Myles Kennedy takes to the stage one year after his brush with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones

Throughout much of 2008, a Led Zeppelin reunion tour seemed possible. During the months that followed the band's December 2007 concert in London, encouraging words were coming from Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Jason Bonham and even, at times, Robert Plant.

That changed about this time last year. As Robert Plant's tour with Alison Krauss was soon coming to a close, he issued a statement saying he was not going to be participating in any kind of recording or touring project involving Page, Jones and Bonham. Plant wished them well on whatever they were going to be doing.

For a time, there remained a distinct possibility that Jones, Page and Jones would still collaborate on a tour and even an album without Plant, in a new band other than Led Zeppelin. They were said to be jamming with various singers, even including Steven Tyler, but the one name that hovered around them as a distinct possibility for a singer was that of Myles Kennedy, of Alter Bridge. This year, as Alter Bridge's other band members hooked up with their former singer for a Creed tour and even a new album, Kennedy acknowledged he had been jamming with Page and Jones in 2008. While the rest of his Alter Bridge bandmates are on the road, Kennedy has been using his songwriting abilities and his guitar chops and vocals to work on a solo project this year.

This Sunday night at 6 p.m., he'll take the stage at Rams Head Live in Baltimore, Md., for a one-night charity event benefiting the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Kennedy tells LedZeppelinNews.com he won't be unveiling any of his new tunes. "I would like to roll out some of my solo stuff," he says, "but with the advent of YouTube that isn't an option." He'll opt instead for a combination of cover tunes plus perhaps material from Alter Bridge and his previous band, Mayfield 4.

In addition to Kennedy, the concert lineup is to include the Johnny Hiland Band, Orianthi, the Paul Reed Smith Band, and Davy Knowles & the Back Door Slam. VIP tickets, which include an open bar, run for $50 apiece. General admission tickets are $10. They are available here.

Myles Kennedy admits he jammed with Led Zeppelin members last year; singer-guitarist says there are no plans to continue

Myles Kennedy has finally admitted he sang in rehearsal with Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham last year.

But the chance of continuing with them in some capacity is now gone, he says.

"I'm not singing in Led Zeppelin or any offshoot of Led Zeppelin, but I did have a great opportunity and it was something that [I'm] very grateful for," Kennedy says in his first interview confirming his involvement last year with members of Led Zeppelin.

The singer-guitarist has previously sidestepped the issue and deflected direct questions, also refusing to address it as recently as two weeks ago.

His first confirmation came in an interview conducted at the National Association of Music Merchants' 2009 NAMM Show. Speaking to Eric Blair for an edition of the online series called "The Blairing Out Show" posted to YouTube Jan. 19, Kennedy broke the silence.


Asked how it felt being in the rehearsal room with Led Zeppelin members, Kennedy said, "Surreal. It was great." He would not comment on whether they were rehearsing new material.

His admission comes within two weeks of the disclosure by Jimmy Page manager Peter Mensch that some singer auditions took place last year for a Led Zeppelin offshoot band involving Page, Jones and Bonham.

Last August, Bonham became the first of them to admit to the press that jam sessions had occasionally taken place earlier in 2008 with him drumming for Page and Jones.

"I've been working with Jimmy and John Paul and trying to do just do some new material and some writing," he said at the time. "I don't know what it will be, but it will be something."

Kennedy, when asked to name the songs he sang with them, avoided the question. "I don't know," he said. "I'll tell that story someday, but for now it was a good experience, and I'm still pinching myself. Let's just put it that way."

Bonham's comments last August did not specify whether any singer was involved, but a disclosure to the press from an unidentified source soon said a singer was involved, at least in the placeholder capacity should Robert Plant decide to take part once his touring commitments with Alison Krauss expired. Kennedy was named shortly thereafter, and by the year's end, other names were speculated on, such as Steven Tyler's.

Kennedy is the first of those singers to admit publicly that he was involved in rehearsals.

Jones spoke last October of a project under consideration at that time that would have Page, Bonham and himself in a band fronted by a singer yet to be determined. He said he anticipated the project would include an album and a tour. He seemed to be under the impression that an announcement would be forthcoming.

Plant, meanwhile, has extended his professional relationship with Krauss beyond last year's tour, and they are said to be currently working on their second album together. Their first album, Raising Sand, is on track to pick up as many as five more Grammy awards at next month's ceremony after yielding them one Grammy last year.

Plant also issued a statement last September that said he would not be taking part in any Led Zeppelin activity.

While it was widely speculated in the press last year that Led Zeppelin was planning to tour and record under that name without Robert Plant, both Page and his management intoned that the band under consideration would never call itself Led Zeppelin. Plant, speaking in November at a time when the Page-Jones-Bonham project may have still been under consideration, also commented that his former bandmates would not be using the name Led Zeppelin in their endeavors.

Myles Kennedy announces his plans; fronting Jimmy Page's band not among them

Myles Kennedy has been working on solo material over the past month, he says in a new interview posted on his official Web site. The only other project on the Alter Bridge singer's slate, he says, is eventually developing a new album with his band.

Absent from his announced plans is any mention of the obvious. Both Kennedy and his interviewer manage to sidestep any mention of the rumors that he was under consideration for a new band featuring two of Led Zeppelin's original members -- Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones -- and Jason Bonham, the son of original Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.

Kennedy says he has been crafting music that would not suit his band Alter Bridge because it "isn't aggressive" enough for that outlet. His solo work, he says, is more of the "singer/songwriter" vein, and he's been spending a lot of time on it since Alter Bridge completed its tour in December.

"I basically got home from the European tour and then the next day I was in the studio," Kennedy says in the interview. He indicates he has been working on this new material alone, an approach he says is "a great way of challenging myself to learn to trust by instincts," although he "still had rather have a band."

