Eric Clapton Apologizes for Racist Past: I Sabotaged Everything

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The British guitar legend Eric Clapton has told of the self-disgust he felt at seeing old footage of himself chanting racist slogans at a 1976 concert in the British city of Birmingham.

Clapton was speaking at a Q&A in London following the screening of the highly anticipated biographical documentary Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars.

He said last night that watching the unedited footage, which is included in Lili Zanuck’s new film out next month, left him newly “disgusted” with himself for his “chauvinistic” and “fascistic” comments on stage.

According to the Daily Mail he added: “I sabotaged everything I got involved with.”

The legendary 18-time Grammy winner said he felt shame about the notorious incident, wherein he praised the racist Tory MP Enoch Powell, declared that Britain must stop itself from becoming a “black colony” and said “England is for white people, man.”

“I don’t want you here, in the room or in my country,” Clapton declared. “Listen to me, man! I think we should vote for Enoch Powell. Enoch’s our man. I think Enoch’s right, I think we should send them all back. Stop Britain from becoming a black colony. Get the foreigners out. Get the w-gs out. Get the c--ns out. Keep Britain white. I used to be into dope, now I'm into racism. It’s much heavier, man. ----king w-gs, man. ----ing Saudis taking over London. B-stard w-gs. Britain is becoming overcrowded and Enoch will stop it and send them all back. The black w-gs and c--ns and Arabs and ----ing Jamaicans and ----ing…don’t belong here, we don’t want them here. This is England, this is a white country, we don’t want any black w-gs and c--ns living here. We need to make clear to them they are not welcome. England is for white people, man. We are a white country ..."

Clapton’s bizarre outburst, which helped spur the Rock Against Racism movement, saw him labeled a racist for many years, and he has subsequently apologized many times, blaming his addiction to drink and drugs for the outburst.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/eric-clapton-apologizes-for-racist-past-i-sabotaged-everything/ar-AAuAqdR?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=edgsp

[maxsolomon]

1. Never knew about that.

w-gs is Wogs, BTW. we barely know that word here.

[hlthe2b]

2. At least he has "repented" so-to-speak....

His life has not been free of tragedy (ref the horrific loss of his toddler son out of a NYC high rise) and clearly he did experience the effect of drugs and alcohol.

So, I take his multiple expressions of regret to be sincere...

The question is, how do we get through to those who might be "reachable" before they inflict harm--directly or indirectly-- as a result of their words and attitudes?

[Fullduplexxx]

3. It's like when right wingers have affairs then say well god haa forgiven me

That makes it allllllllright

[hlthe2b]

12. The difference is they say so immediately after being caught. This was 42 years ago and he has

apologized many many times since then. His actions since then are diametrically in opposition to that racist period, including the help and mentoring given many a struggling fellow performer. Further, he has constantly given due to those black blues performers that paved the way for, and most influenced HIM.

I don't believe that people can not change. If that were the case is there anyone among us who does not regret SOMETHING they said or did early in life?

[Iggo]

4. "...blaming his addiction to drink and drugs for the outburst..."

...instead of blaming it, and rightly, on his own bigotry.

Remember, Eric: Drugs aren't the problem. Drugs are the solution. YOU are the problem.

[hlthe2b]

13. "Drugs are the solution" ??? REALLY?

While I agree with you that he can't blame drug addiction on that expressed bigotry alone, it would be hard to deny drug addiction does not enable such deplorable behavior in a cyclical manner. Drug addiction makes even the most beloved family members and friends no longer unrecognizable. I have been lucky to largely escape this (except for alcohol) in my own extended family, but I've stood by the destroyed friends whose families have been leveled by this scourge--well before the current opiod scourge.

[Iggo]

14. You're lucky. (n/t)

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

5. Considering the msuci he plays is based largely on

music of black people I wonder how he could reconcile that.

[Le Gaucher]

6. Sorry, Clapton is a very overrated guitarist.

Technically speaking there are 100s of guitarists who could chew and spit him out.

Musically - while it's more subjective ... He played the blues... And I think blues sang by anyone other than black musician is not really the Blues .. it might be bluesy..it might sound very nice ..but it ain't the blues... There pain behind the music isnt real.

[maveric]

10. Thank you.

I've always felt that he was somewhat of a sell-out.
Page, Beck and Hendrix were all better IMO.

[Kirk Lover]

7. Wow I've never heard of this. I'm shocked. I'm glad he is disgusted with himself and he

knows he is wrong. He should feel ashamed. I hope he really feels that in his heart...that is what really matters.

[IluvPitties]

8. People can change. I hope he has.

[inanna]

9. I did not know about this....

and I admit he is a favorite artist of mine.

Glad he's owned up to it, at least.

[VOX]

11. To be fair, no video or audio tape exists to document Clapton's alleged 1976 drunken racist meltdown

The article in the OP rather cleverly inserts the extended "Enoch Powell"-rant-quote as if the Zanuck documentary has actual footage of the moment. Id does not. The quote has long-ago been pieced together from multiple print sources, most of them music-related publications: New Musical Express, Melody Maker, Virgin Media: "Clapton's Shocking Rant."

That said, Clapton has never denied making these statements. So the truth is, he probably went there, especially while on the tonnage of booze and cocaine he was doing at the time. But at least he owns up to it. Losing his 5-year-old son in 1991 changed the man considerably. That tragic loss made him more of a human being.

Clapton's backstory is complex -- he is a "love child" (previously known as a bastard) himself, and never knew his Canadian father. His then-16-year-old mother gave her son Eric to her mother and stepfather to raise. Until he was nine years old, the woman Eric Clapton thought was his sister was actually his mother.