Clapton is currently on a runabout in Australia that launched Jan. 29 and wraps Feb. 9. He kicked off the year with gigs in Singapore, Thailand, China, Korea and New Zealand. The musician's Jan. 20 concert in Shanghai marked his first-ever performance in mainland China and nearly filled the 8,500-seat Shanghai Grand Stage, according to local reports.

Clapton's Jan. 27 show at Mission Estate Winery in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, made headlines when the performer threatened to cancel after discovering that Mission Estate had produced a wine bearing his name. The guitar hero, who has battled alcohol addiction for decades, went ahead with the concert after the winery agreed to stop selling the product, according to various reports.

Writers who have reviewed the recent concerts say Clapton has rediscovered his hard-edged R&B roots on this tour. He drops some of his soft-ballad hits like "Tears in Heaven," and notably hands off many of the guitar solos to the young prodigies who share the stage with him: Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II.

Clapton tapped into his musical roots for his most recent album, "The Road to Escondido," which pairs him with his hero, J.J. Cale. The November release comprises 14 tracks that run the spectrum of blues, rock, country and folk. The entire album is streaming at Clapton's website.

Meanwhile, as-yet-unconfirmed reports are circulating that Clapton is planning a second Crossroads Festival to take place in Chicago this July. The first event, which was held in Dallas three years ago, raised funds for Clapton's Crossroads Centre, a substance abuse rehab facility in Antigua, West Indies. A DVD followed.