Sources last year indicated that Kennedy had been rehearsing with Page, Jones and Bonham last year and was prepared to sing on a tour and album with them. Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider revealed in October he'd heard Kennedy would be tapped for activity in 2009 as long as a Led Zeppelin tour with Robert Plant wouldn't trump their plans.

Further, a confidential source in November told LedZeppelinNews.com that Page and Jones got a close-up look at Kennedy's band in action when they attended an Alter Bridge concert in London that was to be filmed for a DVD. Kennedy implies in his interview that the band postponed filming until toward the end of the tour because the London show was too early in on the tour for all of the band to be "firing on all cylinders." If that's the case, then perhaps Page and Jones were underwhelmed with Kennedy and just didn't have the patience.

That assumption jibes with the statement on Wednesday, by Page manager Peter Mensch, that Page, Jones and Bonham "tried out a few singers, but no one worked out."

Some fans will undoubtedly see this week as the official passing of the Gary Cherone era in Led Zeppelin's history. They breathe a sigh of relief today.

Even more sadly, since today is Page's 65th birthday -- the age currently viewed in countries including United States as the retirement age -- is the completion of that quote from Page's manager on any possibility of Page, Jones and Bonham continuing to work together in any capacity:

"That was it. The whole thing is completely over now. There are absolutely no plans for them to continue. Zero. Frankly, I wish everybody would stop talking about it."

Jimmy Page's manager claims singer auditions failed, 'no plans' for tour

OK, so the only thing that stands in the way of a new album and tour with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham is identifying a singer. Right?

That's what one would be led to believe after being exposed to the words of Page's manager, QPrime's Peter Mensch, who just said as much when he spoke with BBC Radio, as reported today.

But now Mensch is quoted, also today, by another news site saying something a little different. According to Joe Bosso's report on MusicRadar, the manager has told that site:

"They tried out a few singers, but no one worked out. That was it. The whole thing is completely over now. There are absolutely no plans for them to continue. Zero. Frankly, I wish everybody would stop talking about it."

Confused? Parse these words from Mensch carefully:

"Led Zeppelin are over! If you didn't see them in 2007, you missed them. It's done. I can't be any clearer than that."

Right. We already knew that, considering past disclosures to that effect from Page himself and an unnamed QPrime representative speaking on his behalf. This is almost exactly what Page told reporters last September:

"Playing at the 02, that was our reunion and it was one day and it was at the 02 in London. ... And basically that was it because if you're going to do a reunion, you need four members. John Paul Jones, myself and Jason would sort jam afterwards but it was nothing as monumental as people are speculating."

It almost sounds like MusicRadar's reporter was asking Mensch about a Led Zeppelin reunion, rather than a new collaboration between a singer and the established trio of Page, Jones and Bonham. It was precisely this line of questioning that went out of fashion last year after it became clear Robert Plant wanted no part of a Led Zeppelin reunion.

But it's interesting to see Mensch commenting on the fruits of the rehearsals, particularly that of the "few singers" they "tried out," "no one worked out."

While it has been reported that Page, Jones and Bonham were auditioning or rehearsing or jamming with singers Myles Kennedy and Steven Tyler last year, there have been no previous comments on how fruitful any singer rehearsals or auditions were.

And so, if you believe MusicRadar's quote from Mensch, then that's it: The project is called off. It won't happen.

The MusicRadar report concludes with one final quote from Mensch on the topic. It asks him what Page's plans are for the new year, and the manager replies:

"F--- if I know. I'm waiting to hear."

We all are, Jimmy. In fact, we have been for a while.

The guitarist turns 65 this Friday, Jan. 9. Jones just celebrated his 63rd birthday last Saturday, Jan. 3.

Stars misaligned for Myles Kennedy?

Do you know what you're doing next year? It's only in each December when planning for "next month" means you're also planning for "next year."

Right about now, any musician who might want to be hitting the road big-time in 2009 ought to have made up his or her mind as to how to go about making that happen.

Yet in the land of Jimmy Page, no decisions have been made about what's in store for 2009. John Paul Jones wants to go out and make some loud music with Jimmy as soon as possible, but he is already planning to get some work elsewhere too.

And remember that guy Myles Kennedy, the Alter Bridge singer-guitarist who's been rumored to be the front-running candidate to sing for Page and Jones in a new touring band? This virtual limbo has left Kennedy in a precarious situation.

While he's waiting to find out what his own destiny holds in 2009, his bandmates in Alter Bridge may not be as patient. As the three other guys in that band were also members of Creed first, it's been reported that an announcement regarding a possible Creed reunion -- with singer Scott Stapp at the helm -- is "imminent."

Rolling Stone attributes this statement to multiple sources who say the band would tour in 2009.

The whole idea of a Creed reunion came about as possible only when Kennedy's name was outed as the singer rehearsing new material with Page, Jones and Jason Bonham, who were reportedly seeking to tour as either Led Zeppelin or as a new band with a new singer.

If Kennedy was going to be tied up with another project, it would free up the rest of Alter Bridge to earn some money on a Creed reunion tour, which is anticipated to be a lucrative effort. Now that there seem to have been talks to reform Creed, it may be the way to go, no matter what happens between Kennedy and the Page camp.

But remember, no deal has been inked for Page to hit the road with Kennedy or anybody else in 2009. It's possible Page and Jones could overlook Kennedy and tour without him in lieu of another lead singer or an instrumental project. It's also possible, unfortunately, that Page and Jones would not go out together at all.

Either event, combined with a reformed Creed, means there is a slight chance Kennedy would be left out in the cold by both sets of musicians next year.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. I wonder if a Creed reunion would formalize without Kennedy's future with Page first having been solidified.

Myles Kennedy states the obvious when deflecting Led Zeppelin question

Has Myles Kennedy been in the studio with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones?

In this videotaped interview for Stormbringer in Austria, the Alter Bridge singer deflects this direct question, only to offer what sounds like a prepared statement designed to be evasive.

