Led Zeppelin, Joplin among Grammy honorees

LOS ANGELES - Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin and Jerry Lee Lewis will receive lifetime achievement awards at this year's Grammy Awards, organizers said Tuesday.

Also receiving plaques from the Recording Academy will be Eddy Arnold, Art Blakey, the original Carter Family, Morton Gould, Jelly Roll Morton, Pinetop Perkins and the Staple Singers.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Feb. 12, the day before the 47th annual Grammys are handed out at Staples Center.

Also at the Feb. 12 event, late songwriter Hoagy Carmichael, "Soul Train" founder Don Cornelius, late Blue Note Records founder Alfred Lion, and pianist Dr. Billy Taylor will receive Trustees Awards, which go to non-performers. Additionally, Grammy-winning producer Phil Ramone and speaker maker JBL Professional will receive Technical Grammy awards.

This year's Lifetime Achievement honorees cut a wide genre swath.

The Carter Family (A.P., Sara and Maybelle Carter), whose repertoire of tradition-based songs is the bedrock of American country music, and hit-making vocalist Arnold represent the country camp.

Piano-pounding rockabilly pioneer Lewis, gravel-voiced blues-rock shouter Joplin and heavy metal originators Led Zeppelin represent rock 'n' roll.

Pianist-bandleader Morton, who took "hot music" out of New Orleans' brothels and into the mainstream, and drummer Blakey, whose combos incubated a host of hard bop stars, will be honored for their contributions to jazz.

This field is completed by composer-pianist and former ASCAP president Gould; pianist Perkins, a mainstay of bluesman Muddy Waters' band; and the Staple Singers, whose fusion of gospel and R&B produced a string of '70s hits for Memphis' Stax Records.

The Carters, Joplin, Morton, Gould and Blakey are deceased, as is Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and Staple Singers frontman Pops Staples.

- REUTERS/HOLLYWOOD REPORTER