Eric Clapton - 2008

Eric Patrick Clapton, born on 30 March 1945 in Ripley, Surrey, England, to a British mother and Canadian father… is known throughout the world as a guitarist and singer-songwriter, creative genius and philanthropist.
Clapton received an acoustic Hoyer guitar, made in Germany, for his thirteenth birthday, but the inexpensive steel-stringed instrument was difficult to play. Influenced by the blues from an early age, he practised long hours to learn the chords of blues music by playing along to the records.
His guitar playing was so advanced that by the age of 16 he was getting noticed. Around this time Clapton began busking around Kingston, Richmond, and the West End.
Clapton forged a distinctive style and rapidly became one of the most talked-about guitarists in the British music scene.
Clapton cites Freddie King, B.B. King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, and Hubert Sumlin as guitar playing influences. Clapton stated Robert Johnson to be his single most important influence.
In the mid 1960s, Clapton departed from the Yardbirds to play blues with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. where he gained the nickname “Slowhand” because he re-stringed his guitar on stage during live concerts.
Guitarists influenced by Clapton include Richie Sambora, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore, Duane Allman, Derek Trucks, Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Lenny Kravitz, Slash, Vince Gill, Joe Satriani, Joe Bonamassa, and George Harrison.
Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and as a member of Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time and ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and fourth in Gibson’s Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.
Having received an OBE in 1994…ten years later he was promoted to CBE.

Source:Wikipedia