"I'll say this. Can I just say this?" He looks into the camera and says, even with the hand gesture of a politician, "I am not singing for Led Zeppelin."



Of course Myles Kennedy is not singing for Led Zeppelin. If he's singing in a band with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones and even Jason Bonham, it'll be with a few Led Zeppelin members, but they aren't going to call it Led Zeppelin. It won't be called Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant. Even Page's management has said so. We all know that.

Kennedy might as well have said he's not singing for Creed. His current band, Alter Bridge, includes three former members of Creed, with him being the only one in Alter Bridge who wasn't ever in Creed. Same scenario, same concept. But that's not what the interviewer asked, and so that's not the answer he got.

Kennedy doesn't look like he would offer any other explanation. He looks like that's all he is permitted to say. Which, if you're like me, either means his lips are sealed or he just plumb cherishes all the attention.

The interview, which has Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti sitting at the right side of the interviewer and Kennedy on his left, goes for nine-and-a-half minutes before that question and answer. It opens with some questions about the band's decision to play Led Zeppelin songs onstage and Kennedy's blues influences such as Robert Johnson.

Two worthwhile blog posts elsewhere

I found two things online today that deserve to be promoted here:

1. http://thornleyfans.blogspot.com/2008/11/led-zeppelin-and-myles-kennedy-thornley.html
   Some reverent thoughts about what makes Led Zeppelin so unique and timeless appear on this blog dedicated to Canadian musician Ian Thornley. The piece relates to what Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones ought to do musically after forming their new band featuring Jason Bonham and a yet-unnamed singer. The author also asks some good questions about what influence Page and Jones might glean from collaborating with bandmates who are decades younger.
2. http://davelewistbl.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/michael-lee%e2%80%99s-legacy-christmas-coda-and-the-gift-of-zep/
   The consistently good Tight But Loose author Dave Lewis drums up another round of eloquence in his lastest Diary entry, which opens with his reaction to the unexpected death of drummer Michael Lee just days after his 39th birthday. Lewis then segues to his thoughts on the holiday shopping season (which will be very much underway in the United States in just a few hours) and the early Christmas gift in 1982 that was Led Zeppelin's first posthumous album, Coda.

Both of these are worth reading, I think.

Jimmy Page's new project 'is not Led Zeppelin'

A representative for Jimmy Page says that the Led Zeppelin guitarist is forming a new band with John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham, according to an article by Brian Hiatt posted today at RollingStone.com.

Note: A new band. The rep's statement cited in the article makes this point abundantly clear.

"Whatever this is, it is not Led Zeppelin," Page's rep is quoted as saying. "Not without the involvement of Robert Plant."

In September, Plant released a statement in which he officially turned down the opportunity to record and tour with Led Zeppelin. If he sticks to his guns, recording and touring may be exactly the plans for this new group consisting of Page, Jones, Bonham and a yet-to-be-named singer.

The man most often pronounced as under serious consideration for the front man role in this new band is Myles Kennedy, lead singer and one guitarist for the band Alter Bridge, which is currently touring England.

The Rolling Stone piece quotes an assistant for Kennedy's manager, Paul Geary, saying he "declined to comment on a report that [Kennedy] is the front-runner."

The article does, however, contain a three-word quotation from Geary's assistant, who says, "Nothing is set."

This brief statement is consistent with what an inside source disclosed to LedZeppelinNews.com earlier this week, that no final decisions have been made as to identifying a singer or what, exactly, the new group would do as far as touring or recording.

Not mentioned in the article is the apparent fact that Page, Jones and Bonham were present at the side of the stage Kennedy graced in London over the weekend. This was also disclosed to LedZeppelinNews.com by the same inside source, as reported Monday.

As Alter Bridge tours England, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti is coming across as supportive of Kennedy in published interviews. As previously reported here, Tremonti told Kerrang magazine Kennedy would remain a member of Alter Bridge should he be selected for the gig with Page, Jones and Bonham.

However, Tremonti neither confirmed nor denied that Kennedy has been under consideration for that job.

Tremonti makes similar comments in an interview for MusicRadar, adding that Kennedy "deserves" to sing for Page, Jones and Bonham, and that it would only benefit the name recognition of Alter Bridge.

Myles Kennedy holds his own on guitar

Much has already been made of the voice Myles Kennedy would bring to the table in a collaboration with Jimmy Page. But what about the fact that he's also an accomplished guitarist in his own right? Here's a look at Myles Kennedy on guitar.

Here is Myles Kennedy jamming on "Travelling Riverside Blues," a Robert Johnson song that ought to be familiar to Led Zeppelin fans. This lemon-squeezing performance is from Alter Bridge's Feb. 10, 2008, show in Copenhagen, as namechecked in the song. Drummer Scott Phillips adds some sparse accompaniment.

That's a resonator guitar he's playing in this clip. And yes, you get a sample of Kennedy's ability to hold a very long note at the end of this. What a singer!

In 2005, Alter Bridge allowed its two guitarists to take center stage for some solo features. In this Nov. 15 show at the Astoria in London, Myles Kennedy starts off this spectacle with some "Voodoo Chile," paying tribute to Jimi Hendrix. His more technical counterpart, Mark Tremonti, follows up with a taste of the Eddie Van Halen guitar solo "Eruption."

The same show also includes this cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" with Myles on rhythm guitar.

When Tremonti takes lead guitar, I can't help but concentrate on the steady rhythm guitar that continues throughout and think of how this would complement Page. In fact, I'm also reminded of two recent tours on which Page was assisted by at least one other guitarist when performing Led Zeppelin songs like this. He allowed this to happen with Porl Thompson of The Cure when touring with Robert Plant from 1994 to 1995 and again with Black Crowes guitarists Rich Robinson and Audley Freed in 1999 and 2000. In interviews, Page was very vocal on the latter occasion about how pleased he was to have the other guitarists with him to add layers to the music that are impossible for one guitarist except in the studio, where overdubs are fair game.

