Led Zeppelin

Jimmy PAGE (9.4.1944)
Jimmy Page 's incredible career spans four decades, appearing on an innumerable list of recordings. Best known for his trademark Les Pauls, double-neck guitar and riff-master deluxe, his contributions to rock history are nearly unmatched. He first picked up a guitar as a child, curiously plucking away on a Spanish acoustic given to the family. Soon after, Page became entranced with rock and roll, inspired by Elvis Presley's "Baby, Let's Play House". The rest is history.. In the early sixties, he performed and recorded with several bands including Carter Lewis & the Southerners and Neil Christian & the Crusaders. His first taste of success came with an early session (in 1963) that reached #1, "Diamonds" by Jet Harris & Tony Meehan, featuring Page on guitar. In a rare hand-written letter in 1963, sent just after this single peaked, Page expressed his excitement: "I was lucky enough to play backing guitar (on "Diamonds"), the ex-Shadows Jet Harris & Tony Meehan. You can understand how knocked out I was when it made #1 position", writes Page. Incredibly, a 19-year-old Jimmy Page writes to his American friend, Ron Kellerman, asking "Do you think there would be interest in America for a guitarist like me?" This is by far one of the biggest understatements in music history!
Soon after, Page became one of the hottest session guitarists in the U.K., turning down an offer to join the Yardbirds after Clapton left. Of course, he later joined the Yardbirds in 1966 in a brief guitar super-group with Jeff Beck and taking over the lead guitar spot until the group's demise in 1968. The formation of Led Zeppelin in the summer of 1968 would bring unparalleled success. Through Zep, Page could unleash his playing and songwriting in a variety of styles: blues, folk, Indian etc., but the magic of Led Zeppelin created an unimaginable chemistry of its own. It would take volumes to properly delve into Page's extraordinary career. Suffice to say, he's inspired countless others around the world and has helped create some of the greatest music of all time. Robert PLANT (20.8.1948)
Robert Plant's interest in music began at an early age, entering the club scene at age fifteen. American blues artists such as Robert Johnson, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters and many more fascinated Plant as he studied their music incessantly. Rock & Roll pioneers such as Elvis and Gene Vincent were also great influences.

He played with various groups in the 1960s such as The Crawling King Snakes, Listen, Hobbstweedle, The Band of Joy (with John Bonham), which concentrated mainly on the blues. In 1967, he released several solo singles on CBS, but it was a far cry from his true capabilities. Rare demos from the Band of Joy era reveal a glimpse of what the future held. After a session with Alexis Korner in 1968, Plant would soon be asked to join Led Zeppelin, and recommended Bonham as well. His style varies through the years as does his influences. Through Led Zeppelin, Plant was able to explore a variety of styles including heavy rock, folk, blues, Indian and Celtic. The quintesential rock vocalist and frontman, often immitated but never duplicated. John BONHAM (31.5.1948)
Describing the style of John Bonham's drumming instantly conjurs up visions of the thunderous power he created. His contributions to rock music were revolutionary, and his talent unmatched and irreplaceable. You can only imagine Jimmy Page's reaction to first seeing him in 1968, ending his search for a new drummer to form a new band, the New Yardbirds (later renamed Led Zeppelin.)
A childhood friend of Robert Plant, they played together in the 'Band of Joy', resulting in local gigs and a few studio demos. At first, Bonham was reluctant to join the well-known guitarist because of a steady gig with Tim Rose. But.. the rest of history.. As John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have all stated many times, Led Zeppelin wouldn't have been half as good without him. Along with JPJ, they provided the solid foundation and backbone of the band, which made it all possible. Live performances truly showcased his abilities during the numerous improvised jams throughout every concert and of course his famous "Moby Dick" drum solo; reaching a half-hour in length at times! Immitators are usually left frustrated, since Bonham made it look so easy - not only in his playing but also in the incredible drum sound he acheived. His legendary right foot (on his bass pedal) and lightning-fast triplets were his instant trademark. He later refined his style from the hard skin-bashing approach to a more delicate wrist controlled one - which produced an even more powerful & louder sound with less effort. His tragic passing on September 25th, 1980 immortalized his legacy forever. His only son, Jason proudly continues the tradition. Daughter Zoe also has a strong interest in music and is experimenting with her own original material.

