Clapton the Autobiography - Eric Clapton

Blues lovers beware - this is a book that will blow you away. The man known worldwide as "Slowhand" has opened up his life and penned a very revealing story of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll.

Abandoned by his mother, Clapton was raised by his grandparents in south England. That abandonment, emphasized by the fact that his mother went on to marry and have three other children who lived with her, would lay the foundation of insecurity and emotional detachment throughout much of Clapton's adult life.

My best calculation is that he got his first guitar, a used Hoyer, as a pre-teen. His passion for music and desire to play took over from there. Teaching himself to play by ear, he eventually quit school and worked alongside his grandfather, a master carpenter, who he credits for instilling within him the value of hard labor and a strong work ethic.

The book then leads you through Clapton's stints with The Yardbirds, John Mayall, Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos. It details his friendships, his heroin, cocaine, pill and alcohol addictions (and rehab attempts), his love for his best friend George Harrison's wife - which eventually leads to Clapton's own marriage to the woman. It chronicles his touring years, his "lost" years, the affairs, the parties, the egos.

The birth of his son, Conor, in 1986, was a high point in Clapton's life and he finally realized it was time to sober up. He chronicles that struggle and, today, claims 20 years of sobriety. By the end of the book, Clapton is 60-ish, completes a world tour that pretty much kicks his old tail, is married again with children and has established a rehab center in the Caribbean.

It's easy to say that Clapton was a "B-A-D M-A-N," but the book gives us a glimpse of the man who struggled to right his wrongs and eventually defeated his demons. I encourage all music lovers-especially blues fans-to pick this one up today.