See how Myles responds to the Bristol Academy crowd in his guitar solo at the beginning of the following clip from 2006. After Tremonti's "Eruption" is a full-band rendition of a Bolero-inspired instrumental called "Ahavo Rabo Taco Salad."

There's no matching video for this pair of guitar solos, recorded Oct. 15, 2005, in Las Vegas. Again, Myles goes first, then Mark.

Myles and Mark in this video clip from the Alter Bridge show in Barcelona from May 21, 2006:

Here's one from the archives. This is from 15 years ago or more. If you're anything like me and that rhythm from the drum machine bothers you, you may want to skip right to the guitar solo beginning at 2:56. Kennedy shows off his finger dexterity in this.

Oh, and it's nice to see Myles knows what he's talking about when it comes to guitar gear. He must have fun talking gear with Jimmy Page. At 1:42, Myles has an "It Might Get Loud" moment.

Source: Page, Jones, Bonham watch Alter Bridge in London; DVD filming postponed

There's been no official word from Jimmy Page and the guys on Led Zeppelin this past week, so we rely on inside sources and gossip instead.

Alter Bridge was scheduled to film a DVD at their London concert this Saturday night. I speculated that Page would show up for the concert with John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham in tow -- perhaps to appear onstage with the band's Myles Kennedy, the singer who is said to have been rehearsing new material with Page, Jones and Bonham.

Well, an inside source tells LedZeppelinNews.com the Zeppelin guys did show up for the concert but did not appear onstage. Furthermore, the DVD was not filmed! A decision had been made to postpone filming to Dec. 7, when Alter Bridge performs in Amsterdam at the Heineken Music Hall.

The band apparently did use a handheld camera or three, though, to capture some of the onstage moments at London's Brixton Academy. No word if Page, Jones and Bonham show up in any backstage clips that may have been filmed, although the source reveals they were present at the side of the stage to watch the singer.

Does this signal it is all but decided Kennedy will sing on tour with Page, Jones and Bonham -- whether they would call it Led Zeppelin or not? No decisions have been made, apparently. Would it be an album and tour, or just a tour with no album? Still up in the air, the source says.

How about an album but no tour? Maybe Page is wavering about the possibility too. Some news site called Popbitch says so, relying on the account of a Led Zeppelin fan who supposedly heard from Page himself that he would never tour without Robert Plant.

Never tour without Plant? Except that he has. Many times. Don't count the times he toured in the 1960s before he and Plant ever met. Every time Page has been on the road since 1980, except for that short span of time between 1995 and 1998, it has been with singers other than Plant at his side. And almost every time, Page's set lists have had Zeppelin numbers in them.

OK, fine, history aside. Would Page tour without Plant ever again at this point? Yeah, I think he would. Page loves touring. Once he gets that itch, it's all he wants to do. And since he hasn't toured in the last eight years, he must be itching to go outside again -- especially since the world is clamoring for it based on the demand and overwhelming support surrounding his only onstage appearance last year.

You can take Jimmy Page out of the touring circuit, but you can't take the touring circuit out of Jimmy Page. And now that he's building a lineup for a new group that involves John Paul Jones, one of the greatest musicians he's ever played with, and Jason Bonham, who forms with Jones as great a rhythm section as Page will ever play with again, and with an enormous Led Zeppelin devotee at the microphone, how can Page ever resist the call of the road? Glandular fever?

No more garden incidents and broken fingers -- OK, Jimmy? Stay healthy!

Also on the rumor mill, has Robert Plant shown up in Orlando karaoke bars singing Led Zeppelin songs as a goof? That's what one New York City radio station has reported. Sounds like a joke to me, but I'll keep my eyes and ears open just in case.

How might Jimmy Page's new singer be announced?

These particular words of John Paul Jones last week stick with me: "When we know what we're doing, we'll let you know," he told BBC Radio Devon.

He was speaking, of course, about the search for a singer to record an album with Jimmy Page, Jason Bonham and himself, and to go on tour.

This comment made me think there would be a grand, official announcement immediately after the decision was made and a singer was picked.

So then why have anonymous sources told Billboard that Myles Kennedy has the deal wrapped up? Why did this story get published Friday with no official word to follow it up over the weekend?

I have an idea. Because it's true and they're going to announce it onstage next weekend!

It's the second time the name of Myles Kennedy has been leaked publicly: Last month, a source told The Sun in England that Kennedy was sitting in with the others in rehearsals. And Dee Snider said he had heard it too.

Last week, Steven Tyler's name was also thrown into the ring after another leak to the Daily Mail in England. That was either a stunt just to throw off the media or, as fellow Aerosmith member Brad Whitford suspects, a last-ditch attempt to encourage Robert Plant to come over and sing.

All these leaks... drip, drip, drip... but no official statement so far.

Jason Bonham evaded me yesterday. I turned out to an event in Hollywood, Fla., where he was scheduled to appear.

And he was a no-show!

The guys at event sponsor Resurrection Drums said they didn't know what happened to him -- "no call or anything" to say he wasn't going to make it.

I wondered if Jason had been suddenly yanked across the Atlantic and that announcement was imminent. But it didn't happen yesterday, and we're still waiting.

If they have picked Myles Kennedy and they announce it today or tomorrow, it would be just in time for the first date of his current band's U.K. tour. Alter Bridge plays its first show tomorrow at the Academy in Sheffield, England.

And the group's London show this coming Saturday is to be filmed for a DVD, which reminds me of the Page/Jones guest appearance at a Foo Fighters show in London five months ago that was filmed for a DVD.

The fact that something Zeppelin-related would happen in London at the second Foo Fighters show was seemingly leaked to a fan with a mouthpiece. So far, no such leak for this Saturday's Alter Bridge show, but I'm all ears if anyone wants to leak it to me!

If Kennedy has the job in the bag, perhaps the leaks will continue throughout this week so as to hype up the London show and get a lot of media attention there.

