Eric Clapton is an essential figure in the Rock Against Racism movement. Namely, it was his racist comments and enthusiasm for the National Front (along with David Bowie’s remarks on fascism) that nudged the U.K. campaign into existence. At a Q&A for the new documentary Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, the rock veteran expressed remorse over his behavior in the ’70s after revisiting it in the motion picture.
According to The Daily Mail, Clapton acknowledged the shame he feels over his ‘chauvinistic’ and ‘fascistic’ attitudes at the time. In 1976, the guitarist endorsed notorious anti-immigrant Tory MP Enoch Powell, proclaimed the U.K. was in danger of becoming “black colony” and used a bevy of slurs to express how he wanted “foreigners” out of Britain. (It’s every bit as gross as it sounds.)
“Stop Britain from becoming a black colony,” said Clapton at the time. “Get the foreigners out. Get the w*gs out. Get the c**ns out. Keep Britain white.”
At the London screening, Clapton said he was “disgusted” by his ‘chauvinistic’ and ‘fascistic’ comments.
“I was so ashamed of who I was, a kind of semi-racist, which didn’t make sense,” he said. “Half of my friends were black, I dated a black woman and I championed black music’.”
Traditionally, getting cozy with National Front ideals, telling “c**ns” to get out of the country and pushing “keep Britain white” is considered more than just “semi-racist” no matter how many black women you’ve dated. Just saying.
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and just saw its U.K. release this weekend. The doc, which covers Clapton’s career, substance abuse problems, family tragedy and more, will make its television premiere February 10 on Showtime.
(Via Daily Mail)
