# Eric Clapton's parents?



## Mahogany Martin

What's particular about Eric's biological father? Where is he from?

His mom? Remaried?

Kinda easy, it's Friday...


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## Mahogany Martin

You’s guys are starting to piss me off!! 14 viewings so far and not one *daring* guess. Maybe it’s so common knowledge that I look like a goof huh? Or is it too hard? Well, ok, let me give you ONE hint.

His mother’s father was a tough one. She wanted her son to play hockey. His father’s father used to say “my son’s gonna play with the HABS someday”. But one day, their son, at dinner, broke the news. “What it is son, are you going to tell us that you’re gay? Are you?”

“No mom! I just don’t want to spend the rest of my life playing hockey”. 
“Ah that’s it” the father exclaimed. “It’s all your fault dear. You sheltered him too much. I’m going out for a drink”.   

“No listen you two. I’m gonna be a pilot someday”...

*** For anyone visiting, please don’t take the above to the bank ‘cos they’ll eh... at you...


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## mario

I could be mistaken, but wasn't Eric's father a Canadian soldier? I seem to recall that Clapton visited his half brothers and sisters in Canada.


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## Lester B. Flat

I'm originally from Fredericton, N.B. In the mid seventies there was a story going around town that Eric Clapton had been in the area visiting his half-sister and had shown up unexpectedly one afternoon at a local bar (the Riverview Arms), played a few tunes and left. The bar was nearly empty and I've never spoken to an actual witness. I had always guessed his half-sister was married to someone in the armed forces who was stationed at C.F.B. Gagetown, just south of Fredericton. I guess whether it was his father or half-sister or both, he has family in the area.


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## Mahogany Martin

Yeah, seriously now, it’s possible that Eric has quite a few relatives here in Canada. His biological father Edward Walter Fryer was from Montreal. I believe that he was a pilot with the Canadian Air Force. He was sent to England during the war (in 1942 or so). His true passion was playing the piano and singing. He was also talented at drawing.

While in England, he met Patricia Clapton in 1944. She became pregnant. She was 15 years old. You can imagine how terrible it must have been for her. 1st, she was 15 and pregnant, and 2nd, it was found that Edward was already married. People apparently treated her very badly, shouting and spitting at her on the streets, writing graffitis on the walls of her house, etc. She gave birth to Eric on March 30th, 1945.

Edward went back to Montreal soon after and I’m assuming that he went back to his wife and may have had kids (in which case, they’d be some of Eric’s half brothers or sisters). A few years later, Patricia married another Canadian soldier, Frank McDonald. She left Eric to be raised by her parents and moved to Canada. She had at least one son with Frank McDonald (Eric’s half brother).

It’s wild to think of growing up in that context especially in those days. The social fabric of the time and for many years to come didn’t *accept* single parenting and so on. Kids can be mean and we can only imagine what it was like for Eric to grow up in that environment.


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## james on bass

I'd never heard this before. Very interesting.


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## foursquare

ofender said:


> Yeah, seriously now, it’s possible that Eric has quite a few relatives here in Canada. His biological father Edward Walter Fryer was from Montreal. I believe that he was a pilot with the Canadian Air Force. He was sent to England during the war (in 1942 or so). His true passion was playing the piano and singing. He was also talented at drawing.
> 
> While in England, he met Patricia Clapton in 1944. She became pregnant. She was 15 years old. You can imagine how terrible it must have been for her. 1st, she was 15 and pregnant, and 2nd, it was found that Edward was already married. People apparently treated her very badly, shouting and spitting at her on the streets, writing graffitis on the walls of her house, etc. She gave birth to Eric on March 30th, 1945.
> 
> Edward went back to Montreal soon after and I’m assuming that he went back to his wife and may have had kids (in which case, they’d be some of Eric’s half brothers or sisters). A few years later, Patricia married another Canadian soldier, Frank McDonald. She left Eric to be raised by her parents and moved to Canada. She had at least one son with Frank McDonald (Eric’s half brother).
> 
> It’s wild to think of growing up in that context especially in those days. The social fabric of the time and for many years to come didn’t *accept* single parenting and so on. Kids can be mean and we can only imagine what it was like for Eric to grow up in that environment.



correction: Patricia Clapp, Eric Clapton was born Eric Clapp, so id assume his mothers last name would be the same.


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## drift_boat

What I have read about that period in his life indicated all was not all that rosy. One author claimed that Clapton's mother actually tried to re-enter his life during his teen years, but as his long lost older sister. When the truth came out, it drove Clapton to so much angst that it drove him to the blues.


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## Mahogany Martin

foursquare said:


> correction: Patricia Clapp, Eric Clapton was born Eric Clapp, so id assume his mothers last name would be the same.


Eric's grandmother (his mother's mother) Rose's first husband was Reginald Cecil Clapton (they had Eric's mother Patricia Molly Clapton). Rose's 2nd husband was Jack Clapp and they are the ones that Patricia left Eric to be raised with. He was born and named Eric Patrick Clapton.



drift_boat said:


> What I have read about that period in his life indicated all was not all that rosy. One author claimed that Clapton's mother actually tried to re-enter his life during his teen years, but as his long lost older sister. When the truth came out, it drove Clapton to so much angst that it drove him to the blues.


Yeah drift_boat, one of the story I read was that Patricia and her son from her husband Frank McDonald came to visit. Her son was about 6 and Eric was about 11 or 12. To prevent more scandals and gossips and so on, they had to pretend that Patricia was Eric's sister. It understandably made Eric feel even more *odd* and angry.


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## foursquare

ofender said:


> Eric's grandmother (his mother's mother) Rose's first husband was Reginald Cecil Clapton (they had Eric's mother Patricia Molly Clapton). Rose's 2nd husband was Jack Clapp and they are the ones that Patricia left Eric to be raised with. He was born and named Eric Patrick Clapton.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah drift_boat, one of the story I read was that Patricia and her son from her husband Frank McDonald came to visit. Her son was about 6 and Eric was about 11 or 12. To prevent more scandals and gossips and so on, they had to pretend that Patricia was Eric's sister. It understandably made Eric feel even more *odd* and angry.


i had to research this to confirm it, "Eric Clapton ... CBE (born Eric Patrick Clapp on 30 March 1945) is a British guitarist and composer, nicknamed ..." its from wikipedia so it has to be fact


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## zao_89

ofender said:


> You’s guys are starting to piss me off!! 14 viewings so far and not one *daring* guess. Maybe it’s so common knowledge that I look like a goof huh? Or is it too hard? Well, ok, let me give you ONE hint.
> 
> His mother’s father was a tough one. She wanted her son to play hockey. His father’s father used to say “my son’s gonna play with the HABS someday”. But one day, their son, at dinner, broke the news. “What it is son, are you going to tell us that you’re gay? Are you?”
> 
> “No mom! I just don’t want to spend the rest of my life playing hockey”.
> “Ah that’s it” the father exclaimed. “It’s all your fault dear. You sheltered him too much. I’m going out for a drink”.
> 
> “No listen you two. I’m gonna be a pilot someday”...
> 
> *** For anyone visiting, please don’t take the above to the bank ‘cos they’ll eh... at you...


Heh.......


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