And then, on Saturday at Brixton Academy, for the encore set, onto the stage walk John Paul Jones, Jason Bonham and Jimmy Page.

It would be there and then -- onstage, in front of screaming fans and a throng of music industry press and mainstream news reporters -- that the full lineup of Jimmy Page's new band is unveiled once and for all.

And then they launch into something new that'll be on the album.

And then they launch into "Kashmir."

I don't know. I'm just thinking.

Vocal auditions continue; Alter Bridge singer would juggle bands, bandmate says

The search for a new singer to join Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham is on, sources including Jones himself have confirmed either publicly or to news organizations.

Jones said as recently as yesterday that no one singer had been identified for his project with the other musicians. He did say the new music is loud and has been enjoyable for everyone involved.

His comments, delivered Sunday, were the first to come directly from any of the musicians after Robert Plant announced he had no intention of touring or recording with the others despite having joined up with them in December at Led Zeppelin's only full concert in over 27 years.

Two days ago, England's Daily Mail reported that Steven Tyler had been rehearsing with Page, Jones and Bonham, citing an anonymous source. Jones, in his spoken comments the following day, did not allude to any particular singers but said an announcement would be made only after a decision is made.

One oft-cited possible singer for Page, Jones and Bonham is Myles Kennedy, who is currently the vocalist for Alter Bridge, a Florida-based rock group that is scheduled to tour the United Kingdom and mainland Europe in November and December. This will include an early date, Nov. 8, in the Led Zeppelin base of London, that will be filmed for a DVD release. (This development is somewhat reminiscent to me of the Foo Fighters shows in London that were released on DVD earlier this year with an encore set including Page and Jones. I'm not saying history will repeat itself; I'm just saying it crossed my mind.)

For the first several weeks, none of Alter Bridge's members were known to be addressing the longstanding rumors of Kennedy's possible selection to join Page, Jones and Bonham. Guitarist Mark Tremonti has broken the silence in an interview published in Kerrang magazine, revealing that Kennedy would remain a member of Alter Bridge during time off with the British musicians. Tremonti says he welcomes the attention Alter Bridge would gain if Kennedy were to tour in some capacity with Page, Jones and Bonham.

Tremonti, a former member of Creed, formed Alter Bridge in 2004 with two other former Creed members and selected as their new singer Kennedy, who was singing for West Coast group the Mayfield Four. It was with a brief singing and acting role in the 2001 film "Rock Star" that Kennedy made his theatrical debut, giving him his first-ever connection to Bonham, who played drums for the movie's fictional band.

While Kennedy has not directly commented on his rumored link to Page, Jones and Bonham rehearsals, he did recently write on his official blog that he has been composing new music that could be used for a project other than Alter Bridge. He did not elaborate on what that project might be.

In August, Bonham became the first of the bunch to reveal he had been jamming with Page and Jones in England. Page offered sparse words early in September tempering media speculation that a Led Zeppelin tour or album was a certainty. Plant's announcement that he did not intend to participate in any Led Zeppelin activities followed at the end of the month, which coincidentally included the 40th anniversary of Led Zeppelin's first concert.

Steven Tyler rumor aired on eve of John Paul Jones Q&A

A public question-and-answer session with John Paul Jones scheduled to take place tomorrow just got more interesting.

It has been quiet since the statement by Jimmy Page that his jam sessions with Jones and Jason Bonham were not as monumental as the press had been making them out to be. At the time, media reports speculated about a Led Zeppelin album or tour already under works.

But that was before Robert Plant said he had no intentions of taking part in either an album or tour. And it was also before rumors spread placing the other rehearsing Led Zeppelin bandmates in the midst of a singer other than Plant.

Names like Myles Kennedy and Jack White have been touted in the press, but not a word on the subject has been uttered by Page, Jones or Bonham. It has been a while since any of them elaborated on it, and Jones in particular has been the least vocal in recent months.

But the quiet one is about to open his mouth. Jones is slotted to take questions during the event. Surely, not everything people want to know from Jones at this point has to do with instruments and strings and tunings. Especially not when the latest singer rumored to be jamming with the Zeppelin trio sans Plant is none other than Steven Tyler of Aerosmith!

What will Jones say tomorrow if asked to confirm or deny the rumors of his involvement with Page and Bonham and another singer? The question has been ready since the Mansons Guitar Shop in Exeter, England, announced Jones's participation a few weeks back in workshop taking place this weekend.

Perhaps the level of interest will be much higher thanks to the latest rumor about what has been going on behind closed doors and what might be around the corner.

An unnamed source has apparently told the Daily Mail that Tyler has spent a few days rehearsing with the others. As reported only one day before the Q&A with Jones, the source says, "Steve was jamming with Zep. They had a great time but Steve kept fluffing his lines. He got quite flustered about it."

Tyler has long admitted to being a huge fan of Led Zeppelin -- and also of Page's earlier band, the Yardbirds. The Boston band was founded in the early 1970s while Zep had just taken off. Aerosmith recorded "Train Kept A-Rollin'," which was a cover the Yardbirds used to play and had been resurrected in concert by Led Zeppelin in the band's early days. Page sat in with Aerosmith in 1990 while the group played London.



After Tyler inducted Zeppelin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, he and Aerosmith's Joe Perry sat in with Bonham, Jones, Page and Plant for a few songs.



Tyler also narrated the hour-long program "Legends" for VH-1 that focused on Led Zeppelin.

It is likely that during tomorrow's question-and-answer session, Jones will be prompted to address publicly for the first time the rumors he and the others involved with Led Zeppelin have been jamming with singers. Even if no decision has been reached as to what project may come out of the jamming, the opportunity to talk about Tyler or Kennedy will be there for Jones, should he choose to.

Kennedy, who fronts the band Alter Bridge and also plays guitar in addition to sporting a wild vocal range, has not commented on reports spread by Britain's The Sun and elsewhere that he has been musically involved with Jones, Page and Bonham.

