General Music Discussions - Slowhand Now Playing Slower (But still alive!)

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Slowhand Now Playing Slower (But still alive!)

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Printed Date: March 12 2025 at 10:48
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Topic: Slowhand Now Playing Slower (But still alive!)

Posted By: AZF
Subject: Slowhand Now Playing Slower (But still alive!)
Date Posted: June 12 2016 at 09:35

Sorry for those who clicked this thread thinking Eric had died!
Just a story I wanted to share over Eric's current playing ability. I just put it down to grumpiness about not wanting to do any more shows, but now there's a cause, and I feel losing your ability to play your instrument, whatever your level, is one of the most heartbreaking things that can happen.
Story from the Telegraph.

Eric Clapton, one of the most iconic guitarists of the rock era, is struggling to play the instrument on which he made his name.

Clapton, 71, said damage to his nervous system had made it hard for him to play the guitar because of the illness.

“I’ve had quite a lot of pain over the last year. It started with lower back pain, and turned into what they call peripheral neuropathy - which is where you feel like you have electric shocks going down your leg,” he told Classic Rock magazine.

“And I’ve had to figure out how to deal with some other things from getting old.’’

For years Clapton, whose career encompassed playing with John Mayall, Cream and the first “super group” Blind Faith, lived a life of rock and roll excess.

He struggled with addiction to alcohol, prescription drugs, cocaine and heroin.

“Because I’m in recovery from alcoholism and addiction to substances, I consider it a great thing to be alive at all. By rights I should have kicked the bucket a long time ago.

“For some reason I was plucked from the jaws of hell and given another chance,’ he said.

In one interview, two years ago, he paid tribute to another rock legend, JJ Cale, who he credits with getting him through his darkest days.

Clapton recently released a new studio album, I Still Do, which he supported with a brief string of performances in Tokyo.

There a currently no tour dates scheduled.

Www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/eric-clapton-struggling-to-play-guitar-because-of-damage-to-his/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_soc_spf_fb-sf28479983

Replies:

Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: June 14 2016 at 10:21

I read a short interview in Rolling Stone where he mentions his neurological problem.....we all get old sadly.

To be honest I only listen to his old blues rock material with Cream and Duane Allman....sometimes I put on his one record with Mayall, but I don't listen to his solo albums though I did buy Slowhand for my son in law who seems to like that early one by Clapton. I've always thought he seemed to play it safe on his solo things.

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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin