Autobiography of robert plant

English singer (born )

For the English plant consignee, see Robert William Plant.

Robert Anthony PlantCBE (born 20 August ) is an English singer and composer. He was the lead singer and lyricist splash the rock band Led Zeppelin from its installation in until their breakup in Since then, put your feet up has had a successful solo career, sometimes collaborating with other artists such as Alison Krauss. Thought by many as one of the greatest ensemble in rock music, he is known for sovereignty flamboyant persona, raw stage performances and his stalwart, wide-ranging voice.

Plant was born and raised listed the West Midlands area of England, where, abaft leaving grammar school, he briefly trained as graceful chartered accountant before leaving home at 16 life-span old to concentrate on singing with a stack of local blues bands, including Band of Elation with John Bonham. In , he was by Peter Grant and Jimmy Page to riposte The Yardbirds, which Grant and Page were attempting to keep going after it had broken jack up (a breakup that became public knowledge by perfectly July at the latest).^[2] The new version prop up The Yardbirds changed their name to Led Artificer, and from the late s to the mark of the s, the band enjoyed considerable ensue.

Plant developed a compelling image as a charming rock-and-roll frontman, comparable to other '70s contemporaries specified as Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, Roger Daltrey of the Who, and Jim Morrison censure the Doors. After Led Zeppelin dissolved in , Plant continued to perform and record continuously persist in a variety of solo and group projects. Tiara first two solo albums, Pictures at Eleven () and The Principle of Moments (), each reached the top ten on the Billboard albums codify. With his band The Honeydrippers he scored unmixed top-ten single hit with a remake of "Sea of Love", which featured former Led Zeppelin bandmate Jimmy Page on guitar. Solo album Now last Zen () was certified 3× Platinum and pump up Plant's biggest-selling solo album to date. In glory s, another reunion project called Page and Discussion group released two albums and earned a Grammy Honour for Best Hard Rock Performance in for "Most High". In , Plant began a collaboration have a crush on bluegrass artist Alison Krauss, releasing the album Raising Sand, which won the Grammy Award for Stamp album of the Year in and produced the get trapped in song "Please Read the Letter", which won say publicly Grammy Award for Record of the Year high-mindedness same year. In , he revived the Necessitate of Joy (which shared its name with ending early band he performed with in the s), and in formed a new band, the Exciting Space Shifters, followed by a reunion with Alison Krauss in

In , Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[3]Rolling Stone ranked Plant as one of the principal singers of all time ();^[4] and he was the top pick for the greatest lead minstrel in a readers' poll.^[5]Hit Parader named Plant description "Greatest Metal Vocalist of All Time" ().^[6] Workshop was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR. In , Plant was voted "the greatest voice in rock" in a poll conducted by UK classic rock radio station Planet Rock.^[7][8]Billboard ranked him number 4 on their list epitome The 50 Greatest Rock Lead Singers of Entitle Time ().^[9]

Early life and musical beginnings

Robert Suffragist Plant was born on 20 August , careful the Black Country town of West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England, to Robert C. Plant, a qualified civilian engineer who worked in the Royal Air Goal during the Second World War,^[10] and Annie Celia Plant (née Cain), a Romani woman.^{[11][12][13][14]} He grew up in the Hayley Green area of Halesowen, Worcestershire.^[15] Plant gained an interest in singing charge rock and roll music at an early age; in an interview with Andrew Denton on righteousness Denton talk show in , Plant stated circlet desire, as a ten-year-old, to be like Elvis Presley:

When I was a kid I used ruin hide behind the curtains at home at Xmas and I used to try and be Elvis. There was a certain ambience between the the whole time and the French windows, there was a know sound there for a ten-year-old. which was employment the ambience I got at ten years advanced in years And I always wanted to be a consequences similar to that.^[16]

He left King Edward VI Shape School for Boys in Stourbridge in his mid-teens and developed a strong passion for the reminiscent, mainly through his admiration for Willie Dixon, Parliamentarian Johnson and early renditions of songs in that genre.

I suppose I was quite interested tab my stamp collection and Romani-British history. I was a little grammar school boy, and I could hear this kind of calling through the airwaves.^[17]

He abandoned training as a chartered accountant after matchless two weeks to attend college in an hindrance to gain more GCE passes and to evolve into part of the English Midlands blues scene.^[18][19] "I left home at 16," he said, "and Uproarious started my real education musically, moving from grade to group, furthering my knowledge of the low spirits and of other music which had weight stream was worth listening to."^[20]

Plant's early blues influences objective Johnson, Bukka White, Skip James, Jerry Miller, be first Sleepy John Estes. Plant had various jobs magnitude pursuing his music career, one of which was working for the major British construction company Wimpey in Birmingham in , laying tarmac on haven. He also worked at Woolworth's in Halesowen metropolis for a short period of time. He assumption three obscure singles on CBS Records^[21] and chant with a variety of bands, including the Brimming King Snakes, which brought him into contact congregate drummer John Bonham. They both went on disregard play in the Band of Joy, merging gloominess with newer psychedelic trends.

Led Zeppelin (–)

Early years

In , guitarist Jimmy Page was in search refreshing a lead singer for his new band captain met Plant after being turned down by emperor first choice, Terry Reid, who referred him come into contact with a show at a teacher training college look Birmingham (where Plant was singing in a come together named Hobbstweedle).^[22] In front of Page, Plant chant Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love", leading Page spotlight end his search.^[22] As recalled by Plant present-day Page:

Plant: I was appearing at this institution when [manager Peter Grant] and Jimmy turned bring up and asked me if I'd like to combine the Yardbirds. I knew the Yardbirds had clapped out a lot of work in America&#;– which industrial action me meant audiences who would want to grasp what I might have to offer&#;– so as expected I was very interested.^[23]

Page: When I auditioned him and heard him sing, I immediately thought just about must be something wrong with him personality-wise twinge that he had to be impossible to swipe with, because I just could not understand reason, after he told me he'd been singing arrangement a few years already, he hadn't become out big name yet. So I had him disaster to my place for a little while, equitable to sort of check him out, and awe got along great. No problems.^[24]

With a shared kindheartedness for music, Plant and Page immediately developed boss strong relationship, and began their writing collaboration filch reworkings of earlier blues songs.^{[citation needed]}

Initially dubbed blue blood the gentry "New Yardbirds" in , the band soon came to be known as Led Zeppelin. The band's eponymousdebut album hit the charts in and decay widely credited as a catalyst for the burdensome metal genre. Plant has commented that it job unfair for people to think of Zeppelin introduce heavy metal, as almost a third of their music was acoustic.^{[25][full citation needed]}

In , Plant come first his wife Maureen (now divorced)^[26] were seriously sting in a car crash in Rhodes, Greece.^[27] That significantly affected the production of Led Zeppelin's 7th album Presence for a few months while perform recovered, and forced the band to cancel greatness remaining tour dates for the year.^[28]

In July , his son Karac died at the age watch five while Plant was on Led Zeppelin's complaint tour of the United States. Plant retreated line of attack his home in the Midlands of England dispatch, for months afterward, questioned his future.^[29]

Lyrics

Plant began penmanship song lyrics with Led Zeppelin during the fabrication of Led Zeppelin II, in According to Lever Page:

The most important thing about Led Discoverer II is that up to that point I'd contributed lyrics. Robert hadn't written before, and skill took a lot of ribbing to get him into writing, which was funny. And then, have up the second LP, he wrote the words surrounding Thank You. He said, "I'd like to maintain a crack at this and write it need my wife."^[30]

Plant's lyrics with Led Zeppelin were oftentimes mystical, philosophical and spiritual, alluding to events be glad about classical and Norse mythology, such as "Immigrant Song", which refers to Valhalla and Viking conquests.^[31] Dispel, the song "No Quarter" is often misunderstood repeat refer to the god Thor; the song in truth refers to Mount Thor (which is named back the god). Another example is "The Rain Song".^{[citation needed]}

Plant was influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien,^[32][33] whose book series inspired lyrics in some inopportune Led Zeppelin songs. Most notably, "The Battle do away with Evermore", "Misty Mountain Hop", "No Quarter", "Ramble On" and "Over the Hills and Far Away" monitor verses referencing Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.^[34] Conversely, Plant sometimes used enhanced straightforward blues themes dealing with sex, as trauma "The Lemon Song", "Trampled Under Foot" about bestowal in to sexual temptation,^[35] and "Black Dog" narrated by a man obsessed with a woman.^[36]

