7 The 100 Most Influential Musicians of All Time 7albums as Disraeli Gears (1967), Wheels of Fire (1968), and
Goodbye (1969).
In 1969 Clapton and Baker formed the group Blind
Faith with keyboardist-vocalist Steve Winwood and bassist
Rick Grech, but the group broke up after recording only
one album. Clapton emerged as a capable vocalist on his
first solo album, which was released in 1970. He soon
assembled a trio of strong session musicians (bassist Carl
Radle, drummer Jim Gordon, and keyboardist Bobby
Whitlock) into a new band called Derek and the Dominos,
with Clapton as lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.
The guitarist Duane Allman joined the group in making
the classic double album Layla and Other Assorted Love
Songs (1970), which is regarded as Clapton’s masterpiece
and a landmark among rock recordings. Disappointed by
Layla’s lacklustre sales and addicted to heroin, Clapton
went into seclusion for two years. Overcoming his addiction,
he made a successful comeback with the album 461 Ocean
Boulevard (1974), which included his hit remake of Bob
Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff.” On the album Clapton adopted
a more relaxed approach that emphasized his songwriting
and vocal abilities rather than his guitar playing. Over the
next 20 years Clapton produced a string of albums, including
Slowhand (1977), Backless (1978), Money and Cigarettes (1983),
August (1986), Unplugged (1992)—which featured the Top
Five hit “Tears in Heaven,” written after the death of his
son—and From the Cradle (1994). He explored his musical
influences with a pair of Grammy-winning collaborations:
Riding with the King (2000) with blues legend B.B. King
and The Road to Escondido (2006) with roots guitarist J.J.
Cale. The critical and commercial success of these albums
solidified his stature as one of the world’s greatest rock
musicians. Clapton, an autobiography, was published in
- In 2000 Clapton was inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame.