Jeff Beck will be replacing Eric Clapton at one of the concerts for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that are being held October 29-30 in New York. Clapton had been scheduled to perform October 30 on the second night of the 25th anniversary show for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to his camp, Clapton is still recovering from gallstone surgery.

The website for the event has reported that Beck and some other special guests will be sharing the stage along with U2, Metallica and Aretha Franklin on Friday October 30. On October 29, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, among others, will be performing.

According to a Foundation press release, proceeds coming from the shows will be used for creating a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Museum permanent endowment. The shows will be led by Joel Gallen, producer and director for the regular induction ceremonies for the Hall as well as MTV Movie Awards over the last decade (1996-2005).

A total of four hours worth of show highlights will be selected and used for a special that will be broadcast next month on HBO. Curates for the concerts will include a creative team of super stars, including Robbie Robertson, former Band member, Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone publisher, and Tom Hanks, actor, to narrate rock and roll’s story through filmed segments and live performances.

In addition to the two concerts in October, the anniversary celebration has also been recognized with the release earlier this year with a deluxe DVD along with a book. In September “The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The First 25 Year,” book hit store shelves. In August the nine boxed DVD set containing highlights from induction ceremonies from the past was issued by Time Life.

Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton, two of rock music’s greatest legends, will this summer be reuniting once again for a tour of 14 cities. The trek follows on the heels of the duo’s successful three night run last year in New York City.

Last February the two former members of Blind Faith connected for three shows in New York City. In the summer of 2007 Clapton was joined by Winwood for his musical set at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago. The pair performed a couple songs from Traffic, Winwood’s old band.

The new tour that has been announced will kick off in the city of East Rutherford, NY on June 10 and will run until the end of June. On a majority of the trek most of the venues will be on the scale of arena size settings.

In the press statement last year that announced the shows in New York City Clapton said, for a very long time I’ve wanted to be able to perform with Steve. I think of him as a very gifted musician and friend. Our set this summer at Crossroads Festival was such a treat. I am expecting these shows are going to be a lot of fun for our fans and for us as well.

Blind Faith, where Winwood and Clapton first played together, was formed in 1969 following the break up of the band Cream, Clapton’s group, and while Traffic, Winwood’s band, was on hiatus. Blind Faith also featured Ric Grech, bassist, and Ginger Baker, Cream drummer. They released one album that was self titled before splitting up.

Winwood last year released “Nine Lives.” It was the first solo album for Winwood since “About Time” in 2003. It debuted on Billboard’s 200 chart at No. 12 and sold around 26,000 copies in the first week it was out in stores.

The latest album by Clapton, “The Road to Escondido,” pared him with J.J. Cale, his hero. The release from 2006 runs the full spectrum from folk to country, rock and blues. It can be found streaming on Clapton’s website.

On February 28, Eric Clapton will be kicking off his North American tour’s second leg with a show in Dallas. He will appear in 11 West Coast Midwest and Southwest states, as well as three provinces of Canada. Once again Robert Cray is opening just as he did during the recent dates on the East Coast for Clapton.

It is expected that additional shows will be announced shortly.

Clapton is in the middle of his world tour that he kicked off on May 5. It will continue long into 2007. He appeared in over 30 European cities on the tour’s first leg. Since then Clapton has played in Canada and the US. He is currently in Japan. Slowhand also has dates scheduled for Australia, New Zealand, Korea, China, Thailand and Singapore through February. On his website, endorsed by Clapton, are listed all the international dates.

Recent shows of Clapton’s have featured set lists that have been quite varied, including Derek and the Dominos rarely played songs as well as Clapton classics and soulful, newer tunes from “Back Home,” the latest solo album from Clapton released in 2005.

“The Road to Escondido was released this month, a CD of 14 tracks that paired Clapton with J.J. Cale, his hero. The album runs a full spectrum ranging from folk to country to rock to blues.

In a statement Clapton said, I realized what might be my last ambition was to work with this man. His music has truly inspired me for longer than I can even remember. I don’t have words to describe what he means to me, personally and musically. Anyway I don’t want to end up embarrassing him and going too overboard. He really is a humble man. I just want to say we had a lot of fun and made a good record. I’m ready to make another one.

In Clapton’s 40 plus year career he has shared or won 18 Grammy Awards. He is also the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s only triple inductee.

After Eric Clapton finished up his run in New York City with Steve Winwood, he added some new dates on to his ever expanding spring and summer tour.

