Led Zeppelin Appear in Court for Colorful Start of 'Stairway' Trial

The Rolling Stone reports:

The jury selection, meanwhile, seems to break down by age and hair profiling: the dude with the shoulder length Prince Valiant bowl, surfer tan and Hawaiian shirt was a for sure no-go, as was the special effects expert who proclaimed without prompting from the jury box, "I'm very much a fan - my love for these guys [gesturing to Page and Plant] is very strong."

Next to the presence of authentic rock legends Page and Plant, the most intriguing part about the first day are the high-profile witnesses expected to appear throughout the trial, which Judge Klausner allotted a 10-hour limit and estimated would last three to four days. In his statement to the court, Malofiy indicated that Spirit members Mark Andes and Jay Ferguson (both present in the galley), Linda Mensch (wife of famed manager Peter Mensch), renowned rock impresario/music biz legend Lou Adler and Guitar World editor Brad Tolinski, the latter a Led Zeppelin expert who wrote 2013's Light and Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page, would all appear or testify in court.

The defense, meanwhile, had a far shorter witness list - the one boldfaced name being none other than Zep bassist and co-founder John Paul Jones. In addition to Page and Plant, there may be no more expert eyewitness than Jones — dismissed as a defendant in pre-trial hearings — who might be able to persuade an impartial jury that the songwriting credits (and royalty disbursement) remain the same.

Stay tuned.