CLAPTON TO BUILD DRUG REHAB CENTER

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Eric Clapton could become the Betty Ford of the 21st
century.

The singer-songwriter announced plans to build a 36-bed drug and alcohol
rehabilitation facility, modeled after the Betty Ford Center in Palm
Springs, on the West Indies island of Antigua.

The center, called Crossroads, has already named as its executive director
Anne Vance, a former Betty Ford Center administrator.

Clapton is spending $5 million of his own money on the project, which he
called " a Robin Hood type of thing" when he spoke publicly about it during
a recent interview on CNN' s " Larry King Live."

Crossroads will treat local addicts for a nominal fee while outsiders will
pay about $9, 000 for the 30-day treatment.

" The target is one-third of the beds for all the islands, but particularly
for Antiguans, because Eric loves Antiguans, " Vance told the Los Angeles
Times on Sunday.

Clapton owns two homes on the island. The Antiguan government sold him the
secluded 10-acre waterfront Crossroads site for about $100, 000.