I once read after Eric Clapton’s son died his music changed dramatically and became almost a different genre (from rock to james taylor-esqe folk, something like that). Is this true or not? I do not know much of his music so I have no idea myself.
No, it was definitely not that dramatic. Here’s his bio from the AllMusic Guide. Clapton’s music had changed a bunch before that point. Obviously in the late '60s and early '70s he got famous and earned comparisons to various deities for playing heavy blues rock with lots of big solos. I’m not a Clapton expert, but I’d say his solo stuff after Blind Faith started showing his interest in doing a softer, more moderate kind of rock, and that’s the early '70s. In the AMG’s words, “The persona Clapton established over the next decade was less that of guitar hero than arena rock star with a weakness for ballads.” Two of his most popular, most middle-of-the-road-sounding songs - “Wonderful Tonight” and “Lay Down Sally” - came out in '77. I think he’s always been uncomfortable with the idea of living up to the legacy and the fame he enjoyed early in his career with the Bluesbreakers and Cream.
After his son died in March of '91, what did happen, as far as I can tell, is that he started returning to more straight-up blues stuff, which I don’t think he’d done before. That started with his successful appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1992. I have no idea if that’s at all related to his son’s death, though. He’d definitely played that kind of music before, it’s a return to his roots but without the bombast that groups like Cream were famous for. His playing with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends in 1970 wasn’t all that dissimilar. After the Unplugged appearance, he did an acoustic blues album called From the Cradle, and in the last few yeares he’s done a few electric albums of blues standards: Riding with the King, with BB King, and most recently two albums of Robert Johnson songs, Me and Mr. Johnson and Sessions for Robert J.
Some of his solo stuff is pretty soft, and maybe you could call “Change the World” James Taylor-esque (I’d just call it blecch). But the blues stuff is still a part of his style and I don’t think folk is an accurate term for it. It’s a softer kind of rock.
I agree with Marley23 that it wasn’t dramatic. During the early 90’s MTV Unplugged revitalized acoustic rock. Blues (acoustic and electric) had a big comeback too. I suspect Clapton felt comfortable slipping into these styles. I don’t think his son’s death was the catalyst either since the albums leading up to his death were in the same vein as the albums after his death. Both Journeyman and 24 Nights are fairly mellow and heavily blues-oriented.
Also, FWIW, From the Cradle is an electric blues album. The AMG review nails it to when they say his vocals spoil the album.
Age and time make a big difference. I thought his jazz version of Layla from Unplugged was a stroke of genius. How many times can an adult do a primal scream of longing for a woman he is now long divorced from? Other musicians would have been stuck playing it the same way for the rest of their careers.
He now has options. He can do blues, or acoustic, or have old-time guitar fun. He’s a legend and an icon and anything he does fits who he is. An enviable place to be in.
Ah, my mistake. And yes, as much as he’s obviously a blues lover and historian, he’s in no way a blues singer. Doesn’t have the voice for it at all.