On This Day, March 30, 1945: Eric Clapton is born

On This Day, March 30, 1945 …

Eric Patrick Clapton was born in Surrey, England, and would go on to be regarded as one of the most influential and successful musicians to emerge from the 1960s British music scene.

Clapton started his career with The Yardbirds and went on to have successful careers with such groups as Cream with Ginger Baker, Blind Faith with Steve Winwood, and Derek and the Dominoes.

Clapton eventually went solo, releasing his debut solo album in 1969, and scored his first number one in 1974 with a cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff.” Clapton has sold more than 280 million records worldwide and is best known for such classic songs as “Lay Down Sally,” “Tears in Heaven,” “Wonderful Tonight,” “I Can’t Stand It” and “Change the World,” as well as covers of the J.J. Cale songs “After Midnight” and “Cocaine.”

Clapton is the winner of 18 Grammys and to this day is the only musician to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame three times — as a solo artist, and as a member of both The Yardbirds and Traffic.