John's sister Deborah is a highly acclaimed & talented singer.

John Paul JONES (3.1.1946)
The most underrated musician on the planet, John Paul Jones' credentials are staggering. His enormous contribution to music history traces back to his sessions days, working as a bass/keyboard player, arranger and musical director. The list of artists he was involved with features a wide range of British talent such as: Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Donovan, Jeff Beck, Herman's Hermits and many more. Occasionally, he would see his future band-mate, Jimmy Page, as they teamed up on several sessions including Jeff Beck ("Truth") and The Yardbirds ("Little Games"). He was the first to be recruited by Page who was looking to form a new band, as Jones was growing tired of the session scene. The magical chemistry of Led Zeppelin was created between ALL four members; (Jones' contributions seem go unacknowledged lately.) Although he was given the cold shoulder for the current Page/Plant "reunion", Jones appears happier (and better off) playing with the likes of Diamanda Galas and other such diverse artists. One of the elements that made Led Zeppelin so great was their constant musical development and progress that was evident with each album. Perhaps Jones is the only remaining member that has continued to progress and experiment with new styles and directions, without concern for commercial or critical success. His first tour since the demise of Led Zeppelin (in 1980) occurred with Diamanda Galas in late 1994. Fans lucky enough to have seen this fantastic tour witnessed a rare opportunity to experience Jones' performance in a small venue. He has also worked with Heart on the "The Road Home" album (1995) and performed with them in August 1994 in the "Back Stage" club in Seattle.
In September 1999, the first-ever solo album by Jones was released with rave reviews. Zooma, an instrumental exercise once again expanded the limits of today's music which he first described to me as "Roaring and Powerful", in its early stages. A wide range of sounds, styles and textures comprise this brilliant project, which he carried through on a solo tour soon after. His critically acclaimed live performances gave the world a chance to experience his extraordinary talent and a left the audience with a greater understanding of his enormous contributions to music: past, present and future. Have you ever asked yourself, who really were Led Zeppelin? If you haven't I think now is a very good time to do that. If it comes hard to you, let me be of help...
Led Zeppelin was formed in 1968 by ex- Yardbirds guitarist James Patrick Page.

Right from the begining Jimmy was considered the leader. He took on enormous responsabilities at a very young age. At the age of 24, he had already been with a few recording groups, such as The Yardbirds and Neil Christian and the Crusaders. He was on a mission. A mission to find a vocalist, bassist and drummer. Robert Anthony Plant was a struggling singer in the small bars of England. He wanted very much to make something of himself, but couldn't quite get the boost he needed. Someone suggested Robert to Jimmy, so Jimmy invited Robert over for a visit. The two hit it right off. When Robert was asked by Jimmy to pick out some records he was fond of it and wanted to sing, Robert picked the same exact ones that Jimmy would have chosen himself.
John Paul Jones (Baldwin) was a bassist invited by Jimmy to come and play. He was also very talented, very talented pianist and bassist.
John Henry Bonham, was a drummer who had played with Robert in The Band of Joy. He was known to be extremely loud as a drummer. He had started very young and became a gifted musician. Robert suggested John to Jimmy and once when they saw him, they were hooked. Only one problem was that Bonham didn't want to play with The New Yardbirds. He was being payed barely enough to live at that time, but still didn't want to take a risk. After numerous telegrams from Peter Grant Bonzo he decided to give it a try! Peter Grant shifted from the Yardbirds manager to The New Yardbirds manager. The New Yardbirds soon took on the ever such famous name - Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin defined what has become heavy metal and hard rock, earning themselves a place in music history as one of the greatest bands ever. British foursome Led Zeppelin performed for the first time in October 1968. The group was formed by Jimmy Page - ex-Yardbirds guitarist who wanted to complete planned tour over the northern Europe and needed some vocalist, bassist and drummer. Someone suggested Robert Plant to Jimmy so he went to hear Robert. Page was taken by Plant's voice and stage presence, and in August 1968, Plant became the band's frontman. Right around this time, Dreja quit and John Paul Jones took his place as bassist. Now all the band needed was a commanding drummer. After a month of courting, Page convinced John Bonham to join. Touring under the name the New Yardbirds, the foursome fulfilled the old band's concert schedule and in October 1968 the band, now called Led Zeppelin, went into the studio and recorded their self-titled debut album in under 30 hours.