Jones may have to tell all. The day of reckoning is upon us. This is tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow ...

Denials begin to surface on reports of Led Zeppelin tour without Robert Plant

Some reporters, following up on rumors of a possible Led Zeppelin reunion in the works with Robert Plant being replaced, are saying they are being told that is not what is going to happen.

OK, now pay attention. What exactly are they being told is either not possible or hasn't been confirmed?

Jason Gregory, who has been pursuing Led Zeppelin reunion rumors for Gigwise, writes that he obtained such a statement when speaking on background with a source connected to American singer-guitarist Jack White. The source, said to have spoken on condition of anonymity, told Gregory, "I do not believe you can have a band called Led Zeppelin, singing Zeppelin songs, without Plant."

Gregory writes that the comment was designed by White's camp to distance the singer from speculation that he could be taking Plant's place in a reunited Led Zeppelin. That's one way of looking at it. Another way says that a band could be in the works that would not be called Led Zeppelin.

Anonymity was also invoked when MTV News reporter Chris Harris had an insider address the issue of a reunion, as he reports. Harris writes that "a source close to Led Zeppelin" denied press reports of a Led Zeppelin reunion with Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge on vocals instead of Plant. As quoted in the news item, the source tells Harris, "They are just rumors. Nothing has been confirmed at all. There's been no talk of a Zeppelin tour!"

Harris seems to interpret that as a denial of Kennedy's involvement in rehearsals with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham. The reporter seems to dismiss the idea of the Alter Bridge singer joining the members of Led Zeppelin based on it being such a remote possibility and utterly far-fetched.

Harris first doesn't realize that the insider who gave him that quote could have been more accurately identified as a source close to Page, a source close to Jones, a source close to Bonham, or whatever the case may be. Led Zeppelin isn't a working band per se, so its people are working with the individual people who were members of that band when it existed. R-r-right?

In the same way, the source's comment that there is "no talk of a Zeppelin tour" has the same ring to it as the statement from White's camp to Gigwise. A band could be forming with Kennedy or White on vocals, and that much of the rumor would be true. But the rumor can be dismissed as false because they're addressing the possibility of that resulting band being called Led Zeppelin.

Hmmmm. I'm seeing a pattern here. Ask about a band called Led Zeppelin with a singer other than Plant, and you get the answer that it's not going to happen.

Then what about the crux of the rumors, that Page, Jones and Bonham have been doing something together to bide the time while Plant was unavailable? Take your band called Led Zeppelin out of the equation, and you might be on to something!

Maybe these reporters ought to go back to their respective sources and ask the question over again but this time not attach the name Led Zeppelin to it. See if the answer changes!

Incidentally, Harris of MTV News also notes that "Kennedy is not available for a five-minute phone interview." He even tried to contact the people surrounding Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider, who last week was shown online explaining that Kennedy had been rehearsing with Page, Jones and Bonham and would be singing on tour with them if Plant did not want to. No call back from Snider's folks, Harris writes.

An interview with Plant and Alison Krauss aired this weekend on the CBS News program "Sunday Morning." It was recorded over a month ago, while the two were in New York on their tour, and it included Plant blowing off a question about whether he would reunite with Led Zeppelin.

When asked the question, Plant first jokingly attempted to change the subject by commenting on the look of interviewer Katie Couric. He then provided the answer that a Zeppelin reunion was so far from his mind while touring with Krauss that he didn't even have the time to ponder the idea.

Since then, Plant issued a statement in the tour's closing days that he would not participate in a Led Zeppelin reunion tour or any tour, or even record with Led Zeppelin, for the next two years.

British tabloid outs Myles Kennedy as mystery singer

The unnamed source who was informant for some leaked information to British tabloid The Sun over the past few weeks is now using the name Myles Kennedy.

See here for the story, which doesn't add much to our knowledge.

Hmmm, wasn't this so-called source already pretty much discredited? After all, this is the source that erroneously said Robert Plant had agreed to participating on a Led Zeppelin reunion tour when he really hadn't.

I would be pretty embarrassed about having been the sole source to provide such a mistaken detail. I would offer some word of explanation if not retraction. This source doesn't.

But interesting nonetheless. Just like we've been suspecting: Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham have been rehearsing with Myles Kennedy, the source says.

Still no official word from the guys themselves though. We expect to hear that word soon.

Myles Kennedy sidesteps rumors of involvement with Page, Jones

Myles Kennedy, the American singer and guitarist who has been rumored for weeks to have been sitting in with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones in rehearsals, has offered no comment on the speculation.

In a blog post on the site of his band Alter Bridge two days ago, Kennedy speaks of his daily routine as going in a studio to write new material. He says he has been very creative this autumn and that he has determined some of his new music would work better in a separate project other than Alter Bridge. That Florida-based group is scheduled to tour the U.K. and mainland Europe in November and December.

Jones and Page have so far been absolutely mum on the rumors that they have employed an American singer to rehearse with them. Kennedy's blog post on Oct. 8 is his first in months; in it, he confirms for his fans that he is still alive. But just like Page and Jones, he maintains silence on the well-publicized rumors that have brought his name to a more widespread attention.

Through deductive reasoning, this indicates one of two things:

1. The rumor is true: Kennedy has been sitting in with Page, Jones and Jason Bonham too. However, he can't reveal it because has been sworn to secrecy; an official announcement from Page and Jones is yet to come.
   
2. The rumor is false, and Kennedy doesn't mind the attention. By keeping the rumor alive, he benefits from continuing to receive the increased attention and intrigue that inherently comes with his name being linked to the greatest band of all time.
   

So, we know nothing more than what we did already, and we still just have to wait for the official word from the major players involved.

Disturbing silence: No official word on future plans of Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones

What are Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones up to? Would somebody please get an answer out of these two?

