(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Eric Clapton has renewed his recording contract with Reprise Records extending his nearly 25-year relationship with the label. "Being a musician is a constant state of discovery, and I look forward to new recordings and everything else that is becoming possible with today's technology," Clapton says. "I am happy to continue my relationship with Reprise Records. We've done a lot in the past 25 years, and there's still plenty of music yet to be made."
Clapton is a 16-time Grammy award winner, four-time Grammy Hall of Fame award winner, a member of the Songwriters' Hall of Fame and triple inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not only as a solo artist but also as a member of influential '60s blues-rock bands Cream and the Yardbirds. Clapton has released 27 solo albums and scored seven Top Ten singles on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart, including the Number One hit from 1974, "I Shot The Sheriff."
Clapton first signed with Reprise in 1981. Among some of the prolific bluesman's releases on the label include the studio albums "Another Ticket" (1981), "Money and Cigarettes" (1983), "Behind the Sun" (1985), "August" (1986), and the highly touted "Journeyman" in 1989, as well as the best-selling live album "24 Nights" (1991) and "Live in Montreux" (1997). Over the next decade, Clapton had two additional Number One albums: the Diamond-certified "Unplugged" (1992), selling more than 10 million in the US alone, and "From the Cradle" (1994). Most recently, Reprise released "Back Home," Clapton's 14th album of original songs.
"Eric is one of the guitar greats," says Warner Bros. Records Chairman and CEO Tom Whalley. "He has been a relentlessly innovative and celebrated artist since his early years with the Yardbirds and Cream. We are thrilled to be a part of his recorded history and delighted that he is continuing his creative partnership with the label."
In May 2005, Clapton reunited with his bandmates in Cream, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, for a four-night stand at London's Royal Albert Hall–the power trio's first shows together in 37 years. On October 4, Reprise released a double-disc live DVD, entitled "Cream – Royal Albert Hall–London May 2-3-5-6 2005," along with an accompanying CD set that captures highlights from the historic reunion. Beginning October 24, Cream played three sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Clapton will make a rare appearance on NBC's "Today Show" on November 18, performing a solo acoustic version of his song "Back Home." –Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
