ERIC CLAPTON RENEWS CONTRACT WITH REPRISE RECORDS

Legendary Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist Continues 25-Year Relationship With Label

Eric Clapton has renewed his recording contract with Reprise Records, extending his nearly 25-year relationship with the label. Clapton, arguably the best and most acclaimed rock guitarist of his generation, is a 16-time Grammy award winner, four-time Grammy Hall of Fame award winner, a member of the Songwriters' Hall of Fame, and triple inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not only as a solo artist, but also as a member of influential '60s blues-rock bands Cream and the Yardbirds. Clapton has released 27 solo albums and scored seven Top Ten singles on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart, including the Number One hit from 1974, I Shot The Sheriff.

Clapton first signed with Reprise in 1981. Among some of the prolific bluesman's releases on the label include the studio albums Another Ticket (1981), Money and Cigarettes (1983), Behind the Sun (1985), August (1986), and the highly touted Journeyman in 1989, as well as the best-selling live album 24 Nights (1991) and Live in Montreux (1997). Over the next decade, Clapton had two additional Number One albums: the Diamond-certified Unplugged (1992), selling more than 10 million in the US alone, and From the Cradle (1994). Most recently, Reprise released Back Home, Clapton's 14th album of original songs, which the Los Angeles Times said shows "Clapton's reconnection with his deep blues roots."

In May 2005, Clapton reunited with his bandmates in Cream, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, for a four-night stand at London's Royal Albert Hall - the power trio's first shows together in 37 years. On October 4th, Reprise released a double-disc live DVD, entitled Cream - Royal Albert Hall - London May 2-3-5-6 2005, along with an accompanying CD set that captures highlights from the historic reunion. Beginning October 24th, Cream played three sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden. Clapton will make a rare appearance on NBC's "Today Show" on November 18th, performing a solo acoustic version of his song Back Home.