Eric Clapton recently revealed that he is going deaf, but the iconic musician said he would not let this stop him from doing what he loves.
In an interview with BBC Radio 2, the 72-year-old guitarist showed that age is just a number. The only musician to ever be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shared his many plans for the future.
"I am still going to work. I'm doing a few gigs. I am going to do a show at Hyde Park in July," Clapton shared.
He might have a few concerns, but it is nothing compared to his passion.
"The only thing I'm concerned with now is being in my 70s and being able to be proficient. I mean, I'm going deaf, I've got tinnitus, my hands just about work," he added.
The "Wonderful Tonight" crooner has always been open about his substance abuse. In the interview, he described himself as a "basket case" for at least 20 years of his life. He recalled he was able to get away with it, even as a popular musician, by mixing a special brew with vodka, "because it looked like you were just drinking lager, but you weren't."
His BBC Radio 2 guesting was part of the promotions for his documentary "Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars," which is out now. Directed by his close friend Lili Fini Zanuck, the film features Clapton's journey to stardom, his struggle with alcohol and drug abuse, as well as the death of his four-year-old son in 1991.
When the documentary premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival late last year, Clapton revealed he had a hard time watching the film as it explored a dark part of his life.
But for Zanuck, "Life in 12 Bars" is a movie about redemption, even though not exactly the kind that society approves. "No one got him out of despair, he did it himself," she said.
