ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

POP/ROCK

Class of 2000: Eric Clapton is entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame--for the third time. The guitarist and singer, already enshrined as a member of both Cream and the Yardbirds, led the hall’s Class of 2000 by being named this time for his solo career that began in 1973. Other new inductees are blues-rocker Bonnie Raitt; soul ensemble Earth, Wind & Fire; singer-songwriter James Taylor; ‘60s folk-rock hitmakers the Lovin’ Spoonful; and ‘50s R&B; group the Moonglows. In addition, Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday will be entered in the “early influences” category, while the “non-performer” honoree is Arista Records President Clive Davis, a celebrated record industry entrepreneur who in recent months has been embroiled in a power struggle at the label he founded 25 years ago. About 1,000 music industry voters selected the honorees, who will be formally inducted March 6 in New York.

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Millennium Songs: It’s probably no surprise that Prince’s “1999” was the top vote-getter among thousands of Internet users asked to select songs to “symbolize the spirit of the millennium.” The rest of the Top 10 list, culled by the Internet site https://www.tunes.com/Philips2000, and announced Tuesday by New Year’s Eve countdown king Dick Clark: Don McLean’s “American Pie,” Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” Madonna’s “Holiday,” the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction,” Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender,” Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” Bill Haley & the Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock” and the Beatles’ “She Loves You.”

ART

Yes, It Was Art: A Manhattan judge has granted a prosecutor’s request to dismiss weapons charges against New York gallery owner Mary Boone for displaying live bullets in an open candy bowl as part of an art exhibition. Boone, considered a trendsetter in the modern art world, was arrested in September, amid the brouhaha in New York over the Brooklyn Museum of Art’s controversial exhibition of works by young British artists. Boone blamed that controversy for creating “an atmosphere, which the police reacted to, that art was bad.” Boone was charged after police recovered 234 live rounds of 9mm ammunition cartridges as well as four double-barreled shotguns--two of which were operable--at her gallery. The works were all part of sculptor Tom Sachs’ show, “Cultural Prosthetics,” which the gallery said attempted to show society’s casual attitude toward weapons. Boone, who called the dismissal of the charges “a win for the 1st Amendment,” could have faced up to a year in jail if convicted.

STAGE

‘Leenane’ at SCR: The Southland premiere of “The Beauty Queen of Leenane,” the most famous play by Irish wonder Martin McDonagh, is slated for South Coast Repertory’s Second Stage, March 10-April 9. The Broadway production of “Leenane,” about a fierce mother-daughter battle, won four 1998 Tony Awards but lost the best play nod to “Art.” No casting has been announced.

QUICK TAKES

Cindy Crawford has been named a regular contributor for ABC’s “Good Morning America,” for which she’ll provide lifestyle and child development reports to air on the first Wednesday of each month. . . . NBC began filming Tuesday on “Growing Up Brady,” a TV movie about the behind-the-scenes happenings of TV’s “The Brady Bunch.” The movie is to be based on Barry Williams’ book, “Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg.” . . . Bebe Neuwirth (“Cheers”) has joined the cast of ABC’s “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” though she’ll only be heard and not seen. She’ll be the voice of a “sexy and sarcastic witch-turned-cat, Juliette.”