[Sambo-Chris]

Willie Nelson will be saluted at an upcoming concert in honor of his 70th birthday. ZZ Top, John Mellencamp, and Eric Clapton have all signed on for the show, which will take place April 9 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The event will be recorded for a USA Networks TV special that will air May 26. More acts will be announced shortly.

The show is expected to follow the pattern of last year's Willie Nelson (news) & Friends: Stars & Guitars salute at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. That show's "friends" included the Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Toby Keith, Lee Ann Womack, Hank Williams III, Ray Price, Emmylou Harris, the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards, Bon Jovi's Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, John Hiatt, Sheryl Crow, Matchbox Twenty, Norah Jones, Ryan Adams, Brian McKnight, and Aaron Neville, among others.

Nelson turns 70 on April 30.

[letitrock]

should be nice - hopefully they'll do a different song this time...

the funny thing is, as far as i'm aware... to all those bands the man might be very well respected, but he's not been much of an influence musically - am i right???? i don't know... just my thought