U2's The Edge
Photo: Interscope Records

Despite a sense that the guitar's role in popular music has ebbed, great six-string slingers are still out there, inspiring youngsters to immerse themselves in the finer points of soloing, pentatonic scales and the all-important "tube amplification vs. solid state amplification" debate.

Somewhere a kid has just mastered "Stairway to Heaven." And maybe, just maybe, that kid will one day take home an Orville H. Gibson Award and place it on the mantel, between platinum records or whatever future award recognizes massively downloaded songs.

On February 20 the 2001 Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards, a kind of "Grammys of the Guitar," will be presented in Los Angeles at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Peter Frampton is the only nominee up for multiple awards, receiving nods for Best Guitar Performance and Best Rock Guitarist. Frampton's competitors for the former award include shred-guitar great Joe Satriani, jump blues revivalist Brian Setzer and Metallica's guitar-solo specialist Kirk Hammett.

Awards in the fields of rock, acoustic, country and blues guitar are duplicated by gender, as are the awards for best bassist. Male and female jazz guitarists will compete together in the same category.

Most nominees are veterans of the music industry and darlings of the guitar community, but the Les Paul Horizon Award recognizes the Most Promising Up-and-Coming Guitarist. Nominees include country-rock guitarists Tim Womack of Sons of the Desert and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek, Vertical Horizon's Matt Scannell and Jon Foreman of the Christian alt-rock band Switchfoot.

The recipient of the Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced shortly.

Nominees for the 2001 Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards: Best Guitar Performance (Male or Female)
Joe Satriani - "Until We Say Goodbye"
Peter Frampton - "Off the Hook"
Kirk Hammett, Metallica - "One"
Brian Setzer - "Caravan" Best Rock Guitarist (Male)
The Edge, U2
Peter Frampton
Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi
John Frusciante, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Walter Becker, Steely Dan
Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters Best Rock Guitarist (Female)
Sheryl Crow
Patti Smith
Melissa Etheridge Best Acoustic Guitarist (Male)
Beck
Jon Bon Jovi
Matt Odmark, Jars of Clay
Bob Dylan Best Acoustic Guitarist (Female)
Rickie Lee Jones
Joni Mitchell
Sarah McLachlan
Emmylou Harris Best Blues Guitarist (Male)
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
BB King
Eric Clapton Best Blues Guitarist (Female)
Susan Tedeschi
Rory Block
Deborah Coleman Best Jazz Guitarist (Male/Female)
George Benson
Ronnie Jordan
John Scofield
Pat Metheny
Leni Stern Best Country Guitarist (Male)
Ricky Skaggs
Dwight Yoakam
Brad Paisley
Kix Brooks, Brooks & Dunn
Jeff Cook, Alabama Best Country Guitarist (Female)
Emily Robison, Dixie Chicks
Shelby Lynne
Jo Dee Messina
Trisha Yearwood
Dolly Parton Best Bassist (Male)
Flea
Sting
Adam Clayton, U2
Twiggy Ramirez, Marilyn Manson
Colin Greenwood, Radiohead Best Bassist (Female)
Aimee Mann
Melissa Auf Der Maur Les Paul Horizon Award — Most Promising Up-and-Coming Guitarist
Jon Foreman, Switchfoot
Matt Scannell, Vertical Horizon
Sean Watkins, Nickel Creek
Tim Womack, Sons of the Desert

• Peter Frampton
• U2

A man shot randomly into a crowd of 5000 people gathered for a Peter Frampton concert at a California fair and injured eight of them with the gunfire. Another eight were hurt during the ensuing stampede to vacate the area.

Frampton, a pop star back in the 70's, had already finished his performance.

Earlier news items had said the man may have been arguing with a woman, but more recent wire reports have not been able to confirm that story.

A 22-year-old suspect, Jamal Desmond Johnson, was later apprehended as he attempted to jump a fence leading out of the grounds. The incident took place at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton.

• Peter Frampton