Eric Clapton has revealed that he’s getting the cold shoulder from his celebrity friends following his outspoken anti-vaccination stance.
The legendary ‘Layla’ rocker ruffled feathers after he slammed the AstraZeneca vaccine after he reportedly suffered a reaction after receiving the jab.
“I’ve tried to reach out to fellow musicians,” he told free-speech YouTube channel Oracle Films in a 30-minute video.
“I just don’t hear from them anymore. My phone doesn’t ring very often. I don’t get that many texts and emails anymore. It’s quite noticeable.”
The 76-year-old added that he now feels “ostracised” after voicing his stance.
He previously spoke of his fears over the vaccination via Rolling Stone, saying: “I took the first jab of AZ and straight away had severe reactions which lasted ten days. I recovered eventually and was told it would be twelve weeks before the second one…”
The Cream guitarist added that following his second vaccination, he feared he would never be able to play music again.
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“About six weeks later I was offered and took the second AZ shot, but with a little more knowledge of the dangers,” he continued.
“Needless to say the reactions were disastrous, my hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, I feared I would never play again, (I suffer with peripheral neuropathy and should never have gone near the needle.) But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone…”
Clapton continued: “I continue to tread the path of passive rebellion and try to tow the line in order to be able to actively love my family, but it’s hard to bite my tongue with what I now know.”
In December last year, Clapton contributed to Van Morrison’s maligned anti-lockdown anthem ‘Stand and Deliver.’
“Then I was directed to Van [Morrison]; that’s when I found my voice, and even though I was singing his words, they echoed in my heart,” Clapton wrote. “I recorded ‘Stand and Deliver’ in 2020, and was immediately regaled with contempt and scorn.”
For more on this topic, head over to the Classic Rock Observer.