The Sweet Singles Album and Strung Up

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[edit] 2006: An Other Cup

[edit] 2009–present: Roadsinger, appearances and tours

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