It's no secret that Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones have been keen on playing together since the one-off Led Zeppelin concert in December. In fact, that's about all either has said in regard to their working relationship. They got to work together onstage again in June when they ran through some of their own classic Led Zeppelin material at a Foo Fighters show.

That guest appearance was only the beginning of the Led Zeppelin story of 2008 unfolding and changing at a rate not matched since the band was last planning to travel the globe in 1980, a blast-off that mislaunched when John Bonham died.

The next plot twist this summer was when Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, revealed that he had been jamming with Page and Jones -- on new material, no less. Then came the rumors a tabloid printed that the three were planning a Led Zeppelin tour with or without Robert Plant as singer. That was quickly followed up with a source allegedly saying Plant was in, which Plant himself officially denied within days.

Concurrent to these developments, the name Myles Kennedy entered the mix. The singer-guitarist of Alter Bridge, Kennedy was mentioned semi-legitimately among Zeppelin fans as a possible new bandmate for Page, Jones and Bonham. Repeating that scenario this week was Dee Snider, singer of Twisted Sister, relating what he had heard as a music-business insider who shares the same management as Robert Plant. Snider explained that if Plant would turn down a lucrative offer to team up again with his former bandmates, then Page and Jones had someone hand-picked and ready to take the reins, and his name was Myles Kennedy.

All throughout this dramatic series of twists and turns, Jones especially has been the least vocal. As to what is truly happening behind all the rumors and suggestions, the most reliable answer would of course come from either him or Page. Page did comment once that all the popular speculation about Led Zeppelin recording an album was off-base, but he didn't have much to say about what the truth really was.

That was before any talk of Myles Kennedy entered the public discussion, and a lot has changed since then. If the rumors of Kennedy's association with Page, Jones and Bonham have been patently untrue, why haven't fans and reporters been alerted?

Even a more pressing question is this: If it is indeed true that this singer has been jamming with Page, Jones and Bonham, and has long-term plans with them, then why hasn't anybody involved spoken up officially to confirm it?

Is it possible that his involvement is merely a ploy by which Page and Jones are aiming to coerce a jealous Plant into working with them again? What an unfortunate a case it would be for Kennedy if his role in this is only that of a pawn: Bring him into the fold, rehearse with him and collaborate with him, tout his name to Plant, and then dump him if Plant reconsiders.

I don't like thinking up conspiracy theories, but I wouldn't have to do that if only we could hear something from either Jones or Page.

Jones is scheduled to participate in a question-and-answer session on Sunday, Oct. 26, in England. Two weeks from now, I really hope we won't still be asking the same questions that we are today. At that event, Jones is supposed to be talking about musical equipment and technology anyway: The two-day event is Manson's Guitar Show, to be held at the Riverside Leisure Centre, with tickets onsale here.

How embarrassing would it be for Jones if so many of people attending were Led Zeppelin fans who paid the meager ticket price of £8 for one day or £12 for both only so they could hound Jones with questions about his future plans? Imagine Jones wanting to discuss any of the instruments made for him by Mansons personnel, brothers Hugh and Andy Manson, only to face a ferocious throng of inquiring single-track minds hoping to be appeased.

Jones can keep this scenario from becoming reality by breaking his silence in the next two weeks. And he shouldn't wait until the day before so he can avoid having to say, "This is tomorrow-tomorrow-tomorrow-tomorrow ..."

Pardon me -- sidetracked: Also worthy of note is another of the guests scheduled to be there: "Big" Jim Sullivan, who shares the credit with Jimmy Page as being one of England's top two session guitarists in the 1960s. Jones was also one of the main studio musicians at that time, so those two would certainly have some old stories to enjoy sharing.

If not reunite Led Zeppelin, what's Jimmy Page's next move?

Now that Robert Plant has quashed the rumor of his agreement to participate in a Led Zeppelin reunion, the rumor mill must find a new storyline to push.

And in this case, why not revive the one we were fed last week involving Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham?

After all, just because Plant isn't working with those three guys doesn't mean they're not working with each other, perhaps auditioning singers or maybe even already having identified their choice candidate.

A hint passed on to Led Zeppelin fans last week suggests that Alter Bridge singer-guitarist Myles Kennedy has become the boys' top pick in those much-ballyhooed jam sessions in England.

Hey hey, whaddya know? The Myles Kennedy rumor has now gone semi-mainstream, with entertaining Telegraph blogger Neil McCormick picking up on it! Also having written about it is Michael Christopher, music columnist for the Delco Times in Delaware County, Pa.

The mention of Kennedy's name in Zep circles last week was accompanied by a stipulation, assumedly conveyed to fans by insiders, that the Page-Jones-Bonham-Kennedy band would be a new project and not a Led Zeppelin redux.

If that's so, OK, fine. So, the band hypothetically puts out an album of originals. All new stuff nobody's heard before. How well does that go over in a live setting?

That resurrects another scenario previously discussed here: how classic artists can work to ensure their new music is appreciated by fans in a live setting, rather than be ignored as fodder for the proverbial bathroom break.

Still, even an aspiring new act that stars three members who will forever be indelibly linked to their past participation in Led Zeppelin has only one album's worth of original material under its belt. How could this act possibly conduct any kind of a tour without dipping into the Zep songbook for at least half the show?

Is it not human nature on the part of the musicians to want to play the songs that made them famous, and human nature on the part of the paying audience to expect to hear those songs?

And furthermore, is it not human nature to be disappointed if that expectation is not met? After all, this is the same fan base that crucifies Plant whenever he is seen as the lone holdout against a Led Zeppelin reunion, as he is no doubt currently being viewed in light of today's statement.

Plant's stance has definitely disappointed many fans who held a glimmer of hope that what happened in December 2007 could happen again, and soon.

So, if Page, Jones and Bonham have a project together that is not reuniting Led Zeppelin, how different can it be? Or, if you fit this into the context of history-resisting bands like Blind Faith and The Firm, how different must it be?

