As previously reported, guitar legend JEFF BECK will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in a ceremony being held in Cleveland, Ohio on April 4th. METALLICA, LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS, RUN-DMC and BOBBY WOMACK will also be inducted that night. Beck - who was honored as part of THE YARDBIRDS by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1992 - spoke to Rollingstone.com about the event.

“I couldn’t believe I was even nominated,” Beck says. “I thought the Yardbirds was as close as I’d get to getting in. I’ve gone on long after that and gone through different musical changes. It’s very nice to hear that people have been listening.” He plans to perform at the ceremony with his band, and is currently looking at booking American shows around the event.

The induction comes at a busy time for the 64-year-old guitar virtuoso. At the tail end of his Australia/Japan tour he has two shows booked in Saitama-shi, Japan, with the man he replaced in the Yardbirds: ERIC CLAPTON.

“It was unthinkable we’d ever play together other than the [1983] Arms charity concert,” Beck says. “He came to play on a couple of numbers I did at Ronnie Scott’s last year and it was really good fun. There was no sort of ‘I’m better than you’ thing going on.”

What will the shows be like? “We’ll do two separate sets and we’ll link arms in the end,” says Beck. “Each night will end with a collaboration. How long, I won’t know. We’re working on suitable material, neutral material.”

Might they break out some Yardbirds gems? “Eric doesn’t like the Yardbirds,” says Beck. “I don’t think he’ll go back that far.”

Read more here.

In other news, Billboard.biz is reporting that Beck has announced Harvey Goldsmith CBE as his new manager.

It is a return to the management field for the renowned promoter, who has worked with everyone from QUEEN to MADONNA as well as both Live Aid and Live 8 alongside Sir Bob Geldof.

JEFF BECK GROUP with ROD STEWART - 'Shape Of Things':