Eric Clapton Wrote 'Tears In Heaven' After Son's Death

Jan 14, 2020 by apost team

Eric Clapton, the legendary British guitarist has been through a lot of turmoil in his life. In early 2020, fans of Clapton learned about the loss of Marty Grebb, a songwriter and virtuoso musician who worked closely with him.

Clapton is no stranger to grief, however. One of his most celebrated songs was written after the tragic loss of his four-year-old son in a terrible accident in 1991.

"Tears in Heaven" is a 1992 song that Clapton composed and recorded a year after the tragic death of his little boy Conor, who was just four years old when he fell from a high-rise apartment in New York City. 

Let's review some details about this devastating accident and Clapton's life following Conor's untimely departure, which was detailed here in the New York Times.

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When Clapton and his partner Lori Del Santo, split, the couple agreed that Conor should live with his mother; Clapton got visitation rights. The boy spent time with Clapton whenever the rock star was in town and went out to enjoy some quality bonding time. 

After a day out, Clapton had a long talk with Del Santo that evening. Plans were made for the following day when Clapton and his son decided to visit the zoo and later enjoy a nice meal at an Italian restaurant. Conor was very excited about this time with his daddy.

All Conor could do on his last morning was to wait for his father. Before Clapton arrived to pick him up. Conor, who was at that moment being looked after by his nanny, ran towards an open window and fell down more than 50 floors to the streets of Manhattan.

Clapton was devastated; his soul crushed, and the guilt of not having spent more time with his son is a burden he has carried for decades. If you are a fan you can hear his anguish playing out in "Tears in Heaven."

For all the success Clapton has achieved in his illustrious career, he will never recover from losing Conor. Check out the video of 'Tears in Heaven' and be sure to remind friends and family never to take life for granted.