In the collective memory of the rock-and-roll era, there are tragedies that transcend the headlines to become part of a shared cultural mourning. For Eric Clapton, now 79, that defining moment occurred on a gray Manhattan morning in 1991. While millions are familiar with the haunting chords of the anthem that grew out of his sorrow, few truly grasp the excruciating “near-misses” and the final, unspoken vows that preceded the fall of four-year-old Conor Clapton. As a journalist who has covered the intersection of celebrity and human tragedy for over a decade, one finds that the most staggering details are...
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