And what is the consensus on Myles Kennedy among readers of LedZeppelinNews.com?

Myles Kennedy first met Jason Bonham in 2000 on set of 'Rock Star' flick

It was during filming of the movie "Rock Star" in 2000 that drummer Jason Bonham first met Myles Kennedy, the singer-guitarist whose name is now being mentioned as having possibly been the mystery vocalist at jam sessions with Bonham, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones this year.

Both Kennedy and Bonham acted in the film, which starred Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston and marked George Clooney's first stint as an executive producer. Bonham played drums in the film's fictional band, Steel Dragon, and Kennedy had a brief singing part in a scene near the film's conclusion.

In an interview with Wall of Sound conducted a few months prior to the film's September 2001 release, Kennedy recalled what he said on the set in his first conversation with Bonham: "I remember sitting down and telling him, 'Your father's music pretty much inspired me to do this.' ... He was really nice about it. He's very proud of his dad's legacy, and he should be."

In "Rock Star," Steel Dragon hires the young lead vocalist of a tribute band devoted to the group to replace its famous longtime frontman. Some are interpreting the recent story published in The Sun as an indication that Led Zeppelin may go that route, favoring a new singer over Plant. Could Kennedy be that singer?

While Kennedy has not served as a member of any Led Zeppelin tribute bands, his various rock groups -- namely Citizen Swing, Mayfield Four and, currently, Alter Bridge -- have easily been identified as bearing Led Zeppelin's influence. The singer, whose vocal range is said to span four octaves, has admitted to being a Led Zeppelin fan since his teen years.

Pretending he was Page and his tennis racket was a guitar, Kennedy at 15 years old would spend hours at a time mimicking Led Zeppelin classics in front of his bedroom mirror.

When Kennedy teamed up with three former members of Creed and the rock fourpiece became Alter Bridge, he relocated from Washington across the country to Florida. That state has been home to Bonham for many years.

Alter Bridge is scheduled to tour the United Kingdom and mainland Europe this November and December. That excursion is currently set to end following a Dec. 7 show at Amsterdam's Heineken Music Hall.

Robert Plant's not the only singer in the world

Back in the Led Zeppelin days, the whole band contributed some harmonies from time to time. And at December's reunion show, drummer Jason Bonham displayed an unexpectedly powerful set of pipes when he backed Robert Plant and took his late father's place on the skins.

Bonham tells us since that show, he has sometimes jammed on new material with original Led Zeppelin musicians Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. No doubt there were three expert instrumentalists in the room, but which of them stepped up to carry a tune?

Was it Bonham himself, whom Plant encouraged to belt out the opening line of "I Can't Quit You Baby" between songs at the Zeppelin performance?

Was it John Paul Jones, who sang on two of his own solo albums in 17 years apart, and even took to singing "That's the Way" onstage on his last solo tour?

Or have the seldom-heard melodic tones of Jimmy Page's voicebox received a much-needed jolt?

Last week's suggestion that a fourth man has been introduced into the fold seems logical. If there is singing at all, it would make sense to have a singer there so that vocal cues can be heard without unnecessarily diverting one of the non-singers' attention from his instrument.

If they're planning for a Led Zeppelin tour with Robert Plant next year, and if he's temporarily unavailable at this stage in the rehearsals due to touring commitments with Alison Krauss, then it makes sense to have someone sit in who can at least muddle through the old songs.

Anyone who's been listening to Zep's back catalog for a few years could fit that bill. Ahem; I could do it!

The article in U.K. tabloid The Sun hints that the new vocalist is a decent singer who would be capable of serving as Plant's understudy should the original frontman singularly decide a Led Zeppelin tour in 2009 is not in his future.

Too much paperwork seems a fine excuse to sit it out. I mean, with all the various contracts Plant would have to sign if he were to consent to a tour, we don't want the poor dear to come down with carpal tunnel, do we? (Maybe he should take a cue from Jimmy Page and save his ink for those tour plans.)

This reported new singer, who The Sun's informant does not name but says is American, is assumedly a little better than the average guy who stumbles through "Stairway to Heaven" at the karaoke bar after midnight on weekends.

With the Foo Fighters on hiatus, it could be a great opportunity for the two members who sang Zeppelin songs onstage with Page and Jones at London's Wembley Stadium this June. Taylor Hawkins, who sang "Rock and Roll" while Dave Grohl rocked the drums, was the more mellifluous of the pair, but Grohl's energetic command of "Ramble On" -- not to mention his chumming around with the Zeppelin quartet earlier this month -- may have led MusicRadar to its guess that Grohl is already working as Plant's stand-in.

Since getting a singer is being reported as an audition situation, perhaps they've already rehearsed and rejected some candidates. If so, maybe that's why Page was reportedly so eager to get Motörhead singer Lemmy's phone number when the two met up back in June. And maybe they even considered Leona Lewis in a reprisal of her role leading Jimmy Page through a rendition of "Whole Lotta Love" at the Olympics last month.

Now suppose the direction of these Bonham-Jones-Page jam sessions is not to retread the beaten-down path and revive Led Zeppelin onstage with half of its original members. Suppose, instead, there's new territory to explore. What if a singer other than Robert Plant translates to a resulting band other than Led Zeppelin (or the definitive Led Zeppelin tribute act)?

After all, when three of the ex-members of Creed regrouped without frontman Scott Stapp and introduced a new singer, they called it not Creed but Alter Bridge. With a lineup completed by Myles Kennedy of Spokane, Wash., Alter Bridge was a new group altogether.

Could Page, Jones and Bonham likewise blend with a new vocalist to generate something genuine and entire of itself? We may find out someday.

As for now, the latest comment from Page is that the recent reports of Led Zeppelin recording sessions were off the mark. His comment would be correct even if he, Jones and Bonham have been recording an album of fresh material as members of a new band that will dominate their 2009 calendars.