Today in 1979 Pattie Boyd & Eric Clapton got married!
At the time the moment was the perfect ending to a decade long love story that was immortalized by one of the most passionate love songs ever written. Anyone who is any kind of serious rock fan today and those who were into the lives of the famous in the 70's knows the love triangle that was Beatle George Harrison, his model wife Pattie Boyd, and the guitar god Eric Clapton. At the height of the Beatles musical dominance, George Harrison and Pattie Boyd were married, making theirs on of the few rock star relationships that fans didn't find controversial at the time. Little did George know, however that his best friend rock icon Eric Clapton had developed feelings for his bride. Clapton was a gentleman and kept those feelings to himself, but the struggle of the a marriage that he had to constantly endure before his eyes played a large factor into his slow descent into addiction.
Eventually George and Pattie would both become aware of Eric's affections and Clapton quickly went about to make amends to the situation, by telling them both that the matter is his own problem that he's dealing with himself and that the burden of it remains with him and not them. Eric even went as far as to gift George his newly acquired "Lucy" Les Paul guitar, which would become one of George's most iconic guitars.
Now outed, Clapton would use his music to deal with his depression, using the angst of his love to write and record one of his most classic songs, the hard driving ballad "Layla". Recorded with his band at the time Derek & The Dominos, Layla's power intro and screaming solos fully revealed the pain that Clapton was going through. The song tore at the heart's of all who loved it including its muse, Pattie Boyd.
By the end of the 70's Boyd & Harrison were maturing further and further apart until the two divorced in 1977, which opened the door for Clapton. The two would begin their relationship and marry in 1979, with George remaining friends with the two in his typical Zen nature. The marriage was the storybook ending that fans wanted to see and that both husband and wife struggled to get to after all the years of discomfort.
The reality of the marriage was far from the fairy tale, unfortunately. In public Boyd and Clapton were the perfect power couple, but behind closed doors Clapton's addiction led to Pattie quiring one of her own, which lead to abuse by Clapton who was too overwhelmed by alcohol and drug use. Eventually, the two would divorce in 1989, ending one of rock's greatest love affairs.
Layla was the inspiration for some of Clapton's biggest hits like "Bellbottom Blues" and "Wonderful Tonight," as well as some of George Harrison's biggest ballads like "Something," which Frank Sinatra stated was the perfect song. The story of Pattie Boyd is one of the most chronicled in rock history and she is one of the most iconic figures in rock that was not a performer herself.
Although, the reality of their love became something all to familiar to people nowadays, rock fans and those who love the mere idea of love can still fantasize about a great love anytime they hear those iconic notes of "Layla".