Eric Clapton has been at the forefront of blues and rock music for more than 30 years. Drawing on interviews with former members of the Yardbirds, Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Clapton's own groups, this biography traces his troubled childhood, when he first picked up a guitar, his twilight years as a drug addict and alcoholic, and his progress to superstar status. It also offers an assessment of his music.