Concert Tickets : Eric Clapton in , on Wednesday, December 31, 1969

Eric Clapton will be joined by an old friend in concert this summer for a pair of dates at the Royal Albert Hall. Hot off the heels of his 2010 concert reunion dates with fellow Yardbirds alumni Jeff Beck, Clapton is reuniting with his partner from Blind Faith, Steve Winwood. Everyone who can make it to London will want to snap up tickets for these special performances, which will happen on May 26 and 27. For nearly half a century, Eric Clapton has remained at the top of the guitar world. He first cut his teeth as a member of the R&B/beat quintet the Yardbirds, who burst onto the scene in 1964 as part of the British Invasion. Following the release of their breakthrough hit "For Your Love", Clapton left the band because he wanted to play pure blues. In 1966, the slogan "Clapton is God" was being spray painted around London, as Eric Clapton started drawing notice to his virtuosity while serving guitar duties for John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. By the end of 1966, Clapton teamed with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker - both graduates of fellow blues/rock ensemble the Graham Bond Organisation - to form the rock super-trio Cream. Clapton found his star-making vehicle in Cream, with their inventive mix of blues, psychedelia and hard rock catapulting them to global status. Though they were only together for two years, they scored a slew of hits and top selling albums. Tracks like "White Room", "Sunshine of Your Love" and "I Feel Free" remain FM radio staples to the present day. Clapton and Baker then joined forced with Traffic frontman Steve Winwood and Family bassist Rick Grech to form the supergroup Blind Faith. Unfortunately, Blind Faith fell prey to over-expectations and lasted for only one album. Nonetheless, their lone album is a classic, with "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Sea of Joy" taking their rightful place in the annals of infinite airplay. Eric Clapton then briefly teamed with some American blues rock players to form Derek and the Dominos, whose 1970 double-album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs remains the most acclaimed recording of Clapton's career. Eric stretched his pure blues licks across much of the album's four sides, and the emotive title track remains an enduring radio hit. Clapton simultaneously launched a solo career with his 1970 self-titled album, which spawned the classics "Let It Rain" and "After Midnight", the latter his first of two popular JJ Cale covers. Eric Clapton was sidelined by addiction for several years, but resurfaced in 1974 with the album 461 Ocean Boulevard, which helped warm rock listeners to reggae with a cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff". Clapton has since maintained a fairly prolific solo output. Of particular note is his 1977 Slowhand LP, which spawned the hits "Cocaine", "Wonderful Tonight" and "Lay Down Sally". During the 1980s and 1990s, Eric Clapton stayed on top through the changing times by scoring soundtrack hits, with "It's In The Way That You Use It" (1986) and "Change the World" (1996) keeping newer generations of rock listeners attuned to ol' slowhand. The 2000s witnessed his heightened presence at various all-star rock galas. Eric Clapton's touring plans for 2011 comprise a series of British dates during May, with a South American jaunt to follow in October.