The man who fell in love with his friend's wife
Patti Boyd was one of the most iconic women of her time. With her charming looks and model-like air, she attracted the attention of many, but her life was marked by the love and ambition of two leading musicians: George Harrison and Eric Clapton.
Her relationship with Beatles guitarist George Harrison started out as a fairytale. But despite 11 years of marriage, their happiness was rather fragile. During this time, another man was in her shadow: Eric Clapton, Harrison's friend and deeply in love with his wife. His love was so strong that it prompted him to write the famous ballad Layla, a song-cry of despair that described his unrequited love.
A love triangle that changed the history of rock music
Eric Clapton never hid his feelings. In the letter he wrote to Boyd, he expressed his despair:
"If you want me, take me, I'm yours... If not, please, break the spell that binds me."
Patti, despite her devotion to George, could not ignore the strong feelings that Eric aroused in her. Finally, in 1977, she divorced Harrison, paving the way for a new relationship. Two years later, on March 27, 1979, she married Clapton.
However, the romance did not have the expected outcome. As in her first marriage, Boyd was faced with infidelity and distance. Eric, just a few days after their wedding, confessed that he had fallen in love with another woman. Their marriage continued to be tested, with successive separations and reunions, until in 1989 it came to a definitive end.
A love that left its indelible mark
Despite the emotional turmoil, Eric Clapton's friendship with George Harrison survived. The two remained close until Harrison's death in 2001, proving that, no matter how complicated their history was, their mutual respect never faded.
The story of Patti Boyd, Eric Clapton and George Harrison is one of the most moving in music history. It is proof that love can be a source of art, passion and pain. Those who want to delve even deeper into their personal and artistic journey can read Patti Boyd's autobiographical book Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me and Clapton's biography Slowhand – The Life and Music of Eric Clapton by Philip Norman.
