Friday night: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame show at Madison Square Garden ended at 11:30 p.m., two hours earlier than it did the previous night. Mick Jagger substituted for Eric Clapton’s missing star power. Annie Lennox and Lenny Kravitz joined Aretha Franklin onstage. Other acts included U2 and Metallica, Patti Smith, Lou Reed and Ray Davies of the Kinks. Bruce Springsteen showed up again to play with Ozzy Osbourne.

Mick sang with Bono. Tom Hanks made a speech. David Geffen — who’s getting inducted into the Rock Hall next spring whether people like it or not because Jann Wenner says so — made an appearance. Wenner’s making everyone sign some kind of commemorative book. “It’s very important to him,” says a source. Whatever. Celebs: Harvey Weinstein, Lorraine Bracco, Robbie Robertson, Michael J. Fox again, Vivi Nevo, Jimmy Buffett’s wife, Daniel Craig, who came over after “A Steady Rain” finished. Most of the celebs were packed into Jann Wenner’s private box, along with his wife, Jane Wenner, and his lover, Matt Nye…It’s a modern world: Wenner has three kids with each of them…(Now that’s a reality series!)…

On Thursday night, Blondie played a set in Brooklyn for the rock photo exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. Hey — isn’t this what the Rock Hall is supposed to be about?…

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Jerry Wexler, the man who coined the term “rhythm and blues,” will get a first-class memorial sendoff on Oct. 30 in New York.

Wexler died in August 2008, and it’s been hard getting everyone in the same place for his service. But his kids, Lisa and Paul, have chosen the 30th because so many people will be in town for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shows.

Wexler, of course, was one of the backbones of Atlantic Records including Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, and Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd. But it was Wexler who really put the stamp on Atlantic’s R&B empire with Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett and many other landmark acts. He also led the Atlantic incursion into Memphis for Stax Records and then down to Muscle Shoals, Ala. Among Jerry’s many triumphs: Dusty Springfield’s “Dusty in Memphis” album.

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You know it’s a good night when Aretha Franklin not only sells out Radio City Music Hall but hires an 11-piece horn section to augment her own splendid orchestra.

And so the Queen of Soul stormed the stage at New York’s premier concert hall on Friday night, awash in black crepe, a shortish haircut, and a voice that was ready to be let loose on the world. It was the second of two nights at Radio City, but Aretha made it seem fresh and new.

Her 90-minute show covered lots of hits, from “Respect” to “Baby I Love You,” “Daydreamin’” and “Angel.” They were the full versions, too, no medleys or sing-a-longs. Beautiful. Franklin stopped the show with “Don’t Play That Song for Me” (recently revived by Sam Moore), which was co-written by the late Ahmet Ertegun. On her own “Call Me,” she swooped and trilled like it was 40 years ago.

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I told readers of my old column back in March that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was planning its 25th anniversary for the fall of 2009 at Madison Square Garden.

Now I can tell you that the Rock Hall folks, not exactly my favorite for various reasons, have booked Oct. 29 and 30 for a two-day extravaganza at the Garden.

Tentatively scheduled for the Thursday show are Bruce Springsteen, Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Simon as a solo act, Stevie Wonder, and the whole posse that includes Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young and friends.

Then on Friday: Aretha Franklin headlines, with U2, Metallica, and Eric Clapton. Those are the names I’ve heard so far, but we won’t be surprised if Paul McCartney, Sting, the Rolling Stones and a few other big names like Bob Dylan. I’d like to see some more black acts– like Earth, Wind & Fire, Al Green, Sam Moore, Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson, and Mavis Staples.

Of course, there are all the great acts who have never been inducted into the Hall of Fame, almost too many to name including Hall  & Oates, Linda Ronstadt, Chicago, Moody Blues, Carly Simon, Todd Rundgren, etc.

As I wrote last spring, Jann Wenner let this past year’s induction ceremony take place in Cleveland at the Rock Hall Museum because he knew he had this event coming up, Very clever, no? The question is, will the proceeds from these shows go to the Cleveland museum or into the Hall of Fame’s $14 million war chest for distribution by Wenner at his will. Maybe ticket buyers should specify that their donations — you know the ticket prices will be very high — go to the Museum itself.

Still unknown: whether the shows will be broadcast on Fuse TV, which has a three year contract with the Rock Hall. Fuse TV and the Garden are each owned by Cablevision.