“He Said, ‘Yeah, What Are You Gonna Do About It?’”

Rita Coolidge Says Eric Clapton Owes Her a Writing Credit for a Rock Classic**

Singer-songwriter Rita Coolidge has reignited a long-running controversy in rock history, claiming that Eric Clapton failed to credit her for co-writing one of the most celebrated songs of the era. In a candid reflection on her career, Coolidge alleges that a melody she helped create was later used without acknowledgment, and that when she confronted the situation, she was dismissed because of her gender and lack of power in the industry.

 

According to Coolidge, the response she received was blunt and cutting: “Yeah, what are you gonna do about it? You’re a girl. You don’t have the money to fight this.”

The Song At The Center Of The Dispute

The song in question is “Layla,” the iconic Derek and the Dominos track written by Eric Clapton and drummer Jim Gordon, widely regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time. Coolidge has long maintained that the song’s famous piano coda, the haunting instrumental section that closes the track, originated from a piece she had co-written years earlier with Gordon, titled “Time.”

Coolidge says she and Gordon developed the melody together during their relationship in the late 1960s, before Gordon later reused it in “Layla” without her permission or credit. While Gordon ultimately received official recognition as a co-writer, Coolidge was left out entirely.

A Confrontation And A Dismissal

Coolidge has stated that she raised the issue directly with Clapton at the time, hoping for acknowledgment or resolution. Instead, she claims the encounter revealed the stark power imbalance women faced in the music industry during that era.

Her recollection paints a picture of an industry where legal battles were financially and socially out of reach for many artists, especially women, while major male figures controlled the narrative and the credits.

A Broader Industry Pattern

Coolidge’s story reflects a larger pattern that has since come under scrutiny: women’s contributions being overlooked, absorbed, or erased in classic rock history. During the late 1960s and 1970s, songwriting credits were not only a matter of recognition, but also of long-term financial security through royalties, something many female artists were denied.

Despite her influence and success, Coolidge says she chose not to pursue legal action at the time, citing emotional exhaustion, lack of resources, and the fear of being blacklisted in an already unforgiving business.

Rita Coolidge’s Legacy

Rita Coolidge went on to build a celebrated career, winning two Grammy Awards and becoming one of the defining voices of the 1970s singer-songwriter movement. Yet she has remained vocal about the personal and professional costs of navigating a male-dominated industry.

By speaking out years later, Coolidge says her goal is not revenge, but recognition and historical accuracy.

An Unresolved Chapter In Rock History

To date, Eric Clapton has not publicly amended the songwriting credits for “Layla” to include Coolidge, and the dispute remains unresolved. Still, Coolidge’s account has sparked renewed discussion among fans and historians about authorship, ethics, and gender inequality in classic rock.

As the industry continues to reassess its past, stories like Coolidge’s challenge listeners to look beyond the mythmaking, and to ask who else helped shape the music that defined a generation, without ever getting their name on the record.