Eric Clapton to host three-day Crossroads Guitar Festival benefit >> Tour dates and concert ticket info >> LiveDaily

Eric Clapton to host three-day Crossroads Guitar Festival benefit

Published February 26, 2004 02:45 PM

By Rob Evans / LiveDaily Editor

Guitar whiz Eric Clapton [ tickets ] is presenting the three-day Crossroads Guitar Festival at Fair Park in Dallas on June 4-6, a charity event that will culminate with an all-star concert.

The event kicks off with the June 4 opening of Guitar Center Village, which will be coordinated by musical-instrument retailer Guitar Center. According to a press release, festivalgoers "will be offered once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to be in an intimate setting as artists give fans the ultimate look into their craft."

On June 5, the Guitar Center Village activities will include musical performances on three stages. Supporting sponsor Sirius Satellite Radio will host one of the stages, and will broadcast from the festival.

The event concludes on June 6 with a benefit concert at Cotton Bowl Stadium that will feature performances by Clapton and Doyle Bramhall II [ tickets ], J.J. Cale, Larry Carlton, Robert Cray [ tickets ], Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Eric Johnson, B.B. King [ tickets ], Sonny Landreth, Brian May, Pat Metheny [ tickets ], Robert Randolph, Otis Rush, Carlos Santana, Hubert Sumlin, Dan Tyminski, Steve Vai, Jimmie Vaughan and Joe Walsh. The event's "house bands" will include Booker T & The MG’s, Jimmie Vaughan’s band and Eric Clapton’s band. Other performers will be announced.

Tickets to each day of the festival will be sold separately, and will hit the market beginning on March 13 through Ticketmaster, according to a press release. (Ticketmaster is liveDaily's parent company.)

On June 24, New York-based auction house Christie's will present the "Crossroads Guitar Auction - Eric Clapton and Friends for the Crossroads Centre." More than 50 guitars owned by Clapton will be auctioned at the event, as well as a group of guitars donated by other musicians, including Pete Townshend and Steve Vai.

The festival and auction will raise money for the Crossroads Centre, Antigua, a treatment and education center founded by Clapton in 1997 for chemically addicted and other compulsive individuals. The center is now run by an independent organization.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]