Author:Rick Wakeman
Around about August 1948, Mr and Mrs Cyril Wakeman had an early night and some time later, at Perivale in Middlesex, Mrs Wakeman produced a bonny baby son. They named him Richard, but he quickly became known as Rick.
Rick was a likeable little fellow who had a talent for the piano and for making trouble. Music became Rick's life - he joined a popular music group called Yes and became a legend. Much later he became a Grumpy Old Man who appears on Countdown, hosts a hugely popular radio show on Planet Rock and performs a one-man show telling stories about his rather extraordinary life.
Which is where this book you are holding comes in. Mr Wakeman is simply one of the great storytellers of our age - let's face it, he has some fabulous material. It seemed a shame that some of the funniest yarns should not be more widely known. So he accepted some cash and here we are.
Curl up by the fire with a Grumpy Old Rock Star and your nearest and dearest. We defy you not to want to read it aloud and laugh.
'A hip, funny and uplifting memoir'
—— Grace MagazineToss the Prozac and grab a tambourine - I very much like Soffee's idea that a woman can belly dance her way out of heartache
—— Tom RobbinsBe sure to read this memoir before it gets made into a movie
—— BODY & SOUL magazineIt's a raw and remarkable piece of self-exposure
—— Daily TelegraphIt is a pity more autobiograophers don't have Clapton's grounding in the blues.
—— Sunday TimesHis story is certainly deserving of telling. What sets this book apart is Clapton's sheer stature. His tale is frank, witty and engaging. Worth a read.
—— News of the WorldThis is a gripping read
—— ObserverEric Clapton: The Autobiography is nail-biting, white-knuckle stuff
—— TatlerAn inspiring story of struggle, setback and redemption, The early chapters bring vividly alive the mood and music of the times, and the young Clapton cuts a deceptively sympathetic figure: an idealist, dedicated to maintaining the 'purity' of his music; modest about his talents, candid about his professional jealousies, his shyness, his sexual insecurities.
—— TelegraphClapton's book is a candid, almost confessional look back on a starry life. This is a compelling, down-to-earth document of the man behind the guitar-hero mask.
—— QClapton reveals all in this unflinching confessional.
—— IndependentA powerfully honest and very moving insight into the life of a rock legend
—— The Herald (Glasgow)Clapton bares his soul. Fascinating. It's an absorbing read, like you've been granted access to a mind finally coming to terms with itself.
—— The Sunday Tribune (Ireland)Difficult to put down
—— Sunday TimesClapton provides an orderly account of life in which all other considerations are secondary to the frequently selfish needs of The Artist'
—— GuardianGold-plated tales of sex, drink, drugs and fame and moments of musical incandescence.
—— Observer Music MonthlyA warm portrait
—— FT MagazineA harrowing and searingly honest book about the unreal rock star life.
—— Daily ExpressClapton lays bare his life story in this witty but also painfully honest autobiography. Compelling and accomplished.
—— Sunday ExpressA painfully honest insider's account of an age all too often portrayed as one long party
—— Daily MailA glorious rock history.
—— New York PostThis book does what many rock historians couldn't: It debunks the legend...puts a lie to the glamour of what it means to be a rock star.
—— Greg Kot, Chicago TribuneStrong stuff. Clapton reveals its author's journey to self-acceptance and manhood. Anyone who cares about the man and his music will want to take the trip with him.
—— Anthony DcCurtis, Rolling StoneClapton is honest...even searing and often witty, with a hard-won survivor's humor...an honorable badge of a book.
—— Stephen King, New York Times Book ReviewRiveting
—— Boston HeraldAn even, unblinking sensibility defines the author's voice.
—— New York TimesAn unsparing self-portrait.
—— USA TodayBoth the youthful excesses and the current calm state are narrated with an engaging tone that nudges Clapton's story ahead of other rock'n'roll memoirs.
—— Publisher’s WeeklyClapton is a confessional, an addiction memoir, and a glorious rock history rolled into one, with a smidgeon of guilt and, ultimately redemption thrown in for good measure.
—— New York PostClapton fills in many gray areas, recounting his highs and lows with a thoughtfulness often lacking rock memoirs.Methodically he whittles away at the larger-than-life rock god until a vulnerable, messed-up mortal emerges...Clapton is an absorbing tale of artistry, decadence and redemption.It's also an important reminder of the guitarist's imprint on rock music, as a sideman, solo artist and bandleader.Not bad for a blues snob from Surrey.
—— Los Angeles TimesClapton: The Autobiography does what many rock historians couldn't: It debunks the legend, de-mythologizes one of the most mythologized electric guitarists ever, puts a lie to the glamour of what is means to be a rock star...It's a cautionary tale that spills over into tragedy several times as love, lives and talents are all wasted.
—— Chicago TribuneLike the bluesmen who inspired him, Clapton has his share of scars...his compelling memoir is... a soulful performance.
—— PeopleCharming and surprisingly candid.
—— Entertainment WeeklyAbsolutely brilliant
—— Daily Express