Eric Clapton Marries George Harrison's Ex-Wife

1979

Eric Clapton marries George Harrison's ex-wife Pattie, the subject of the song "Layla." Harrison attends the wedding and remains friends with Clapton.

Clapton and Boyd marry after a five-year courtship. Their coming together has been a tumultuous affair - Boyd is the ex-wife of Clapton's close friend George Harrison, and the three spent much of the late 1960s and early 1970s as the vertices of a love triangle which was largely played out in song: Harrison wrote "Something" about her, and she was also the muse for many of the tracks on Derek & the Dominos' Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) - including the title song, "Layla." Clapton's attempt to woo the still-married model through the record ended in rejection, and in his subsequent depression, he developed a heroin addiction. Harrison and Boyd eventually split in 1974, at which point Clapton was in rehab. After a brief fling with Ronnie Wood of the Faces, Boyd eventually ended up in Clapton's arms - with George Harrison's blessing. The wedding reception is held in Clapton's garden and is attended by Harrison, who brings along Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. John Lennon is not invited, apparently due to his issues obtaining a visa to live in the United States (although he later says he would have attended had he been asked). Some speculate that the snub has to do with Yoko Ono and fears that she will cause friction with the other former Beatles. McCartney, Harrison and Starr drunkenly jam together on Clapton's outdoor stage - the same venue where Harrison wrote "Here Comes The Sun." The event becomes an impromptu - though musically questionable - partial reunion of the Beatles as they play songs including "Get Back" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Other musicians to join the performance at various points include Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Bill Wyman, Elton John and various members of Cream and Wings. Despite the lengthy courtship, the newlyweds are not destined to stay together. After a brief separation in 1984, Boyd eventually files for divorce in 1988, citing Clapton's infidelity and alcoholism.