Eric Clapton’s Drug Addiction
Eric Clapton is one of the most talented and well known musical artists of all time. He is also well known for his heroin use and heavy drinking. One does not take away from the other. His music is pure talent. His drug addiction is simply that; addiction.
While we may not be able to pinpoint his exact beginning of heroin or alcohol use (although he states he remembers waking up in the woods at sixteen after getting drunk), we do know that Eric Clapton battled both addictions throughout the 70s. He was born in England and raised by his grandparents, actually believing that his mother was his sister until his grandmother confessed the truth to him around the age of nine.
It is said that the best novels written have an almost autobiographical ring to them, that the greatest songs are inspired by true life. Creative artists such as Eric Clapton show us this to be true as his own life has inspired some of the greatest songs of all time. His song Tears in Heaven is for his son Conor who died when he fell forty-nine stories from a Manhattan apartment.
Eric Clapton has known firsthand the joy of being one of the greatest rock stars in the world, the money and the fame, but he has also known firsthand the heartbreak of confusion as he was raised believing his mother to be his sister, disappointment as he had job problems on a musical level in several bands from Yardbirds to Bluesbreakers to Cream. Known as one of the greatest guitar players of all time, this writer would not doubt that Clapton would trade it all for Conor to return.
An irony associated with Eric Clapton is that some people complain his music suffered after he quit heroin. Maybe he is not sitting around using heroin and drinking heavily these days, but he is today what he was not then and that is a legend. Perhaps some of those who state this say so out of jealousy. Whatever the reason, Eric Clapton is synonymous with rock music, guitars and the 60s and 70s.
There are not too many people who can say they have been a tried and true favorite of three generations.. Even with his drug addiction, Eric Clapton will always be known as the original “Guitar Hero”. Even as he could fade into the sunset as being the only person ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times, he still began a recovery center to help others addicted to drugs and alcohol. When we give of ourselves because of lessons learned, we are doing the greatest thing ever asked of us and being good to one another. Eric Clapton was addicted to drugs and alcohol. Eric Clapton recovered and he wants you to recover, too.
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When I was 18, I was angry with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, an Jim Morrison for dieing too young from herion addiction. I just don’t get why anyone can throw their lives to this drug an alcohol or meth. I just don’t get it man! Neither do the ones whom are addicts, they are failures at love, an any of relationships cannot withstand these addictions.
It’s a little disheartening when people judge other’s from a point of no personal experience. People dont’t just get up one day and say “Hey, today I think I will throw my whole away on drugs.” Addiction doesn’t happen overnight and it is not treated overnight. Drug use is often a coping mechanism as people want someway to escape the pain. Continual use and abuse of chemicals and denial of reality, does change one’s brain chemistry. That’s why it is referred to as a disease. Neither, is that term a cop out. When I was younger, I thought just like you, until I had my own pivotal trials and tribulations. One thing I learned, is that you can live your whole life thinking you would react in a certain way under certain circumstances, but you NEVER really know what you will do until the circumstance arrives. You never know what people are really going thru and there are functioning addicts all around you: doctors, lawyers, surgeons, police officers, etc. Perhaps your thinking hasn’t yet evolved. If you really want to try to understand, try to understand it instead of simply rejecting it. Google it and read.
@JW,TX
JW, only Janis died of a overdose. Jimi, well, there are conflicting stories, but the word on the inquest was inhalation of vomit. The story goes that he took sleeping pills as he always did and the wine he had interacted with it. There is a lot more to that story that we will never know (like enough wine in his airway to drown him). Jim Morrision too is a mystery. Those of us that grew up in the 70′s and 80′s swore that he was alive and not in his grave. Even at least one member of the Doors thought that they would see Jim again. It really gets me when people state that Jimi died of heroin overdose because there is never any evidence that Jimi even tried this drug. (Even though some was found crossing from Canada, however he beat the charges as someone packed his bag.)
its just this thing heroin. brings out the worst and the best in people. im trying to recover, but its like i dont know…great. i love heroin, i dont regret abusing it, but i want to get away from it.
honest.
good comment…i was addicted to alcohol and oxys and cocaine… I would not hang with people who did drugs and thought they were lower level people…until i got involved with drugs,,and i no longer thought that terrible way of thinking…people are all the same inside.take away the bad purities and u have a person who is just like u , when u were clean.