In Clapton: The Autobiography, the artist unthreads with surprising success the strung-out, blasphemous, and profane mantle of celebrity to reveal a profoundly conservative Englishman who almost incidentally wielded the iconic ax of the sixties counterculture. His life was a mess, but his instincts were sound, and, like the character in a good Victorian novel, it all came right in the end. Like most successful conservatives, he also had talent.
and searched the remainder of the piece for 'Enoch Powell.' Nothing. For those unfamiliar with the connection, wikipedia offers a nutshell version:
On August 5, 1976, Clapton was placed the center of controversy when he spoke out against increasing immigration during a concert in Birmingham. Visibly intoxicated, he remarked that England had "become overcrowded" and told the audience to "Stop Britain from becoming a black colony". He said, "I used to be into dope, now I'm into racism." Clapton also voiced his support of controversial political candidate Enoch Powell, telling the crowd "I think Enoch's right...we should send them all back. Throw the wogs out! Keep Britain white!". These comments, along with equally controversial remarks and actions by David Bowie apparently expressing admiration for fascism (which Bowie later apologised for), led to the creation of the Rock Against Racism movement in the UK.
Clapton later explained that he felt angry since an "Arab" had felt his wife's bottom. He stated in a 1978 interview that he had "rabbited on about nothing". He stated that "what started it, was the upsurge in London of Arab money-spending and their lack of respect for other people's money. "How much is Hyde Park?" and all that, and for some reason it all came pouring out of me that night". In a 2004 interview with Uncut magazine, Clapton called Enoch Powell "outrageously brave". He also stated that "My feeling about this has not changed really. We have always been up to some funny business in this country, inviting people in as cheap labour and then putting them in ghettos."
I'm not willing to valorize the respect-for-home-and-tradition beliefs of someone whose racial views are so reactionary. British conservatism has a checkered history on racial questions, moreso than American conservatism (Britain had a viable fascist movement in the 70s, after all). Odd that it comes from a man who has done much to popularize the work of underappreciated American blues artists, but, well, irony's ironic that way.
There's an unfortunate strain of conservative thought which is always seeking to bring people into the fold, on the slightest evidence of conservatism. I say 'unfortunate' because most people's political views are far more complex than that. Clapton's an interesting figure, for a number of reasons, but I can't help but think that a fuller account, dwelling more on his shortcomings, would be more useful and interesting.
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