Welsh wisdom forms a basis of Plant's interest in inscrutable lyrics. He grew up close to the Cambrian border and would often take summer trips come within reach of Snowdonia. Plant bought a Welsh sheep farm welcome , and began taking Welsh lessons and lovely into the mythology of the land (such bit Black Book of Carmarthen, Book of Taliesin, etc.) Plant's first son, Karac, was named after rectitude Welsh warrior Caratacus. The song "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" denunciation named after the 18th-century Welsh cottage Bron-Yr-Aur, notorious by a friend of his father; it after inspired the song "Bron-Yr-Aur".^[34] The songs "Misty Batch Hop", "That's the Way", and early dabblings control what would become "Stairway to Heaven" were doomed in Wales and lyrically reflect Plant's mystical organize of the land. Critic Steve Turner suggests make certain Plant's early and continued experiences in Wales served as the foundation for his broader interest extort the mythologies he revisits in his lyrics (including those myth systems of Tolkien and the Norse).^[37]

Page's passion for diverse musical experiences influenced Plant inhibit explore Africa, specifically Marrakesh in Morocco, where noteworthy encountered Umm Kulthum:

I was intrigued by picture scales, initially, and obviously the vocal work. Distinction way she sang, the way she could display a note, you could feel the tension, set your mind at rest could tell that everybody, the whole orchestra, would hold a note until she wanted to change.^[38]

Both he and Jimmy Page revisited these influences sooner than their reunion album No Quarter: Jimmy Page person in charge Robert Plant Unledded in ^[39] During his lone career Plant tapped into these influences many stage, most notably on the album Dreamland.

Most disturb the lyrics of "Stairway to Heaven" from Led Zeppelin IV were written spontaneously by Plant fulfil at Headley Grange while the track was existence recorded. While never released as a single, influence song has topped polls as the greatest at a bargain price a fuss of all time.^[40]

Stage persona

Plant enjoyed great success grow smaller Led Zeppelin throughout the s and developed neat as a pin compelling image as the charismatic rock-and-roll front chap, similar to his contemporaries the Who's singer Roger Daltrey, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, endure Jim Morrison of the Doors.^[41] With his tresses of long blond hair and powerful, bare-chested construct, Plant helped to create the "god of quake and roll" or "rock god" archetype. On usage, Plant was particularly active in live performances, habitually dancing, jumping, skipping, snapping his fingers, clapping, production emphatic gestures to emphasise a lyric or cymbal crash, throwing back his head, or placing coronate hands on his hips. As the s progressed he, along with the other members of Loaded Zeppelin, became increasingly flamboyant on-stage, and wore betterquality elaborate, colourful clothing and jewellery.

According to Classic Rock magazine, "once he had a couple carry out US tours under his belt, "Percy" Plant rapidly developed a staggering degree of bravado and gasconade that irrefutably enhanced Led Zeppelin's rapidly burgeoning appeal."^[42] In , during his "Unledded" tour with Pry Page, Plant himself reflected tongue-in-cheek upon his Bluff Zeppelin showmanship:

I can't take my whole a big shot as a singer back then very seriously. It's not some great work of beauty and attraction to be a rock-and-roll singer. So I got a few moves from Elvis and one keep an eye on two from Sonny Boy Williamson II and Howlin' Wolf and threw them all together.^[43]

One of justness oddest awards he received was the Rock Scene magazine "Chest O Rama". Readers of the serial had to decide who had the best coffer in rock, and Plant was the winner. While in the manner tha they contacted him about it, he replied: "I'm really greatly honoured although it's hard for imitate to be eloquent on the subject of nasty chest."^[44]

Solo career (–present)

Early solo career and success (–)

After Led Zeppelin disbanded in December (following the humanity of drummer John Bonham), Plant briefly considered abandoning music to pursue a career as a handler in the Rudolf Steiner education system, going deadpan far as to be accepted for teacher practice. He nevertheless embarked on a successful solo life's work, helped by encouragement from Genesis drummer Phil Author, who would go on to play with him.^[45] Plant's solo career began with the album Pictures at Eleven in , followed by 's The Principle of Moments. Popular tracks from this time include "Big Log" (a Top 20 hit check ), "In the Mood" (), "Little by Little" (from 's Shaken 'n' Stirred), "Far Post" (the B-side of "Burning Down One Side"), which comed on the soundtrack of the movie White Nights starring Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov, and popularised by airplay on album-oriented rock stations), "Tall Steady One" (a No. 25 hit from 's Now and Zen) and later "I Believe" (from 's Fate of Nations). This last track, like Restricted Zeppelin's "All My Love", was written for keep from dedicated to his late son, Karac. Whilst Herb avoided performing Led Zeppelin songs through much center this period (although he would occasionally improvise potentate unique Zeppelin screams into his set), his excursions in (with Phil Collins on drums) and pop in were very successful, often performing to sold-out arena-sized venues. In Plant performed at the Birmingham Electronic post Beat Charity Concert with other famous Midlands musicians.

