Clapton

[QuitinTime]

A powerful Biography of Eric Clapton - guitarist extraordinaire and self professed alcoholic. His story is there for all to read - not pretty but seems to have a happy ending. A must read for music lovers and those of us in the al trap.

[redhibiscus]

Clapton

I read this book a while ago and found his life really interesting. He really had a second chance once he became sober for good. A new wife, young kids....he is luckier than most. One thing that really stayed with me was when he was using he was so detached from everyone. He really could not get close to others and have meaningful longterm relationships until he was clean. Definitely a good read.

[Cinders]

Clapton

Red,

I like what you said. It opened my eyes.

Cindi

[Chillgirl]

Clapton

This book is a great read for Clapton fans cataloguing all his music, his tours and all the musicians he ever played with. I however confess to buying the book purely to read about his addictions, a subject that I just cant get enough of.

I admired his open honesty about the depths he reached, the crippling anxiety, the self hatred and the thoughts of suicide. How drinking to block out the pain never worked and just made it necessary to drink more and more in an attempt to make it go away. How it left him incapable of conducting relationships and void of feeling any real emotions. He suffered seizures and shakes, blackouts and shame but still carried on. On his 2nd attempt at rehab he describes the moment when everything changed:-

"my legs gave way and I fell to my knees, in the privacy of my room I begged for help. I had no notion of who i thought i was talking to, i just knew that i had come to the end of my tether. I had nothing left to fight with. Then I remembered what i had heard about surrender, something I thought I could never do - my pride just wouldnt allow it - but i knew there on my own, i wasnt going to make it, and so i asked for help and, getting down on my knees, I surrendered."

Having now been sober for over 20 years Clapton had rebuilt his life and the most poignant statement for me in the whole book was this one:-

"my family continue to bring me joy and happiness on a daily basis, and if I were anything other than an alcoholic, I would gladly say that they were the no.1 priority in my life. But this cannot be, because i know I would lose it all if I didnt put my sobriety at the top of my list. Staying sober and helping others achieve sobriety will always be the single most important proposition in my life."


It reinforced to me how we must NEVER forget our no.1 priority