Iconic Singer, 80, Nearly Unrecognizable in Unearthed Photo

Iconic Singer, 80, Nearly Unrecognizable in Unearthed Photo originally appeared on Parade.

The 1970s was a decade that was as much about friendship as it was for music. At least, it was for Eric Clapton.

In a recent Instagram post, Clapton, 80, shared a photo of himself from 1974 enjoying a drink with two of his closest friends: Pete Townshend of The Who and Elton John.

The photo is something of a time capsule, capturing a brief moment of the camaraderie shared by three legends in the making. Clapton is so young that you might not even recognize him at first. But, there is so much more to this iconic photo, taken by Michael Putland, than meets the eye.

Though Clapton is regarded as one of the greatest living musicians, his journey to the top was not without its ups and downs. After years spent battling an addiction to heroin, Clapton was nearly down and out. But it was Townshend who helped him get out of that dark place and return to his craft of making music.

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In a 1989 interview for Saturday Matters with Sue Lawley, Clapton said, "Pete actually dug me out of the hole that I was getting deeper into. I think he was actually instrumental in getting me to look at life as a proposition again. Because I had gone into a real hermit-like existence.”

Townshend knew that Clapton had another, perhaps even bigger chapter ahead.

"Without my knowing, Pete organized all my old mates musicians to put on a concert specifically to get me out of it. To get me back on my feet again," he continued.

Those two concerts, or The Rainbow Concerts, took place in London in 1973. Widely considered Clapton's "comeback" shows, they featured an impressive lineup of his contemporaries, including Townshend, Steve Winwood, Ron Wood, Ric Grech, Jim Capadi, Jimmy Karstein and Rebop Kwaku Baah.

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The Rainbow Concerts paved the way for Clapton's return to the studio to record his second solo album, 461 Ocean Boulevard. Those recording sessions began on April 13, 1974, only two days after Clapton had gathered with Townshend and John at a special party at China Garden in Soho, London. The celebration was to commemorate Clapton's return after such a close call with drugs.

Townshend and Clapton's friendship has remained one of the most profound in music history. While they approach music and the entertainment industry quite differently, there's a deep understanding between them that comes from decades of fighting in the trenches together.

"I think he thinks of himself far more as a musician then as a 'star.' He's self-conscious of his image, I think, and, to a degree, his responsibility. But he's much more complex than appears on the outside," Townshend told Kurt Loder in an interview for Rolling Stone in 1982.

"I really do love Eric a lot, otherwise I wouldn’t have involved my life with him so much," he went on to say. "And I don’t see him doing anything wrong at all. I really enjoy what he does. I don't think it’s necessarily the maximum of his potential, but then I don't see why he should work at the maximum of his potential, because that’s not what he’s pursuing. He's pursuing a kind of music that has more to do with finding a groove or expressing an emotion."

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As for John, he collaborated with Clapton, too, throughout the years. In 1992, Clapton and John released 'Runaway Train," which the pair performed live on Clapton's subsequent world tour.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but it seems safe to say that this one in particular is worth so much more.

Iconic Singer, 80, Nearly Unrecognizable in Unearthed Photo first appeared on Parade on Jul 18, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.