Eric Clapton to lead tribute gigs to Jeff Beck with Johnny Depp, Gary Clark Jr, Imelda May, Billy Gibbons, Rod Stewart, Derek Trucks and more to appear

Eric Clapton will head a tribute to Jeff Beck over two nights at the Royal Albert Hall on 22 and 23 May. Rhonda Smith, Anika Nilles and Robert Stevenson from Beck's band will appear and the following artists with personal and musical connections to the late guitar legend are said to have indicated their wish to appear at both concerts, but the lineup is subject to change:

Doyle Bramhall

Gary Clark Jr

Johnny Depp

Billy Gibbons

Imelda May

John McLaughlin

Robert Randolph

Olivia Safe

Rod Stewart

Joss Stone

Susan Tedeschi

Derek Trucks

Any surplus income from the shows will be donated to Folly Wildlife Rescue in Tunbridge Wells, Kent (of which Beck was a patron alongside Johnny Depp) and tickets go onsale on 15 March at 10am GMT from BookingsDirect.com.

A presale will take place on 14 March at 10am GMT: register here.

The news follows Clapton's surprise appearance at Jerry Douglas's Transatlantic Sessions show in London in February where the folk song Sam Hall in tribute to "my friend Jeff" alongside an instrumental acoustic rendition of his George Harrison Beatles collaboration, While My Guitar Gently Weeps.