"You Say It's Your Birthday: Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones"
Jan. 3, 1998
from Sonicnet

Celebrating his 52nd birthday today is former Led Zeppelin bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones. As a member of the blues-meets-arena-rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones helped influence nearly every '80s heavy-metal band and such '90s grunge acts as Soundgarden and Pearl Jam by playing on such rock "classics" as "Stairway To Heaven," "Communication Breakdown" and "Whole Lotta Love." Born John Baldwin in Sidcup, England, Jones joined the first incarnation of the group when he was recruited for a blues band by former Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page in the summer of 1968. The duo were hired to support Brit folkie Donovan. Later that year, singer Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham were brought on and Page's blues band finally came together. The group initially toured in late 1969 as the New Yardbirds but changed their name after Who drummer Keith Moon advised the group that they were "so heavy they should go down like a lead zeppelin." In 1969, Led Zeppelin toured with Vanilla Fudge and released their first, self-titled album; within two months it had reached the top 10 on the strength of such songs as "Good Times Bad Times" and "Dazed and Confused."

Led Zeppelin II, which followed in 1969, hit number one within two months of its release. The album, which was recorded during breaks in the band's American tour in support of their debut, is one of the first true heavy-metal recordings; it was largely made up of louder, harder covers of old blues songs. 1970's Led Zeppelin III saw the group beginning to grow away from their solid blues roots, with lyrics entering into the fantasy realm and not as sexually obsessed as their early works. 1971's Led Zeppelin IV was considered a must-own among rock fans of the era, containing the air-guitar classic "Stairway To Heaven." 1973's Houses of the Holy, like all of Led Zeppelin's albums, was a success with fans but was panned by critics. The album spawned funk-influenced metal songs such as "The Ocean," as well as folk-influenced songs such as "Over the Hills and Far Away" and the reggae song "D'Yer Mak'er." The group continued a grueling tour schedule throughout the '70s, consistently selling out arenas around the world. 1975's Physical Graffiti was the group's only studio-recorded double-album and contained such well-known songs as "Kashmir" and "Trampled Underfoot." While 1976's Presence was littered with throwaway tracks, it was 1979's In Through The Out Door that showed the band's versatility in the face of punk, disco and new wave. Songs such as the Latin-flavored "Fool In The Rain," the keyboard- driven ballad "All of My Love" and the traditional Zeppelin blues work-outs "I'm Gonna Crawl" and "In the Evening" showed that the band could remain true to its roots while adapting to the changing times. Unfortunately, hard-living drummer Bonham died in 1980 and the band immediately broke up. Page and Plant went on to highly successful solo careers, while birthday boy Jones has kept a relatively low profile. He produced the Butthole Surfers' Independent Worm Saloon and recorded The Sporting Life with avant-garde shrieker Diamanda Galas in 1994. In 1995, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Other birthdays: Beatles producer George Martin, 72, and Stephen Stills (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young), 53.