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SLOWHAND’S BIRTHDAY 

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MARCH 30, 2020…HAPPY 75TH BIRTHDAY TO ERIC CLAPTON. CLAPTON’S STORY IS FASCINATING. CLAPTON WAS RAISED BY HIS MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS, JACK AND ROSE CLAPP, BELIEVING HIS MOTHER WAS HIS SISTER (WHAT WHAT WHAT!).  HIS FATHER WAS EDWARD WALTER FRYER, A CANADIAN SOLDIER STATIONED IN ENGLAND FOR WORLD WAR II. HIS MOTHER WAS 16 YEAR OLD PATRICIA MOLLY CLAPP. FRYER RETURNED TO HIS WIFE IN CANADA BEFORE CLAPTON WAS BORN. ERIC’S LAST NAME COMES FROM ROSE’S (GRANDMOTHER) FIRST HUSBAND AND PATRICIA’S BIOLOGICAL FATHER REGINALD CLAPTON.YOU CAN’T TELL THE PLAYER’S WITHOUT A PROGRAM.

CLAPTON’S NICKNAME IS “SLOWHAND” ALTHOUGH HE PLAYS VERY FAST. HIS MANAGER STARTED CALLING HIM THAT WHEN HE STARTED TOURING WITH THE YARDBIRDS IN 1964. CLAPTON WAS FAMOUS FOR BREAKING STRINGS BECAUSE OF HIS RIDICULOUS BENDS. WHEN HE WOULD GO BACKSTAGE TO CHANGE STRINGS THE AUDIENCE WOULD START A SLOW HAND CLAP UNTIL HE RETURNED. “CLAP-MAN” WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE BUT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL TO HIS LOVE LIFE

 

photo thanks-Aaron Warren