He emerged in 1963 as the neck-tied, Telecaster-playing lead guitarist of the blues-inspired Yardbirds. Eric Clapton, like so many, had a plan for 2020. Ive told myself, I dont need to have a conversation, Cray says. He is the epitome of someone who is there for the music, and hes never rubbed shoulders with world leaders and never wanted to.. The performance, largely acoustic, showed off his still intact guitar chops and underrated voice, one that still allows him to sing his staples Layla, After Midnight and Tears in Heaven in the same key in which they were written. That week knocked me out and I had to start again from scratch. [When I had the second jab] this ramped up from, on a scale of 10, say from three to eight or nine. I'll never listen to him again!". Eric Clapton performs at London's O2 Arena in 2020. Obsessed with the organic sound of the Band, Clapton next formed Derek and the Dominos. For most of Claptons career, thats been true. This was the era of politically conscious pop music, from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Youngs Ohio to Marvin Gayes Whats Going On. But Claptons worldview didnt extend beyond his fretboard. This is not possible for me because I dont know what will happen. Then Cray stopped replying altogether. She explained in our June 2021 interview: As mentioned, it's an adenovirus vector expressing the protein. Layla, the centerpiece of the Derek and the Dominos record, would be a plaintive plea for her love and remains a staple of Claptons concert repertoire. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Clapton added that he suffered from peripheral neuropathy, which is described as a condition that results when nerves that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord from and to the rest of the body are damaged or diseased. Musician Eric Clapton detailed his experience suffering from a severe adverse reaction to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccineThe first dose of the vaccine left him shaking, with fever and chills, and "out for the count for about a week"The second dose led to a significant worsening of his peripheral neuropathy, leaving him in "pain and agony" Ive talked to other musicians, old friends of mine, these great players who, you know, will remain nameless in our conversation, who say, What the f--- is he doing? says producer Russ Titelman, whose credits include Unplugged and a new Clapton album that arrives this month, Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions., Hes the anti-Bono, says Bill Oakes, who managed Claptons label throughout the 1970s. We all make mistakes, but I guarantee you, if Eric didnt have the [covid] stance he has, that stuff would not have been dug up, he says. In addition to Stand and Deliver, he released an anti-vaccination anthem, This Has Gotta Stop, in August of last year. People put racism in the hatred box, Reid says. He went after Pattie maybe the same way. I took sex with my wife by force and thought that was my entitlement, he said. Bush won, and Atwater, who played guitar and loved the blues, threw an inauguration party that featured such artists as Bo Diddley and Percy Sledge. The anti-lockdown campaign has unquestionably damaged Claptons reputation. Clapton wrote a note recently to Italian architect Robin Monotti Graziadei, who has shared numerous anti-lockdown posts on social media, where he called his experience receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine disastrous. The former Cream guitarist said he got the vaccine in February, two months after he and Van Morrison released Stand and Deliver, a song protesting lockdown measures in the United Kingdom. "Eric Clapton's Anti-Vaccine Diatribe Blames 'Propaganda' for . Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? In an interview with Oracle Films, musician Eric Clapton detailed his experience suffering from a severe adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine. He feels it particularly because his parents immigrated from the West Indies to London, where Reid was born in 1958, before leaving for Brooklyn in 1960. So, I can be labeled a murderer and people would really believe that. It can be caused by alcoholism. You can also check out his Facebook page for more timely natural health updates. In the end, the record label solved the problem. May 17, 2021 Eric Clapton is stepping up his criticism of the U.K. government's COVID-19 response, claiming that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine came with major side effects that seemed to threaten his ability to play guitar. At 18 years old Sage weighed more than 320 pounds. Thats when he got in touch with Nathan East. He is the only artist inducted three different times into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dr. Mercola finished his family practice residency in 1985. Needless to say the reactions were disastrous, my hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, I feared I would never play again, (I suffer with peripheral neuropathy and should never have gone near the needle.) This fall, as Clapton toured the South, Cray played his own gigs in smaller venues. The Clapton package hit the spot at a certain hormonal stage of life. He asked Moore for a hair brush. Others, who did not get along with him, also find his behavior baffling. For art. He rarely mingles anymore. The legendary rocker and known vaccine skeptic embraced the widely debunked theory and slammed the media in a bizarre interview. The 76-year-old rocker detailed his experience in a letter to his friend Robin Monotti Graziadei, which was reportedly verified byRolling Stone. While Clapton said hes felt some level of alienation due to his views, in his case, he said, My fear is about what will they do to my children? / Do you wanna wear these chains / Until youre lying in the grave?, The attention surrounding Claptons lockdown remarks has led to the resurfacing of racist and xenophobic statements the guitarist has made in the past. Our six-week newsletter will help you make the right decision for you and your property. Clapton, who is 76, has been in the news this week not for rock-goddery but his reckless anti-vax rhetoric. (Rolling Stone has confirmed the authenticity of the letter. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. No one wants a president to die in office. So that was what frightened me the most, medically, health-wise, and it still does because I have gigs to do, I have recording work to do, but I cant touch the guitar to play its not fun and when I put it down, its there until I go to bed, and I take sleeping pills because I cant sleep because of the pain. Others highlight Clapton for unexpected and often uncredited acts of kindness, largely benefiting his musical collaborators. I have to use these [holding up a pair of gloves], otherwise my hands will begin to burn and theyll stay burnt all day And thats my experience from having had the second jab. I was OK, but it didnt come off as well as I would like to because, professionally, it was a huge setback , When it came time to get the second dose, Clapton was hesitant, but went ahead anyway, only to experience an even more severe reaction:6, Bit by bit I realized that I probably shouldnt have had the first jab, but then I was offered the second and I thought, well whats the point in stopping now. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. (Evan Agostini / Associated Press) By Angie Orellana Hernandez May 17, 2021. Get our L.A. In it, he was asked about his decision to team up with Van Morrison, another vaccine skeptic, on the 2020 single Stand and Deliver, which compared COVID-19 lockdowns to slavery. Real racist. On his new album, Latest Record Project, Vol. Where have all the rebels gone, Clapton wrote. Live music might never recover. (On a similar note, Clapton allegedly lent a van to a British band that continues to perform live music throughout the U.K. as a protest against lockdown measures. Clapton posed backstage with Texas Gov. NHS propaganda ads in the U.K. featured photos of sick, elderly people with sayings like Look him in the eyes and tell him the risk isnt real. Thats very dark, its victimization is what it is, Clapton said, adding:15, The trick they got together with their propaganda was making it so youre responsible for other peoples lives. If Claptons music is corrosive, certainly so are his actions and ideologies. These are normal signs that the body is building protection against the virus. Many of Claptons friends and fans are asking that same question. Ive been a rebel all my life, against tyranny and arrogant authority, which is what we have now, Clapton wrote. Weve become weak. The next time he wrote was weeks later to politely inform Clapton that he couldnt, in good conscience, open for him as planned on an upcoming tour. I felt so alone, Clapton said in the June interview. Artists should defend individual Liberty.. It was easy to say yes because I realized that I wasnt the only one that was suffering adverse reactions, Clapton said.12, Fear of Reprisal Is Keeping People From Speaking Out, Clapton is supportive of the Great Barrington Declaration (GBD), written by infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists, which highlighted grave concerns over lockdown measures implemented during the pandemic and has collected more than 850,000 signatures in support.13. Clapton's criticism toward the vaccine comes as little surprise. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Hes a massive public figure with considerable influence. Claptons general silence has left people to interpret his views through infrequent short statements, his anti-lockdown songs and a 24-minute video interview posted in June. As Delta Variant Spreads, Artists and Venues Scramble to Keep Concerts Safe For you, perhaps, Ed, the plantation and the cotton fields would have been places of abject misery and hardship. Clapton released a new song titled This Has Gotta Stop in response to coronavirus health measures all over the US. Eric Clapton pulled out a piping hot take about people who get vaccinated against Covid-19, suggesting those trying to decrease the likelihood of getting or dying from an easily transmissible . The former member of Derek and the Dominos and the Yardbirds has been a continued skeptic of COVID-19 regulations and notes in his letter that he found heroes in other anti-lockdown proponents such as MP Desmond Swayne and Jonathan Sumption. Eric Clapton has shared his experience of being vaccinated, calling his reactions to it "disastrous" and criticising the so-called "propaganda" promoting the vaccine's safety. Then he started citing nutjobs and YouTube videos as evidence of conspiracies around the pandemic. The second shot was worse. When he learned that Whitlock had sold his publishing rights for the Derek and the Dominos material, Clapton bought them back and gave them to his former bandmate. Monotti has been deeply critical about the Covid-19 response, recording a podcast entitled Our Generations Eternal Fascism is COVID19s Great Reset, We Must Fight It and criticizing the UK government on social media. He called Morrison fearless and mentioned that he tried to reach out to his own musician friends, but I dont hear from anyone. Theyre all of a piece. The racist rant during a concert in Birmingham, England, in 1976 was not something newly surfaced. From Dec. 9, 2020 to June 2, 2021, the site reported the following submissions:. Onstage, Clapton told his audience that it was important to keep England White and that the Black wogs and coons and Arabs and f---ing Jamaicans dont