"My Father's Eyes" is a song written and performed by British musician Eric Clapton and produced by Clapton and Simon Climie. It was released as a single in 1998 and was featured on Clapton's thirteenth solo studio album, Pilgrim (1998). The song reached the top 40 on the US BillboardHot 100 Airplay chart, peaking at number 16, which remains his last top-40 hit in said country as of 2023. It also spent five weeks at number two on the BillboardHot Adult Contemporary chart. It became a top-five hit in Canada, where it peaked at number two, and reached the top 20 in Austria, Iceland, and Norway. In 1999, it won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Clapton performed this track for the first time in 1992 and again in 1996, in both electric and unplugged versions. These versions of the song were completely different from the official single release in 1998. He would later retire the song in 2004, along with "Tears in Heaven", until the 50 Years Further On Up the Road world tour in 2013.
Clapton wrote "My Father's Eyes" whilst living in Antigua and Barbuda in 1991.[1] The song was inspired by the fact that Clapton never met his father, Edward Fryer, who died of leukemia in 1985.[2] Describing how he wishes he knew his father, the song also refers to his own son Conor, who died in 1991 at age four after falling from an apartment window. In Eric Clapton: The Autobiography (2010), Clapton wrote: "In [the song] I tried to describe the parallel between looking in the eyes of my son, and the eyes of the father that I never met, through the chain of our blood."[3]
Critical receptionEdit
British magazine Music Week named "My Father's Eyes" one of the album's "most satisfying moments" and "most radio-friendly offerings", "with Clapton's usual restrained vocalising given a strong lift on the memorable chorus by the more optimistically-sounding backing singers. This is unlikely to hang around the chart for long, but will serve its main purpose of lifting album sales."[4]
^Clapton, Eric (2010). Eric Clapton: The Autobiography. Random House. p. 273. ISBN978-1-4090-6039-0.
^Rains, Olga; Rains, Lloyd; Jarratt, Melynda (2006). Voices of the Left Behind: Project Roots and the Canadian War Children of World War II. Dundurn. ISBN978-1-4597-1247-8.
^"7 emotional songs by musicians who miss their father". BBC Music. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
^"Single reviews" (PDF). Music Week. 14 March 1998. p. 24. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
^"This month at the BMI website". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 46. 13 November 1999. p. 1. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
^"1998 Grammy Winners". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
^"1998 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 52. 26 December 1998. p. YE-95. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
^"New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1234. 6 February 1998. p. 46.
^"マイ・ファーザーズ・アイズ | エリック・クラプトン" [My Father's Eyes | Eric Clapton] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
^"New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 21 March 1998. p. 37. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
October 23, 2023
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For the Amy Grant song see My Father s Eyes album My Father s Eyes is a song written and performed by British musician Eric Clapton and produced by Clapton and Simon Climie It was released as a single in 1998 and was featured on Clapton s thirteenth solo studio album Pilgrim 1998 The song reached the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart peaking at number 16 which remains his last top 40 hit in said country as of 2023 It also spent five weeks at number two on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart It became a top five hit in Canada where it peaked at number two and reached the top 20 in Austria Iceland and Norway In 1999 it won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance My Father s Eyes Single by Eric Claptonfrom the album PilgrimB side Theme from a Movie That Never Happened Inside of Me Released23 March 1998 1998 03 23 Length5 24LabelReprise DuckSongwriter s Eric ClaptonProducer s Eric Clapton Simon ClimieEric Clapton singles chronology Change the World 1996 My Father s Eyes 1998 Circus 1998 Clapton performed this track for the first time in 1992 and again in 1996 in both electric and unplugged versions These versions of the song were completely different from the official single release in 1998 He would later retire the song in 2004 along with Tears in Heaven until the 50 Years Further On Up the Road world tour in 2013 Contents 1 Inspiration and content 2 Critical reception 3 Accolades 4 Track listing 5 Charts 5 1 Weekly charts 5 2 Year end charts 6 Release history 7 ReferencesInspiration and content EditClapton wrote My Father s Eyes whilst living in Antigua and Barbuda