Hello. This book has been a bit of an eye opener. I think we have all heard of the Drugs, Sex, and Rock and Roll thing which was rife in the music world of the early sixties. I was a very naive teenager then and all I did was scream at the bands when they came on the telly, not really understanding what went on behind the scenes. There was the odd news item about pop stars getting busted for drugs, but I was never sure what drugs did to people apart from making them appear to be drunk.
Eric Clapton goes into great detail about his drug and alcohol addiction in this book. He even says himself it's amazing that he is still alive. There were long periods of time where became a recluse, not leaving his house and living on junk food, chocolate, drugs and alcohol. When he reached rock bottom he went into rehab.
There is a lot about the early days from when he started to take an interest in music, where he drew his influences from, lots about the bands he set up, the disagreements about the type of music they would play, and how he was drawn to go in a different direction which caused him to split and start again with another band.
This book would be an excellent read for anyone who is battling against a drug or alcohol addiction, he tells it how it was when he was at rock bottom. It's also a good read for anyone who was a teenager in the sixties, there are a lot of references to his friendships with other pop bands on the scene, the Stones and Beatles, and everyone else who was around at that time. It's common knowledge that he was in love with Patti Boyd, wife of George Harrison. I can remember seeing all this on the telly and thinking what an exciting life these pop stars lead. This book lifts the lid on the dark side of it all. Eric goes through a roller coaster of different emotions. Now at the age of 72 it appears he has finally got it together and has a family.
Thanks for popping in, enjoy your Sunday. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.
I find what you've said very interesting Ilona.I was a little girl in the 60's and wasn't aware of the lives of the various musicians of the time.Mum always had the radio on and I watched Top of the pops .Only recently I realized a lot of them were living in a ''haze''.I loved Amy Winehouse's music and watched programs about her private life it was so sad . I also watched programs about Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones .I think he seemed a great ,fun lovely man,very spiritual .Think he's lucky to have survived the 60's .Chrissy Hynde of the Pretenders too .I watched her on t v recently .She spoke of her life ,similar again .I'm hoping to read her book soon .What an exciting time it was .Thanks for the review x
ReplyDeleteHi. What is tragic is a lot of young girls are influenced by the pop world, and strive to emulate their idols. They see it as a glamorous lifestyle, not realizing that under the surface is a catalogue of disasters. It still goes on today, hence the ever increasing numbers of drug addicts. Thank goodness I was never tempted to experiment and mess up my mind.
DeleteLoved reading about the sixties Ilona, made me think thats when all the excess started, which for me was clothes and going out to clubs ,easy to see why huge amounts of money can be very bad for your health, I also went on to read a little about Patti Boyd and George Harrison, thanks for all your inspiration to remind me to spend wisely,
ReplyDeleteHi. I was curious as to how Patti had survived. There are videos of her on yoootooob from a few years ago. She seems a very rounded and classy lady now.
DeleteI like reading biographies, and the one thing most of them have in common is that the lives of celebrities which look so amazing from the outside are rather miserable, at least for some periods. It is always great to see that it is possible to overcome problems like drug addictions, etc.
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ReplyDeletethanks for sharing your feelings about this book. I'll find it and I'll read it.
I just finished the book from Coellho about Agent H21. Quite interesting but a bit deceiving when you already have read 11' from the same author (guess this book is not written by him but it would never be published if he hadn't take the story under his name).
Enjoy your Sunday.
Guess it's the same raining day as here in Brussels.
B
A little bit before my time but still fantastic! Love most of his music. "Tears in Heaven" (for his small son) still makes me well up. You're right in that his personal life was tragic.
ReplyDeleteHi. Eric was such a good looking young man, and seemed to grow more handsome as time went on. He has aged quite well considering his lifestyle. He is an enigma, driven by music and all the trappings of stardom, yet craving anonymity. The drugs and alcohol must have given him respite from the conflicts in his life. He is now in a position to put his experiences to good use in Crossroads, a drug rehabilitation centre he founded.
DeleteHer own autobiography, Wonderful Today, is also a very good read. Saddening to see how badly and neglectfully she was treated not only by Eric C but also by George Harrison, who always seemed such a gentle, thoughtful person. Still, she is a survivor, as you say.
ReplyDeleteI have ordered this book from my local library and look forward to reading it. However, as noted above, is fame and fortune all worth while? Some of these celebrities go off track - due to boredom, peer pressure etc? As, not having a 'normal' career be it shift work or 9-5 hours they struggle with what to do with their time (I stipulate NOT all). Maybe, some of these talented people in the Arts, be it music, dance, film, writing et al give something to the world but pay a very heavy personal price for it. In my opinion Patti Boyd had 3 of the most beautiful songs written for her: Eric Clapton's 'Layla' and 'Wonderful Tonight' and George Harrison wrote 'Something'. But I wouldn't have wanted to have been in her shoes with the trauma of those 2 marriages. Amanda
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