Currently the legendary guitarist has 13 appearances slated for the months of May and June. He kicks things off in Tampa, FL on May 3. The new dates are bringing Clapton back north once he completes his stretch in Florida. Clapton has shows scheduled for New York, New Jersey and other destinations on the East Coast.

Sales dates and full information about the upcoming shows are listed on the tour website for Clapton.

Clapton last week wrapped up his three night, sold out stand with fellow rock legend Steve Winwood at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The two musicians played briefly together in the super group from the 1960s, Blind Faith. They hadn’t performed together in a full concert in almost 40 years. Last summer they connected for an impromptu reunion in Chicago at the Crossroads Guitar Festival. On “Dirty City,” Winwood’s latest single from “Nine Live” his forthcoming album, Clapton is featured.

The latest studio effort from Clapton came in 2006. “The Road to Escondido,” reunited the guitarist and singer with J.J. Cale, his hero. Clapton’s album recently earned a Grammy Award as Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Slowhand last October released a two disc retrospective of Clapton’s career entitled”Complete Clapton.” In coincided with Clapton’s memoir entitled “Clapton: The Autobiography.” Reportedly the publisher Random House paid Clapton $4 million for rights to his memoirs. Christopher Simon Sykes was the co-writer.

Clapton, over the course of his 40 plus year career, has won a total of 19 Grammys along with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Clapton is also the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s first triple inductee as a solo artist as well as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream.

Eric Clapton, legendary guitarist, and The Police, the reunited rock icons, will be headlining on separate nights in an event taking place over two days at Hyde Park in London.

The concerts will be back to back and are being called Hard Rock Calling. They will take place on June 28 and 29. Eric Clapton will close the first night out, while The Police will finish off the second night.

John Mayer and Sheryl Crow will also be performing on June 28. Starsailor will be opening for The Police and KT Tunstall is also set to perform. According to the website for the event more acts for both days will be announced.

On Friday February 1, tickets will go on sale to the general public. According to Live Nation, the promoter, the ticket pre-sale started today. The website for Hard Rock Calling includes additional information.

The second of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festivals is set for July 28 in Chicago. It host over 20 guitar players including John Mayer, Buddy Guy, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Jeff Beck, Willie Nelson, B.B. King and Steve Winwood.

The day long festival, referred to as “the ultimate Clapton collaboration, is taking over Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL. The festival is a benefit for Crossroads Centre, Clapton’s rehab facility for substance abuse located in Antigua, West Indies.

Clapton in a statement said, Crossroads Festival is a dream come true for me. To gather such an incredible group of extremely talented musicians all performing on one stage is incredible. All the performers for Crossroads are musicians that I respect and admire.

Tickets for the festival will cost $90. On Saturday March 31 they will be made available to the general public for sale. First dibs on the tickets will go to Clapton fan club members.

The first Crossroads festival was held in Dallas three years ago. It sold the Cotton Bowl out. The festival is chronicled on a DVD two disc set. According to the press release, it has gone platinum eight times.

In the meantime, Clapping is finishing up another leg in North America for his world tour that started last May. Clapton is in Canada currently and through April 6 has a handful of shows in the US.

The latest album for Slowhand, “The Road to Escondido,” pairs Clapton with J.J. Cale, his personal hero. The release from November runs the full spectrum from folk, country, rock and blues and can be heard streaming on the website of Clapton’s.

Crossroads Guitar Festival confirmed artists include Steve Winwood, Jimmie Vaughan, Derek Trucks, Hubert Sumlin, Robert Randolph, Willie Nelson, John McLaughlin, John Mayer, Los Lobos, Albert Lee, Sonny Landreth, Alison Krauss, Union Station, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II, and Jeff Beck.

On Tuesday April 4, Eric Clapton announced that he will be wrapping up his European tour that is upcoming with a concert in Moscow’s Red Square.

Clapton now is scheduled to perform in 14 countries over the spring and summer. On May 5 the tour will open in France.

Clapton’s performance in Moscow will be the first for him in Red Square. In the past the venue has hosted Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Paul McCartney. Last year a Live 8 concert for African relief took place on the historic site.

The 2006 touring band for Clapton will including Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II, guitarists, Tim Carmon and Chris Stainton, keyboardists, Willie Weeks, bassist, and Steve Jordan, drummer. On brass will be The Kick Horns featuring Tim Sanders, Roddy Lorimer and Simon Clarke. Sharon White and Michelle John will provide backing vocals.

The complete European itinerary of Clapton’s is posted on the official Clapton website. He is also planning a North American outing for 2007.

In 2007 Random House will publish Clapton’s memoirs. The release of the book coincides with the release of a Clapton comprehensive box set.