In a letter to an anti-lockdown activist, the legendary guitarist reveals his hands and feet 'were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks' after taking the coronavirus jabs.

• May 17, 2021

AceShowbiz - Eric Clapton has opened up about his "disastrous" reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine. Claiming to have suffered terrifying side effects from both of his AstraZeneca vaccinations, the legendary guitarist admitted that at one point during his ordeals, he feared he would "never play again."

In a message he sent to anti-lockdown activist Robin Monotti Graziadei, the 76-year-old shared, "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." He continued, "About six weeks later I was offered and took the second AZ shot, but with a little more knowledge of the dangers."

Eric went on to offer more details on the effects of the second shot. "Needless to say the reactions were disastrous, my hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks," he dished. "I feared I would never play again, (I suffer with peripheral neuropathy and should never have gone near the needle.)"

The "Tears in Heaven" hitmaker went on to blame "the propaganda" for overstating the safety of the vaccine. In his message to Robin, he additionally wrote, "But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone." He went on to note, "I felt like a veil had been lifted, that I was no longer alone, that it was okay, in fact essential, to hold on to my intuition and follow my heart."

"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," the "Wonderful Tonight" singer then wrote. He concluded his message by quoting lyrics from his collaboration with Van Morrison titled "Where Have All the Rebels Gone?"

Eric wrote, "It's not aggressive or provocative, it just asks; Where have all the rebels gone? 'Hiding behind their computer screens/ Where's the spirit, where is the soul?/ Where have all the rebels gone?" He further elaborated, "I've been a rebel all my life, against tyranny and arrogant authority, which is what we have now, but I also crave fellowship, compassion and love, and that I find here… I believe with these things we can prevail."