Received first guitar from grandmother

Worked with Tom McGuinness (later of Manfred Mann) in first band, the Roosters

Put in seven-gig stint with Top Forty band, Casey Jones and the Engineers

Played with Yardbirds until they traded power blues for psychedelic pop

Recording debut with the album Five Live Yardbirds

Joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers; also with Mayall, participated in a studio band called Powerhouse, which included Jack Bruce and Steve Winwood

After leaving the Bluesbreakers, formed Cream with Bruce and Ginger Baker; recorded rock classics like "Sunshine of Your Love" (which would grace the feature "True Lies" 1994) and "Crossroads"

Cream broke up

Formed short-lived supergroup Blind Faith with Baker, Winwood and Rick Grech; during US tour, embraced Christianity, which he has given up and reaffirmed periodically since

Worked with Delaney and Bonnie through early 1970

Recorded first solo album, Eric Clapton, which yielded a US hit, "After Midnight"

Formed Derek and the Dominos with Carl Radle, Jim Gordon and Bobby Whitlock, all former Delaney and Bonnie sidemen; their only studio album, Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs

Played at the benefit concert for Bangladesh

Retreated to the isolation of his Surrey home to battle heroin addiction

Began his comeback with a concert at London's Rainbow Theatre

Released 461 Ocean Boulevard; scored No. 1 hit single with cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff"

Provided music (along with Brian Ahern and Van Morrison) for the Canadian film "Slipstream"

Had a Top Ten hit with "I Can't Stand It"; song would resurface in the feature film "Georgia" (1995)

Hospitalized briefly for alcoholism

Received Grammy nomination for his contribution to the film, "Back to the Future"

Wrote (along with Michael Kamen) the music for "Lethal Weapon"; Clapton and Kamen (with David Sanborn) would also score "Lethal Weapon 2" (1989) and "Lethal Weapon 3" (1992)

Scored the feature film "Rush"; included performance of future Grammy-winning song, "Tears From Heaven" inspired by the death of his son Conor

Released Unplugged album (from the "MTV Unplugged" series); included "Tears From Heaven" and an accoustic version of "Layla"; won six 1993 Grammys

Put out From the Cradle, an album of blues covers paying homage to the blues heros of his youth

Won three Grammy Awards for his participation on "Change the World" from the soundtrack for the feature film "Phenomenon"

Provided the music for Gary Oldman's directorial debut, "Nil By Mouth"

Performed in "Blues Brothers 2000" finale with B B King (also Steve Winwood, Lou Rawls and Jimmie Vaughn)

Announced plans to open an alcohol and drug treatment center in Antigua, West Indies

Released the album, Reptile

Released two records packed full of covers by legendary Bluesman, Robert Johnson Me & Mr Johnson; earned two Grammy nominations including Best Pop Collaboration with Paul McCartney

Released first album of new original material in nearly five years, Back Home; earned a Grammy nomination for the single "Revolution"

Released a collaboration with guitar legend J. J. Cale, titled The Road to Escondido