We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Eric Clapton, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the singer and musician that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: He Hated Beatlemania. Clapton wrote in his autobiography that he found Beatlemania to be “despicable.” He wrote, “[Beatlemania] showed how sheep-like people were, and how ready they were to elevate players to the status of gods.” He detested the fact that the Beatles were being praised left and right while some of the most talented artists he knew died essentially anonymously.
Number Seven: He Hit Shirley MacLaine in the Face With a Pie. Clapton was part of a “celebrity circus” in 1975, and in one skit, Clapton and Burgess Meredith were supposed to hit each other in the face with pies. However, during their third show, Clapton and Burgess drunkenly pied MacLaine in the face instead of each other.
Number Six: He Wishes Blind Faith Had Lasted Longer. In a 2007 interview, Clapton revealed that he wishes his band Blind Faith had lasted longer. He went on to say that he was happy with the careers of all of the other bands he’s been in.
Number Five: He Is the Second Greatest Guitarist of All Time. According to Rolling Stone, anyway. Clapton was named second on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Number Four: He Founded a Rehabilitation Center. Clapton has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction in the past, and in an effort to help fellow addicts, he founded the Crossroads Centre. The facility is located on Antigua and is designed to be a safe haven for recovering substance abusers.
Number Three: His Mom Was 16 When She Had Him. Clapton’s mother was Patricia Molly Clapton, and she was just 16 years old when she gave birth to him in Ripley, Surrey, England.
Number Two: He Had a Child With Another Woman While He Was Married. Clapton married Pattie Boyd in 1979, and though they tried to have kids, they never did. However, in 1985, Clapton had a child with Yvonne Kelly, who was the manager of AIR Studios Montserrat at the time. He was still married to Boyd at the time.
Number One: He Was in the First Full-Length Rock Opera. Clapton was featured in the film version of Tommy, which was a rock opera written by the Who. Clapton appeared as a preacher in the movie.