Before the year was over, Zeppelin signed a contract with Atlantic Records and set out to tour the States. When Led Zeppelin came out in January 1969, it only took two months for it to catch on like wildfire. The album soared to the top of the charts and Led Zeppelin, with their heavy, free-form, psychedelic style of rock, began their ascent to god-like status. Touring endlessly through that year, Zeppelin recorded their second album, Led Zeppelin II, on the road. Like the first album, Led Zeppelin II hit the No. 1 spot and stayed there for seven weeks. In support of the album, Zeppelin hit the road and didn't stop for a full year. Taking a step back from hard rock, the band focused more on the mystical aspects of British folk music for their third album, Led Zeppelin III, which came out in October 1970. But it wasn't until the untitled album (referred to as "Led Zeppelin IV") was released in November of 1971 that the band fully captured the folk spirit. It was also on this untitled album that the band produced their most popular classic songs like "Stairway To Heaven," "Rock & Roll" and "When The Levee Breaks". This became the band's biggest album, selling more than 16 million copies over the course of 25 years.
In the spring of 1973, the band broke from their traditional album-naming convention with the release of Houses of the Holy. Here traces of funk and reggae experimentation can be heard melded with the already well-known rock and folk sound. This album debuted at No. 1 both in America and England. In 1973 there was filmed the concert of Led Zeppelin in Madison Square Garden and three years after, in connection with the premiere of the film, double album, The Song Remains The Same, was released. To better accommodate their recording needs in 1974 Led Zeppelin formed their own label, Swan Song. Zeppelin would record all their albums on Swan Song from this point including the double album Physical Graffiti, Presence and In Through The Out Door, the band's eighth and final studio album.
Following the successful release of In Through The Out Door, Zeppelin toured Europe for one last time - in August 1980 the band performed their last common concert in the hall Eissporthall in West Berlin. In September 1980, the group rehearsed in preparation of an America leg of their tour. On September 25, John Bonham was found dead in his bed after choking on his own vomit following an all-day drinking binge. In December of that same year, the surviving members of the band reported that without Bonham Led Zeppelin could not be a band, and broke up.

Unreleased musical material was published in 1982 under the name Coda.
In June 1982 Robert Plant began his solo career by debuting song ''Pictures At Eleven''.
Exactly five years and five days after last performance of Led Zeppelin orphan trinity Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones (and also drummer Tony Thompson and bassist Paul Martines) gave a concert in stadium JFK in Philadelphia on June 13, 1985 at the famous charitable concert ''Live Aid'' for Ethiopia.
In August 1997 the first single of legendary foursome Led Zeppelin ''Whole Lotta Love'' released in Britain. The band defined their style in their beginnings by this song with hardrock guitar riff.
On November 11, 1997 British BBC opened archives recordings which have recorded members of Led Zeppelin since March 1969. Double CD ''BBC Session'' is the first official record of their performance live since releasing of soundtrack ''The Song Remains The Same''.
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page performed (with an accompaniment) at the concert in Prague on February 25, 1998 for the first time and on November 17, 1998 for the second time.
In 1999 Recording Industry Association Of America decided to give ''Diamand Awards''. If the sale of one title reaches the ten million borderline, then an interpreter will obtain ''diamand disc''. On March 16, 1999 diamand discs were given for the first time and the album Led Zeppelin IV was also awarded. On July 16, 2002 Robert Plant released his new album ''Dreamland'', which contains a few coverversions including ''Hey Joe'' by Jimy Hendrix and ''Song To The Siren'' by Tim Buckley. Plant recorded this disc with members of the band Strange Sensation - guitarists Justin Adams and Porl Johnson, pianist John Baggot and drummer Clive Dreamer.
Led Zeppelin has sold more than 80 millions of musical records.