News

Eric Clapton To Present The Crossroads Guitar Festival & Christie’s Second Guitar Auction In June 2004

26 Feb 04

ERIC CLAPTON PRESENTS
THE CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL
JUNE 4 – 6 AT FAIR PARK IN DALLAS

SUNDAY COTTON BOWL CONCERT TO FEATURE CLAPTON, ERIC JOHNSON, B.B. KING, BRIAN MAY, CARLOS SANTANA, STEVE VAI, JIMMIE VAUGHAN, JOE WALSH AND OTHERS TBA

CHRISTIE’S SECOND GUITAR AUCTION TO BENEFIT CROSSROADS CENTRE TO BE HELD ON JUNE 24 IN NEW YORK

New York, NY – February 26, 2004 — Eric Clapton has announced a three-day Crossroads Guitar Festival to take place Friday, June 4 through Sunday, June 6 at Fair Park in Dallas. This one-time event, created for music enthusiasts around the globe, will raise money for Crossroads Centre Antigua, the treatment and education center founded in 1997 by Eric Clapton and now an independently run entity.

This unique event at Fair Park will kick off Friday, June 4 with the opening of the Guitar Center Village, coordinated by Guitar Center, the national retailer of musical instruments.

The festival will be the first of its kind to create a unique bridge between fans and musicians through leading guitar manufacturer exhibits and guitar clinics. Attendees will be offered once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to be in an intimate setting as artists give fans the ultimate look into their craft. The Guitar Center Village activities for Saturday, June 5 include live music performances on three stages. SIRIUS Satellite Radio, as a supporting sponsor will host one of these stages and will broadcast from the Festival.

The Crossroads Guitar Festival culminates on Sunday, June 6 with an All-Star special benefit concert at the Cotton Bowl Stadium. The concert, which will begin at 1:00 p.m. and continue through Sunday evening will include performances by Eric Clapton and Doyle Bramhall II, J.J. Cale, Larry Carlton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Eric Johnson, B.B. King, Sonny Landreth, Brian May, Pat Metheny, Robert Randolph, Otis Rush, Carlos Santana, Hubert Sumlin, Dan Tyminski, Steve Vai, Jimmie Vaughan and Joe Walsh. The extraordinary “house bands” will be none other than Booker T & The MG’s, Jimmie Vaughan’s band and Eric Clapton’s band. Other artists will be announced as details are confirmed.

On June 24, 2004, Christie’s, the New York based auction house will present "Crossroads Guitar Auction ~ Eric Clapton and Friends for the Crossroads Centre." This auction will feature more than fifty guitars personally owned by Eric Clapton, as well as a group of guitars donated by musician friends including Pete Townshend and Steve Vai. Pre-sale exhibitions will be organized in Dallas during the Festival (June 4-6), in Los Angeles (June
8-12) and New York (June 19-24). The proceeds of the sale will benefit the Crossroads Centre in Antigua.

CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL HOURS

Friday, June 4
4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Guitar Center Village open to the public

Saturday, June 5
1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Guitar Center Village open to the public and live
entertainment on three stages

Sunday, June 6
11:00 a.m. Guitar Center Village open all day to the public & doors open
to stadium
1:00 p.m. – TBD Cotton Bowl Concert

Tickets to each day of the Crossroads Guitar Festival will be sold separately and will be available starting March 13 through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com . Tickets are priced $15 for Friday, $45 for Saturday and $60 for Sunday.

About Crossroads:

Founded in 1997, Crossroads Centre, Antigua was created to provide treatment and education to chemically dependent persons, those with other compulsive addictive behaviors, their families and significant others. Treatment is provided through residential care, family and aftercare programs. The pathway to recovery is founded on the movement toward a change in lifestyle. Crossroads Centre, Antigua also operates a 16 bed halfway-house called The Bevon House (exclusively for local Antiguan residents) and facilitates a school-based education series, Breaking the Cycle, in all local schools. www.crossroadsantigua.org

Updates to Crossroads Guitar Festival Performer Line Up:

March 12, 2004 — Vince Gill, Neal Schon, James Taylor, Joe Walsh and ZZ Top have been added to Sunday’s lineup for the Crossroads Guitar Festival.

March 31, 2004 — John Mayer will appear at the Crossroads Guitar Festival

April 16, 2004 — Vince Gill to join Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival