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Pattie Boyd: The Muse Behind Clapton's "Layla"
22 Sep
Summary
- Eric Clapton's iconic song "Layla" was inspired by Pattie Boyd.
- Boyd was famously involved in a love triangle with Clapton and George Harrison.
- The song's inspiration stems from a 12th-century Persian tale of unrequited love.
The iconic 1971 rock anthem "Layla" by Eric Clapton was inspired by Pattie Boyd, an English photographer and model. Clapton, now 81, first expressed his feelings for Boyd in 1970 through letters, shortly before playing her the song.
Boyd, who first met George Harrison in 1964 and married him in 1966, recounted hearing "Layla" in Clapton's London apartment. She described the song's intense passion as derived from "The Story of Layla and Majnun," a 12th-century Persian tale about a poet driven to madness by unrequited love.
Clapton famously confessed his love for Boyd to Harrison at a party the same night he played her the song. Boyd and Harrison's marriage ended, with their divorce finalized in 1977. Boyd and Clapton later married in 1979, divorcing in 1989.
Boyd, now 82, also recalled instances of Harrison's jealousy regarding her own public attention, noting its varied and sometimes odd manifestations.
