Eric Clapton Had 5 Children – His Only Son Died in a Home Accident

Eric Clapton's children are famous because of their father, a celebrated British singer, songwriter, and rock guitarist. Eric is known as one of the most influential guitarists in rock music.

Despite his successful career, the father of five went through a difficult moment when he lost his only son in a home accident. In the 90s, Eric's love life made headlines as he dated well-known models and actresses and bore children with some of them.

His first child's identity was kept a secret for a long time because he had an affair when he was still married. His second child was with an Italian actress.

After many failed relationships, the Grammy Award winner finally found love and settled down with his now-wife Melia McEnery, with whom he shares three children.

Ruth Kelly Clapton

Eric made amends with his daughter Ruth after six years of prolonged bitter quarrels triggered by a Kermit the Frog costume. "The Wonderful Tonight" singer reportedly cut ties with his daughter, with whom he shares with Yvonne Kelly.

Eric made the decision after discovering she had been giving out details of his private life on Twitter. In 2015, Ruth disclosed to her followers that her father wore a Kermit the Frog costume to his 70th birthday party and shared photos of his luxury home.

The posts led to a serious argument between the duo, with the legendary singer commanding her to cease posting about his private life online. Ruth took it personally and decided to exclude her dad from her life.

She deleted the post on Twitter and requested her followers to refrain from tagging her in tweets relating to the singer because they no longer had a relationship. In 2021, Ruth and Eric sorted out their differences and reunited after six years of being absent from each other's lives.

The emotional reunion came after Ruth announced that she had parted ways with her husband, Dean Bartlett, with whom she shares two children. She praised her dad for being by her side through the challenging period.

Ruth and her dad had a complicated relationship, and her identity was kept a secret for several years. Ruth's mother, Kelly, had an affair with Eric when he was still married to Pattie Boyd. Ruth's identity was revealed in 1991 after the terrible death of Eric's son, Conor.

On February 1, 2005, Eric and McEnery welcomed their third child and named her Sophie.

Ruth attended her brother's funeral, and her father thanked her for helping him overcome his painful grief over Conor's death. In his autobiography, Eric said his daughter made him feel "valid, unique, and strong."

Conor Clapton

Conor was born on August 21, 1986. He was the son of Eric and Italian actress Lory del Santo. The four-year-old boy's life was cut short in March 1991 when he fell from his mother's 53rd-floor Manhattan apartment.

According to the police, Conor fell from an open window that a housekeeper had left open after cleaning. Conor's death prompted Eric to write a hit song, "Tears in Heaven," which got released on the 1991 Rush film soundtrack.

The unforgettable song was Eric's best-performing and selling single in the U.S. It also ranked top two on the Billboard Hot 100. The hit song charted in the top 10 in over 20 countries.

Julie Rose Clapton

In his autobiography, Eric described his daughter's birth as something he wasn't prepared for. Julie was born on June 15, 2001, around 10 p.m. Unlike most newborns who would suckle their mother's breast immediately after birth, that wasn't the case for Julie.

She seemed confused and didn't want to feed at all. Eric and McEnery discovered that their daughter's head didn't decompress completely, which made it hard for her to swallow whenever she tried to feed.

Julie's parents later discovered the condition was not serious. It was an alignment issue with her bone joints.

Eric and McEnery have an incredible love story; the two met in 1998 at a company party that McEnery had organized when she was an Armani sales executive. Eric was invited to the party since he was friends with the Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani.

The father of five revealed that McEnery approached and asked him for an autograph because her uncle was his biggest fan. The rocker guitarist stated that from there, they started going out, and the rest was history:

"I started asking her out, and we became friends. And with her I found I was able to respond to something that was actually good for me."

In 2002, the couple tied the knot in a surprise ceremony on New Year's Day in the same English town where the singer grew up. At the time of their wedding, Eric Clapton was 56, and McEnery was 25.

Despite their huge age difference, the couple has been married for 20 years and share two more daughters: Sophie Belle and Ella May.

Ella Mae Clapton

The couple welcomed their second daughter Ella on January 14, 2003. Growing up, she spent happy days with her sister Julie swimming in the sun; Eric described them as proficient swimmers.

In his book, the 77-year-old stated that he enjoyed days when he was not doing anything but just having fun with his family.

Sophie Belle

On February 1, 2005, Eric and McEnery welcomed their third child and named her Sophie. At the time, Eric said he had given up hope of having another son and was quietly expecting another girl.

Like Eric's other daughters, Sophie was born with bright red hair and was constantly sick but had a fighting spirit. According to her father, she's the toughest and most assertive.