belong here. In 12 Bars, Clapton apologized and said he was ashamed about what he said. I went to my doctor pretty quickly and said, you know, I cant have any more vaccinations. I didnt even know there was a yellow card report. Analysis of scientific evidence since the start of the pandemic supports the theory that lockdowns have been ineffective in stopping the spread of the illness and have come at an exceedingly high financial and human cost.2 Theyve even been called the "single worst public health mistake" of the last 100 years.3 In the song, Clapton sings:4, Stand and deliver / You let them put the fear on you / Stand and deliver / But not a word you heard was true / But if theres nothing you can say / There may be nothing you can do / Do you want to be a free man / Or do you want to be a slave?, Clapton Lost Use of Hands After Second Vaccine Dose. He decided to get a COVID-19 vaccine the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which uses a chimpanzee adenovirus vector genetically engineered to express the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Would you be up for doing it?' Eaton estimates that Clapton has given the center, through donations, fundraising concerts and by auctioning off guitars, at least $20 million over the past decade. May 17, 2021 10:01am Updated Eric Clapton is not singing the COVID-19 vaccine's praises. Bassist Nathan East, who remains loyal to Clapton after decades in his band and is one of the performers on Lady in the Balcony, said that his wife and manager urged him to talk only if he could avoid discussing politics. She has also written for CalMatters College Journalism Network. Clapton told doctor to make a 'yellow card' report. This psychological suffering is a key control mechanism, Clapton said, referencing George Orwells 1984: Its so true. And Clapton's racism and conspiracy. However, it is not confirmed whether these events were due to the vaccine.. Its easy to latch onto certain songs, become defensive about their brilliance and refuse to let go. Clapton has been blasted by mainstream media for speaking out about the vaccine and COVID lockdowns, and he said hes lost friends over his views. Protecting health and improving lives is our mission and what we strive for., The MHRA noted that in certain trials, there were very rare reports of events associated with inflammation of the nervous system, which may cause numbness, pins and needles, and/or loss of feeling. His 1992 album, Unplugged, remains the best-selling live release ever, with over 25 million copies sold. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Among friends and collaborators, theres hope that Clapton can repair the damage hes done to his reputation. Angie Orellana Hernandez is a former Arts and Entertainment intern at the Los Angeles Times. Clapton has since become outspoken about his anti-vaccination stance. Maybe obsessed is the wrong word, but youre mono focused. Claptons remarks came during a surge of immigration in the 1970s and a campaign on the far right to stop the flow of South Africans into Britain. For me, the beauty of music is that it really transcends language, color and politics.. The side effects began shortly after his first dose:5. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who, like Clapton, is vaccinated, immediately tweeted his admiration: Bravo, Eric Clapton. Thats powerful. He should have been pulled off his pedestal long ago. He may have been injured by two doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, but this is not just an "AstraZeneca issue". East remembers. He has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. It takes on the U.K.s pandemic response, which included strict lockdowns. Eric Clapton is doubling down on his criticisms of COVID-19 safety protocols, arguing that those who are getting vaccinated are victims of subliminal advertising by pharmaceutical companies on social media. Musician and anti-lockdown activist Eric Clapton says he had a "disastrous" experience with the COVID-19 vaccine. Clapton said what disturbs him the most about the pandemic response is coercion. And of course theres the time in 1999 when Clapton told the London Sunday Times that fueled by drugs and alcohol he abused the model and photographer Pattie Boyd in the 1980s, when they were married. Albhy Galuten, who played with Clapton in the 1970s before becoming the production mastermind behind the Bee Gees, wonders whether the mess hes in is due, in part, to the naive and unguarded way hes always approached his career. Was the 76-year-old guitar great comfortable singing Morrisons words, which compared the lockdown to slavery? Jim McCarty, the Yardbirds drummer, said that even in the early days, Clapton remained a mystery. I expected it to be something that would gradually grow worse as I got older into my 80s, but always I could get some ice pack or whatever and it would be fine. This changed after the second COVID-19 vaccine, however. In the Guardian in 2018, critic Neil Spencer praised Claptons music as dazzling and full of caustic brilliance, cautioning against putting too much stock in his poor behaviour and assorted addictions.. Thats the one with Cray. After the first jab, he. . Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker performing with Cream. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images By Bonnie Stiernberg @aahrealbonsters How did this teenagers drawing of his knee windup in a Jasper Johns painting at the Whitney? How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations For Adults and Children, Pfizer Scientists Say Natural Immunity is Better, NBC News Medical Correspondent Spreads Medical Misinformation, Everyone is Going to Get Covid, Experts Say. Clearly old Slowhand is willing to create superspreader events, secure in the knowledge the coronavirus is unlikely to infect him. Musician Eric Clapton detailed his experience suffering from a severe adverse reaction to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. This is about music and performance and live music going on while were in the midst of this horrible pandemic, Titelman planned to say. There was the time in 1976 that Clapton announced at a concert, again with racist slurs, that he wanted to keep Britain white and to deport all Black people. Throughout his career, Clapton has received 18 Grammy Awards as well as the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. The rock legend has claimed a "disastrous" reaction to the jab left him afraid he "would never play. He claimed that he'd been duped into getting the COVID-19 jab by subliminal messaging in pharmaceutical advertising and. Clapton claimed he had a "disastrous" reaction after taking the AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab in February, which left him afraid he "would never play again". But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone". Chevy Chase is 74, sober and ready to work. Clapton claimed he had a "disastrous" reaction after taking the AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab in February, which left him afraid he "would never play again". She started cranberry lemonade, a salad a day, cut out refined sugar and processed foods, Sage lost 100 pounds in less than a year. As a heroin addict in the early 1970s, he would only snort the drug. You ever met people like that? Crays tone changes when he talks of when they first became friends. "I love Eric Clapton, he's my hero, but he has very different views from me in many ways," May said. Clapton addressed it in 2017s Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars documentary, and its been used regularly as ammunition against him online. He declined multiple interview requests for this article, and his business manager, Michael Eaton, explained that decision in an email to The Washington Post. (Dr. Paul Offit, a member of the Food and Drug Administrations vaccine advisory panel, said that vaccine trials was 95 percent effective, irrespective of if someone experienced side effects or not.) The efficacy of the vaccines has been demonstrated by falling COVID-19 cases around the nation and drastically declining COVID-related. (Clapton mistakenly calls the track The Rebels in his letter. And then I remembered seeing little things on YouTube, which were like subliminal advertising. He went on to rant about keeping Britain white and said that he used to be into dope, now [hes] into racism. He founded The Natural Health Center (formerly The Optimal Wellness Center), which became well-known for its whole-body approach to medicine. Nobody wants to work with him. His reaction back to me was that he was referring to slaves from, you know, England from way back, Cray says. But then you grow out of it, especially as both the music and persona curdle. But behind the scenes, Titelman found himself in an uncomfortable position. Its very clever.. whose lower arms + hands and lower legs were completely 'mummified' and withered away due to 'vaccine' injury. The 17-time Grammy winner made the eyebrow-raising claim in a video interview with The Real Music Observer that first appeared on YouTube last week. Then I read a lot of the evidence that I had been reading about with people that were having adverse reactions, that was on the list damage to the immune system.. You have only one thing in your mind, and thats all you can really concentrate on.. Clapton is a three-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, once as a solo artist and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. He could be a global ambassador, and instead hes chosen the pro-covid, anti-public-health route.. What grabbed Crays attention was the second verse. He is one of my favorite musicians in the world to play with, says Keltner, who has played with George Harrison, Fiona Apple, Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Linda Ronstadt in his long career. In the Olympics, they throw out the best score and the worst score, he says. Expand full comment. I think hes a hero for it.. Eaton wrote that given the depressingly bad standard of journalism reflected in certain recent articles, Eric Clapton has no desire at the moment to engage with the US Press. Worse: making vaccine hesitancy seem heroic, a revolt against tyranny. Though Clapton studied the music of the blues, he seems to have not read up on what drove the work of many of his heroes. Eric Clapton has described his experiences with the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying it had him worried if he would ever play guitar again. I couldnt think of anything Id rather be doing than picking cotton and hearing that music all around me.. My hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, he said. He always made me feel like I was beneath him.. He formed and quit a British supergroup, Blind Faith, and then turned to Southern soul, touring as a member of Delaney & Bonnie. Well, racism is much more complicated than mere hatred. I lost the use of my hands for about three weeks, so I thought I was in real trouble I cant touch anything cold or hot. Which is how they ended up in Cowdray House, a majestic manor in the middle of a polo club in West Sussex, England, recording what became Lady in the Balcony. It was the height of the pandemic, and East, after arriving, had to stay in touch with the police so they knew he was quarantining. Most people have sort of Jiminy Cricket on their shoulder all the time saying, you know, dont do this, do this, he says. ; 195,641 Yellow Cards reported for the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca. Within about a week my hands didnt really work..