He may come off as one hell of a loudmouth, but you can't say that Eric Clapton isn't a total legend.
In recent years, some racist accusations have come out about Slowhand—not to mention his anti-lockdown duet with Van Morrison this past year. Perhaps some have started to see him as a British version of Ted Nugent, if you will.
That said, everything he’s put his mind to remains masterpiece worthy—be it his 2000 album with B.B. King, or his work with 1960s supergroup Cream, of which he’s the last surviving member. His album Unplugged even won all three Grammy Awards it was nominated for in 1993—including Album of the Year. Despite his legend status, it didn't look very promising for Mr. Clapton a few years ago, as he was seen being pushed around in a wheelchair on his 72nd birthday.
He must be feeling better, because today, he announced an eight-date run of shows—the second to last show taking place at Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Sept 25. Tickets to see Eric Clapton in downtown Tampa go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. and start at $55.25.
A press release says Clapton’s band for these shows—where Stevie Ray’s brother Jimmy Vaughn plays opener—includes Doyle Bramhall II, Paul Carrack, Nathan East, Sonny Emory, Steve Gadd and Chris Stainton with Sharon White and Katie Kissoon on backing vocals.
Clapton's last stop in Tampa was 13 years ago, at what was then known as the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa proper. Knowing how little he tours these days, this might be your last chance to see him live. If you don’t care about what comes out of his mouth, that is.
Support local journalism in these crazy days. Our small but mighty team works tirelessly to share music news, events and concert announcements as the Tampa Bay music scene recovers from coronavirus shutdowns. Please consider making a one time or monthly donation to help support our staff. Every little bit helps.
Follow @cl_tampabay on Twitter and subscribe to our newsletter.
