Been a long time since they rock 'n' rolled

December 11, 2007

The newest member of Led Zeppelin was given the honor of kicking off the band's reunion last night, pounding out the beat before the surviving founders joined in on a near-perfect "Good Times Bad Times." After the lights went down at London's O2 Arena, newsreel footage of a 1975 performance in Tampa, Fla., was projected onstage. With thousands of fans worked into a frenzy, drummer Jason Bonham, son of the late John Bonham, began thumping the skittering beat, soon to be joined by guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones, and singer Robert Plant. Zeppelin returned for the benefit show to play its first full set since 1980. (AP)

Gary Collins will not face additional charges as a result of the death of a driver involved in a crash that led to jail time for the TV personality. A spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney's office said yesterday's decision was made because police determined Warren Gates, 89, caused the crash by failing to stop at a red light in the San Fernando Valley. Collins, 69, was not found at fault, but officers said they smelled alcohol on his breath. The TV host pleaded no contest Thursday to driving under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol content above the legal limit. He was sentenced to four days in jail and four years' probation. (AP)

The death last month of Kevin Dubrow, lead singer for the 1980s heavy metal band Quiet Riot, has been ruled an accidental cocaine overdose. Dubrow, 52, was found dead Nov. 25 at his Las Vegas home. (AP)

The late son of Anna Nicole Smith was killed by a combination of methadone and the antidepressants Zoloft and Lexapro - a cocktail that would have turned lethal after about five hours - a pathologist testified yesterday. The conclusion by Dr. Govinda Raju, who performed the official autopsy on Daniel Smith, confirms the findings of a private doctor who examined the 20-year-old's body after he died Sept. 10, 2006, in the Bahamas. On the third day of a Nassau inquest into Smith's death, Raju said the young man had five other drugs in his system - including two that medical personnel used in an attempt to revive him. (AP)

'We're big fans. I've seen every "Hannah Montana" episode.' Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, explaining why he and his family attended a concert by Miley Cyrus, the 15-year-old who plays the title character on the Disney Channel show.