Robert Plant picks up two Grammy nominations

The "Where are They Now?" file apparently doesn't include Robert Plant.

The one-time Grammy award winner has been nominated for a pair of the coveted phonograph-shaped statuettes at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards. Plant's release, Dreamland, is one of five nominees for Best Rock Album, and his single "Darkness, Darkness" is one of five up for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.

Not surprisingly, Bruce Springsteen is among the four other nominees in each of the two categories. He received a total of five bids for his album The Rising and its inspirational title track, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year.

Elvis Costello is also named in both of Plant's categories. Aside from him and Springsteen, Plant's competition in the rock album category includes Sheryl Crow and Tonic, and the other performers up for the rock vocal award are David Bowie and Peter Gabriel.

Plant's only other Grammy nomination as a solo artist was in 1993. His performance on the single "Calling to You" was nominated in the hard rock vocal category. Stone Temple Pilots, a Zeppelin-influenced band on the Atlantic label, picked up that award for the song "Plush."

Plant was given his one and only Grammy award when his 1998 single "Most High" with Jimmy Page won the hard rock performance category, beating out Pearl Jam, Metallica, Kiss and Marilyn Manson.

Page and Plant were not present to receive their award in February 1999. Many fans at the time read into their absence as a response to years of neglect on the part of the Grammys to recognize their music.

Three years earlier, Page and Plant's Unledded version of "Kashmir" had been nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The winner in that category was "Run-around" by Blues Traveler.

Led Zeppelin received a bid for Best New Artist in 1969 but lost to Crosby, Stills & Nash. This marked the only time Led Zeppelin's music earned a Grammy nomination.

That same year, the Led Zeppelin II artwork was nominated for Best Album Cover but lost. Four future Led Zeppelin albums -- Houses of the Holy, Physical Graffiti, Presence and In Through the Out Door -- were nominated for Best Album Package in their respective years. They all lost.

At the same time Page and Plant's "Most High" won an award, Led Zeppelin finally received some sort of an honor from the Grammys. The group's untitled fourth album from 1971 was one of 189 records or albums to be named to the Grammy Hall of Fame as part of the 41st Annual Grammy Awards.

The ceremony for the 2002 awards will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2003. It will be televised worldwide. In the United States, CBS will broadcast the ceremony live.

Dedication to Kevin Scott MacMichael

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

Today's edition is dedicated to the memory of Kevin Scott MacMichael, one of Robert Plant's guitarists on Fate of Nations and the 1993 tour. Kevin died on Dec. 31, 2002, after a long battle with cancer.

Your favorite studio moments with John Paul Jones

These comments originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History" distributed on John Paul Jones's 57th birthday.

As an appreciation of John Paul Jones's studio work, "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History" readers recall some of their favorite John Paul Jones moments on record.

"The Rain Song." I always imagined JPJ conducting an orchestra whenever I listened to this song. And don't miss those subtle piano bits from JPJ. Lovely. Understated, but absolutely essential to the overall listening experience. You'd miss them if they weren't there.
- Billy, Brooklyn, N.Y.

"The Thunderthief." JPJ does damn near everything on this track. There are vocals, basses, guitars, and that rapid-fire keyboard part. I hope I get to hear this one live.
- Steve "The Lemon," Silver Spring, Md.

That funky Clavinova in "Trampled Underfoot," his intro to "In the Light," and everything he does on "Zooma."
- Kate, East Lansing, Mich.

His droning, ambient piece, "4 Minute Warning," from Brian Eno's Opal compilation, Music for Films, Vol. 3.
- Mark, Oregon

Obviously, there are many more where these came from. And, as John Paul Jones reveals in his recent letter to fans at www.johnpauljones.com, there's more to come:

Christmas already! How the time flies.

As you may have noticed I have not been touring this year as hoped. Events and builders have conspired against it for the past months but I hope to get back on course in 2003. I have meanwhile been honing various musical skills and working on some new instruments. I have also been singing quite a bit more and will soon unleash a value added JPJ!

Work also continues on the forthcoming Led Zeppelin DVD, it all looks and sounds very exciting and should be coming out soon. I am still reminded what an incredible band it was, (excuse the modesty;-) I think that sightings of us meeting for this project have given rise to many rumours of reunions etc., but rumours they are.

In the meantime I hope that you all have pleasant and peaceful holiday and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Best Wishes
John Paul Jones
Christmas 2002