Long Time Eric Clapton Collaborator Will Jennings Passed Away At 80

Will Jennings, the iconic songwriter renowned for his collaborations with music legends like Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood, died at 80. His agent, Sam Schwartz, confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that Jennings passed away at his home in Texas. However, the cause of his death has not been disclosed.

Jennings made his mark in the music industry during the 1980s, becoming a key collaborator with Steve Winwood. Their partnership began with the 1980 album Arc of a Diver, which featured the Top 10 hit “While You See a Chance.” This song marked the beginning of a successful run for Jennings and Winwood, culminating in the 1986 multi-platinum album Back in the High Life. Jennings co-wrote several of Winwood’s most memorable hits, including “Higher Love,” “Back in the High Life Again,” and “The Finer Things,” all of which reached the Top 20 on the charts.

Their creative process was notably unstructured and laid-back, which Jennings fondly recalled. “We hang out. We go down to the pub, drink some beer, take walks – just live and talk about this and that, spend some time,” he explained in an interview with Songfacts. “It’s not like you show up and start writing. Show up and take a look around, see what the weather’s like.” This relaxed approach allowed for a more organic collaboration, which paid off.

Another highlight from their collaboration was “Valerie,” originally released in 1982. The song found renewed success in 1987 when it was remixed by Tom Lord-Alge for Winwood’s compilation album Chronicles, climbing into the Top 10. Jennings continued collaborating with Winwood on his 1988 album Roll With It, contributing to the No. 1 Billboard hit “Roll With It” and the Top 10 single “Don’t You Know What the Night Can Do?” Both songs underscored their collaborative partnership.

Jennings’ songwriting talent extended well beyond his work with Winwood. He collaborated with diverse artists, including Jimmy Buffett, Roy Orbison, B.B. King, and Christopher Cross. His versatility and ability to craft compelling lyrics were widely respected in the industry. Reflecting on Jennings’ influence, Cross wrote on X:

“I’m deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my friend and collaborator Will Jennings. Working with Will was a master class in lyric writing for me. He was the consummate wordsmith and his gift to the world is eternal.”

Jennings also made significant contributions to Whitney Houston’s career. He co-wrote her hit “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” which topped the Billboard charts, and worked on the Grammy-nominated “Higher Love,” which marked Winwood’s first Billboard No. 1. His skill in creating emotional, resonant lyrics also led to two Oscar-winning songs: “Up Where We Belong,” performed by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes for the film An Officer and a Gentleman, and Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic. The latter became the top-selling song of 1998 and remains one of the most iconic movie themes of all time.

Will Jennings’ Role in Helping Eric Clapton Heal Through Music

One of Jennings’ most heartfelt projects involved his work with Eric Clapton. Clapton, who had previously played alongside Winwood in the band Blind Faith, co-wrote “Tears in Heaven” with Jennings for the 1991 film Rush. The song, which became a platinum-selling Top 5 hit, was a deeply emotional tribute to Clapton’s young son Conor, who tragically passed away at the age of 4 after falling from a New York City high-rise window.

Discussing the collaboration, Jennings recalled, “We wrote a song called ‘Help Me Up’ for the end of the movie. Then Eric saw another place in the movie for a song and he said to me, ‘I want to write a song about my boy.'” Jennings explained that Clapton had already composed the first verse, but needed help completing the rest. Jennings shared:

“I told him that it was so personal he should write everything himself. But he insisted, and finally, there was nothing else but to do as he requested.
“This is a song so personal and so sad … it is unique in my experience of writing songs.”