in 1991 1 The song was inspired by the fact that Clapton never met his father Edward Fryer who died of leukemia in 1985 2 Describing how he wishes he knew his father the song also refers to his own son Conor who died in 1991 at age four after falling from an apartment window In Eric Clapton The Autobiography 2010 Clapton wrote In the song I tried to describe the parallel between looking in the eyes of my son and the eyes of the father that I never met through the chain of our blood 3 Critical reception EditBritish magazine Music Week named My Father s Eyes one of the album s most satisfying moments and most radio friendly offerings with Clapton s usual restrained vocalising given a strong lift on the memorable chorus by the more optimistically sounding backing singers This is unlikely to hang around the chart for long but will serve its main purpose of lifting album sales 4 Accolades EditYear Ceremony Award Result Ref 1999 BMI Awards Song of the Year Won 5 Grammy Awards Best Pop Vocal Performance Male Won 6 Track listing Edit My Father s Eyes Change the World Theme from a Movie That Never Happened Orchestral Inside of Me Charts EditWeekly charts Edit Chart 1998 PeakpositionAustralia ARIA 7 74Austria O3 Austria Top 40 8 18Canada Top Singles RPM 9 2Canada Adult Contemporary RPM 10 1Germany Official German Charts 11 57Iceland Islenski Listinn Topp 40 12 12Netherlands Dutch Top 40 Tipparade 13 20Netherlands Single Top 100 14 72Norway VG lista 15 20Scotland OCC 16 41Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 17 31UK Singles OCC 18 33US Radio Songs Billboard 19 16US Adult Alternative Songs Billboard 20 1US Adult Contemporary Billboard 21 2US Adult Top 40 Billboard 22 7US Mainstream Rock Billboard 23 26US Mainstream Top 40 Billboard 24 21 Year end charts Edit Chart 1998 PositionCanada Top Singles RPM 25 42Canada Adult Contemporary RPM 26 5US Adult Contemporary Billboard 27 4Release history EditRegion Date Format s Label s Ref United States 10 February 1998 Contemporary hit radio Reprise 28 Japan 10 March 1998 CD RepriseDuck 29 United Kingdom 23 March 1998 30 References Edit Clapton Eric 2010 Eric Clapton The Autobiography Random House p 273 ISBN 978 1 4090 6039 0 Rains Olga Rains Lloyd Jarratt Melynda 2006 Voices of the Left Behind Project Roots and the Canadian War Children of World War II Dundurn ISBN 978 1 4597 1247 8 7 emotional songs by musicians who miss their father BBC Music 15 June 2018 Retrieved 19 February 2019 Single reviews PDF Music Week 14 March 1998 p 24 Retrieved 13 September 2023 This month at the BMI website Billboard Vol 111 no 46 13 November 1999 p 1 ISSN 0006 2510 Retrieved 5 November 2015 1998 Grammy Winners Grammy Awards Retrieved 20 August 2021 Ryan Gavin 2011 Australia s Music Charts 1988 2010 Mt Martha VIC Australia Moonlight Publishing Eric Clapton My Father s Eyes in German O3 Austria Top 40 Retrieved 1 June 2015 Top RPM Singles Issue 3538 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved 23 March 2019 Top RPM Adult Contemporary Issue 3522 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved 4 June 2020 Eric Clapton My Father s Eyes in German GfK Entertainment charts Retrieved 13 July 2019 Islenski Listinn Topp 40 2 4 9 4 1998 Dagbladid Visir in Icelandic 3 April 1998 p 30 Retrieved 3 October 2019 Eric Clapton My Father s Eyes in Dutch Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 19 September 2015 Eric Clapton My Father s Eyes in Dutch Single Top 100 Retrieved 1 June 2015 Eric Clapton My Father s Eyes VG lista Retrieved 13 July 2019 Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved 23 March 2019 Eric Clapton My Father s Eyes Swiss Singles Chart Retrieved 1 June 2015 Official Singles Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved 1 June 2015 Eric Clapton Chart History Radio Songs Billboard Retrieved 1 June 2015 Eric Clapton Chart History Adult Alternative Songs Billboard Retrieved 13 July 2019 Eric Clapton Chart History Adult Contemporary Billboard Retrieved 1 June 2015 Eric Clapton Chart History Adult Pop Songs Billboard Retrieved 1 June 2015 Eric Clapton Chart History Mainstream Rock Billboard Retrieved 1 June 2015 Eric Clapton Chart History Pop Songs Billboard Retrieved 1 June 2015 RPM s Top 100 Hit Tracks of 98 PDF RPM Vol 63 no 12 14 December 1998 p 20 Retrieved 23 March 2019 RPM s Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 98 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved 23 March 2019 1998 The Year in Music Billboard Vol 110 no 52 26 December 1998 p YE 95 Retrieved 21 September 2021 New Releases Radio amp Records No 1234 6 February 1998 p 46 マイ ファーザーズ アイズ エリック クラプトン My Father s Eyes Eric Clapton in Japanese Oricon Retrieved 30 September 2023 New Releases Singles PDF Music Week 21 March 1998 p 37 Retrieved 20 August 2021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title My Father 27s Eyes song amp oldid 1177993620, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
