Many know that Eric Clapton, now 79, faced unimaginable heartbreak when his 4-year-old son, Conor, died in a tragic accident on March 20, 1991. Conor fell from a 53rd-floor Manhattan apartment window after a housekeeper left it open. Clapton was on his way to pick him up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I hadn\u2019t checked the fax, he\u2019d still be alive,\u201d said Conor\u2019s mother, Italian actress Lory Del Santo, recalling how a moment’s distraction changed everything.<\/p>\n
The day before, Clapton had spent his first full day alone with Conor at the circus. Inspired by the experience, he promised to be a better father and planned a trip to the Bronx Zoo the next day \u2014 a trip that never happened.<\/p>\n
Shattered by grief, Clapton retreated from public life. He took Conor\u2019s body to his hometown of Ripley, England, for the funeral, then isolated himself in Antigua for nearly a year, finding solace in music.<\/p>\n
From this pain came Tears in Heaven<\/em>, co-written with Will Jennings, a tribute to Conor and a way to cope. Adding to his heartbreak, Clapton received a letter Conor had written days before the accident \u2014 his first ever \u2014 simply saying, \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many know that Eric Clapton, now 79, faced unimaginable heartbreak when his 4-year-old son, Conor, died in a tragic accident on March 20, 1991. Conor fell from a 53rd-floor Manhattan apartment window after a housekeeper left it open. Clapton was on his way to pick him up. \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t checked the fax, he\u2019d still…<\/p>\n