Who was the song 'Layla' written about?

Answer 1

'Layla' was a song by the band Derek and the Dominos, which was famous for members Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock and Dwayne Allman. 'Layla', argubly the band's most popular song, was a 7 and a half minute epic written and sung by Clapton about Pattie Boyd, the then-wife of Beatles member George Harrison. Clapton, a friend of Harrison, visited him frequently and became infatuated with Boyd and wrote 'Layla' about her. Boyd and Harrison eventually split, and Clapton and Boyd married nine years after 'Layla'. He also wrote the popular song 'Wonderful Tonight' about her, waiting as she got ready for a party.

Answer 2

The inspiration for the song Layla was taken from an old Persian poem called "Layla and Majnun". It is a story of a man driven mad by his love for a woman who was unattainable to him. ('Layla and Majnun' is loosely translated into 'Layla and the Madman').

Eric Clapton was hopelessly in love with Patti Harrison, wife of The Beatles' George Harrison. He had tried several times to convince her to leave her marriage to be with him, to no avail. Recorded under the name Derek and the Dominoes, 'Layla' was Clapton's last ditch effort to persuade Patti and convince her of his love. Even this proved unsuccessful, however. In despair, Clapton went on a heroin binge that lasted a few years.

After Claption went through rehab for his addiction, Patti and he began a relationship (her marriage to George Harrison had since ended) which culminated in their marriage in 1979. They ultimately divorced---due in part to his Alcoholism & the fact that he had fathered two children with two other women while married to Patti.

Despite these other relationships, it would appear that Patti was the great love of his life. Interestingly, she also inspired another song by Clapton---'Wonderful Tonight'. He always maintained; however, that 'Layla' was the more personal of the two songs.

Answer 3

It was written about George Harrison's wife at the time, Pattie Boyd.