Jenny Boyd, Eric Clapton’s former sister-in-law, recently spoke with Fox News Digital about Clapton’s struggle with alcoholism, giving insight into the guitarist’s issues.
Boyd, who remained friends with Eric Clapton following his divorce from her sister, spoke on the impact of Clapton’s great talent on his psyche, saying:
“I’d wonder why he got so intoxicated. He stated he saw himself as just another dude on the street. He had nothing unique about him. But I thought, ‘No, he has a God-given gift, and it is so great and forceful that he doesn’t know how to handle it.'”
The Burden Of Genius
She went on to reveal the guitarist’s remark to her:
“So he would drink. He answered, “Yeah, that’s right.” That is exactly why I drank. It was too much. Eric Clapton stated, “[Performing] is sometimes like staring into the face of God, and you feel naked.” It was scary. “So he drank to cope.”
Coping With The Spotlight
Eric Clapton struggled not only with the weight of his skill but also with the pressures of celebrity. His early career was hampered by a severe drug addiction, mainly heroin, which he eventually replaced with alcohol as a less fatal but damaging coping technique. Despite his financial resources, this route almost led him to become another tragic rock ‘n’ roll fatality.
By 1982, the musician was aware of his poor health and the prospect of death from addiction. Then he contacted his management, acknowledging his alcoholism and asking for assistance. This resulted in his admission to the Hazelden Treatment Center in Minnesota, which marked the start of his long journey to sobriety. He told Classic Rock about the period in 2017:
“I’m not sure how I lived, especially in the 1970s. At one point, they were flying me to a hospital in St Paul [Minnesota], and I appeared to be dying. I had three ulcers, one of which was bleeding. I was on the verge of passing out after downing three bottles of brandy and a few codeine pills. And I can’t even recall. “It’s amazing that I’m still alive.”
Clapton later established the Crossroads Center in Antigua. This facility is dedicated to assisting people in overcoming their addictions, and the rocker is heavily involved in its management, oversight, and fundraising efforts. Through the Crossroads Guitar Festival, he has raised major funding for the facility.
