Eric Clapton, a renowned rock ‘n’ roll guitarist and songwriter, teamed up with Luciano Pavarotti, the beloved Italian opera star, in 1996 for a charity event in Bosnia to combat world hunger.
Together with the East London Gospel Choir, they performed the heartfelt song “Holy Mother” that enchanted millions of hearts.
51-year-old Eric started the song solo, fluffed out by gentle backing vocals from the East London Gospel Choir.
Then, at the second verse, Luciano Pavarotti’s powerful operatic voice, with its rich Italian accent, transformed the track into a passionate hymn that altered the classic rock ballad’s mood dramatically.
As Luciano, 61 at the time, took charge, Eric Clapton’s virtuosic guitar solo soared above the Gospel Choir’s lush harmonies, creating a moment of profound unity on stage. By the end of the viral video, even Luciano appeared astonished by the music they had crafted together.
Check it out in the video below right now:
The video of the duet has garnered nearly 13M views and thousands of compliments like “Eric Clapton, Luciano Pavarotti – two world-famous musicians with completely different musical styles, but It’s absolutely one of the most extraordinary performances of all time.”
For those who might not know, Clapton wrote this song after losing a beloved band member, Richard Manuel, and battling severe alcohol addiction.
In his autobiography, “Clapton: The Autobiography,” he wrote: “I was in complete despair. In the privacy of my room, I begged for help. “From that day until this, I have never failed to pray in the morning, on my knees, asking for help, and at night, to express gratitude for my life and, most of all, for my sobriety.”