The Robert Plant Biography

The usual Robert Plant biography begins with his time in Led Zeppelin, but although he was only 20 years old when he started singing for that illustrious band, he had already had his taste of the music business, recording for CBS records and making his way through the British band scene. A great lover of blues music, he was excited when former Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page asked him if he wanted to help him put together a new blues rock band – the group that would become Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant’s singing style was much higher than many of his contemporaries, and he used his soaring vocal skills to great effect when describing the mythological figures and fantasy lands he often wrote about in his lyrics. Unlike other high-pitched warblers of his generation, he was not a screamer, and even when at his most animated he never gave his vocals a harsh intonation.

For many, Robert Plant represented the ‘golden god’ of 1970’s rock and roll. Often appearing onstage with his shirt open to reveal a tanned chest, and with his long golden locks flying out behind him, Plant was known for his sexual exploits and intense partying. He continued on this hedonistic streak until 1975 when a terrible automobile accident that seriously injured him and his wife caused him to re-think his entire world view. He became more introspective and less interested in taking the same extreme risks that had been a feature of his previous lifestyle. The death of his son two years later also did a lot to change the musical direction of the band, although they would release only one more studio album past that point in time.

After the breakup of Zeppelin, Plant continued to actively record music, although the harder edge that had dominated his previous band’s sound was largely replaced with a greater pop sensibility. He was successful in a casual sense, but was never able to re-connect with fans in the same way as he had previously. Led Zeppelin was very much a case of the whole being greater than the sum of any of the parts. The Robert Plant biography would turn more and more towards collaborating with his former songwriting partner Jimmy Page towards the latter half of his career, and together with John Paul Jones they would occasionally perform as Led Zeppelin, although Plant completely refused to consider any kind of extended tour.

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