Happy Birthday, Eric Clapton! [Video]

Eric Clapton is my alltime favorite musician. I've been a fan since I was 12. My music & video library includes more than 50 of his CD's, Blu-Rays & DVD's. I've seen him perform about a dozen times, over the years, in Denver, New York, Buffalo, Houston and New Orleans.  Eric is 73 years old today (March 30th). That's kind of incredible, given the fact that he rose to superstardom in an era where several of his peers, most notably Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison didn't live to see their 30th birthday. Eric went through a self destructive phase himself.

"I had everything a man could want, fame, a solid gold career. I was a millionaire. I had beautiful women in my life, and yet, I wanted to commit suicide on a daily basis."              - Eric Clapton

Eric's struggles with depression, drugs & alcohol have been well documented. He decided, after recovering, to build a facility to help other struggling with addiction. It's called, appropriately, the Crossroads Center. Millions of dollars of his own money has been invested in it.

Mr. Clapton's career has spanned more than 50 years. He's won 19 Grammy awards, and is the only three time inductee in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. Eric despises air travel, and "retired" from touring 3 years ago. He now performs "residencies," performing multiple shows in major cities, and taking a lot of time off in between. Happy birthday, Slowhand!