News

Press Release: Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton

Press Release: Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton

November 5th, 2007

Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton

Three Nights Only at Madison Square Garden, New York

February 25th, 26th, 28th, 2008

(New York, NY) -- On the heels of a stunning collaboration at the Chicago Crossroads Guitar Festival in July of 2007 and after much speculation, Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton announced today three eagerly anticipated concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden. In what will be one of the must see shows of this decade Winwood and Clapton will perform together February 25th, 26th, 28th, 2008.

"I'm very excited about these upcoming shows with Eric. Blind Faith was a long time ago and we have both come a long way since then. It was a wonderful experience for me to play at Crossroads this summer and I'm really looking forward to exploring some more music together in February," said Winwood.

"I have wanted to play with Steve for a long time. I consider him a friend and a truly gifted musician. Our set at the Crossroads Festival this summer was a real treat, so I expect these shows will be good fun for us and for the fans," said Clapton.

Both Winwood and Clapton have long and prestigious musical careers with countless honors and awards to their names. Their musical paths connected in 1969 with the formation of Blind Faith, a group that pioneered the fusion of rock and blues into tremendous studio and stage success. Despite critical and popular acclaim, the band was short-lived with only one album and a brief 1969 tour that debuted July 12 at Madison Square Garden and ended August 24th in Hawaii. Since that final show, Winwood and Clapton have remained friends, but have only performed together a few times over the years for an occasional song at a charity event. The 2007 Madison Square Garden shows will be the first full Winwood-Clapton concerts in almost 40 years. The duo has said that no set list has been discussed and they will spend rehearsal time deciding which songs will be featured at these shows.

Steve Winwood is currently signed to Columbia Records and will have a new album out in early 2008. Eric Clapton's current album Complete Clapton is available now on Reprise Records.