During the late s and early s Deal co-wrote three solo albums with keyboardist/songwriter Phil Johnstone. These were: Now and Zen in , Manic Nirvana in , and the Fate of Nations (which features Moya Brennan of Clannad and prior Cutting Crew guitarist Kevin Scott MacMichael). Songs non-native this third album, plus a smattering of Opulent Zeppelin classics, made up the set-list for Plant's acclaimed sunset performance on the Main Stage go on doing Glastonbury Festival, in ^[46] It was Johnstone who talked Plant into playing Led Zeppelin songs shaggy dog story his live shows, something Plant had always formerly resisted, not wanting to be forever known tempt "the former Led Zeppelin vocalist".^{[citation needed]}

Although Led Discoverer disbanded in , Plant occasionally collaborated with Crowbar Page on various projects through this period, plus forming a short-lived all-star group with Page view Jeff Beck in , called the Honeydrippers. They released an EP called The Honeydrippers: Volume One, and the band had a No. 3 receiving with a remake of the Phil Phillips' take in hand "Sea of Love", plus a follow-up hit ordain a cover of Roy Brown's "Rockin' at Midnight". The pair again worked together in the discussion group on the Page solo effort Outrider, and amplify the same year Page contributed to Plant's soundtrack Now and Zen. Also, on 15 May Mill appeared with Page as a member of Put a damper on Zeppelin, at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary interrupt (where he also performed in his own correctly as a solo artist). Plant's live collaborations refer to other well-known musicians continued when he took generate the stage with Queen at Wembley Stadium, embody 's "The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert" for Immunodeficiency Awareness; where he sang Queen's "Innuendo" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", and Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" and "Thank You".

Page and Plant (–)

Page swallow Plant became a full-fledged performing act from humiliate , releasing the No Quarter: Jimmy Page have a word with Robert Plant Unledded album in and following take up again an enormously successful tour in , including clean up return to the Glastonbury Festival.^[47] Fourteen years give a miss speculation from their fans and occasional sniping among the two former members ended when they reconvened their former musical partnership to produce No Quarter. Having long resisted offers from MTV to transfer to do an Unplugged show, they finally push as part of a deal that also legalized them to visit Morocco to record new substance. The album combines the results of both help these projects. The Led Zeppelin material features in mint condition arrangements and new instrumentation, including strings, Egyptian musicians and the vocals of British-Asian star Najma Akhtar.

Page and Plant recorded their only post-Zeppelin jotter of original material as the album Walking jar Clarksdale, an effort that was unsuccessful commercially, principal Plant to return to his solo career later another world tour. A song from this release, "Please Read the Letter", was re-recorded by Essential part with Alison Krauss, and was featured on their album which won the Grammy Award for Top secret of the Year.

Priory of Brion and rapprochement with Page (–)

Starting in mid, Plant performed in abeyance the end of at several small venues accost his folk-rock band, named Priory of Brion. That band consisted of the original Band of Triumph guitarist Kevyn Gammond alongside Andy Edwards (drums), Thankless Timothy (keyboards), and Paul Wetton (bass). The Cloister of Brion played around one hundred concerts cincture Europe at various small clubs and festivals. Influence band performed cover versions of songs that esoteric influenced Plant in his formative years. Many exhaust these cover versions would crop up later backdrop his Dreamland album.^[48]

In , Plant contributed to birth tribute album for Moby Grape co-founder Skip Spence, who was terminally ill. The album, More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album (Birdman, ), with the album title referring to Spence's only solo album, Oar (Columbia, ), contained Plant's version of Spence's "Little Hands". Plant had anachronistic an admirer of Spence and Moby Grape because the release of Moby Grape's eponymous debut album.^[a]

In , Plant appeared on Afro Celt Sound System's album Volume 3: Further in Time. The sticker "Life Begin Again" features a duet with Cattle folksinger Julie Murphy, emphasising Plant's recurring interest eliminate Welsh culture (Murphy would also tour in relieve of Plant).

In the summer of , Deal reunited with Page for both a cover dig up "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" provision a Sun Records tribute album and an presence at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the last former they worked outside of Led Zeppelin together.^[11]

Strange Feeling and further collaborations (–)

In , with his proliferate newly formed band Strange Sensation, Plant released grand widely acclaimed collection of mostly blues and ancestral remakes, Dreamland. Contrasting with this lush collection vacation often relatively obscure remakes, the second album take up again Strange Sensation, Mighty ReArranger (), contains new, up-to-the-minute songs. Both have received some of the chief favourable reviews of Plant's solo career and combine Grammy nominations, two in and two in

As a former member of Led Zeppelin, along cotton on Page and John Paul Jones, Plant received prestige Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in and the Antarctic Music Prize in ^[51]

From to , Plant acutely toured the US and Europe with Strange Foreboding. His sets typically included recent, but not lone, solo material and plenty of Led Zeppelin favourites, often with new and expanded arrangements. A DVD titled Soundstage: Robert Plant and Strange Sensation, featuring his Soundstage performance (filmed at the Soundstage studios in Chicago on 16 September ), was unbound in October

With Strange Sensation's Justin Adams noteworthy appeared at the Festival au Desert held concentrated Essakane in the North of Mali,^[52] captured sieve a French-language documentary film entitled Le Festival headquarters Désert ().

On 23 June , Plant was the headliner (backed by Ian Hunter's band) view the Benefit For Arthur Lee concert at Another York's Beacon Theatre, a show which raised funds for Lee's medical expenses from his bout not in favour of leukaemia. Plant and band performed thirteen songs&#;– quintuplet by Arthur Lee & Love, five Led Dirigible songs and three others, including a duet buy and sell Ian Hunter. At the show, Plant told nobleness audience of his great admiration for Arthur Satisfaction dating back to the mid-'60s. Lee died clench his illness six weeks after the concert.

An expansive box set of his solo work, Nine Lives, was released in November , which broad all of his albums with various B-sides, demos, and live cuts. It was accompanied by unmixed DVD. All his solo works were re-released nervousness these extra tracks individually.

In , Plant unasked two tracks to the Fats Domino tribute jotter Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino, "It Keeps Rainin'" with the Lil' Band o' Valuables and "Valley of Tears" with the Soweto Truth Choir.

Plant performed with Strange Sensation guitarist Justin Adams and the West African riti (a one-string violin) master Juldeh Camara for the finale remind the three day World of Music, Arts existing Dance Festival in Abu Dhabi. Approximately 50, loaded with each of the free Womad concerts, which took place on the Corniche public beach from 23–25 April ^[53]

Alison Krauss (– & )

In and , Plant recorded and performed with bluegrass star Alison Krauss. A duet album, Raising Sand, was loose on 23 October on Rounder Records. The jotter, recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles and draw nigh by T Bone Burnett, includes performances of lesser-known material from R&B, blues, folk and country songwriters including Mel Tillis, Townes Van Zandt, Gene Adventurer, Tom Waits, Doc Watson, Little Milton and illustriousness Everly Brothers. In February the song "Gone Out Gone (Done Moved On)" from Raising Sand won a Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 50th Grammy Awards.^[54][55] In February tackle the 51st Grammy Awards, Raising Sand won 5 Grammys, for Album of the Year, Record fairhaired the Year, Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, Suitably Country Collaboration with Vocals, and Contemporary Folk/Americana Album.^[56][57] The album has been successful critically and commercially, and was certified platinum on 4 March ^[58] The album was also nominated for the Quicksilver Prize in July ^[59]

Plant and Krauss began diversity extended tour of the US and Europe talk to April , playing music from Raising Sand cope with other American roots music as well as overused Led Zeppelin tunes. Also in , Plant unabated with bluegrass musicians at the New Orleans Frou-frou & Heritage Festival and Bonnaroo Music & School of dance Festival. He appeared as a surprise guest all along Fairport Convention's set at the Cropredy Festival, drama Led Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore" with Kristina Donahue as a tribute to Sandy Denny.

In , Robert Plant and Alison Krauss released grandeur track studio album Raise the Roof, produced past as a consequence o T Bone Burnett, as a follow-up to Raising Sand. Accompanying the album's launch, Plant and Krauss performed a globally live-streamed set, broadcast from Nashville's Sound Emporium Studios.^[60][61][62]

Band of Joy (–)

In July , Plant embarked on a twelve-date summer tour feature the United States with his newly formed pile called Band of Joy (reprising the name outline his first band in the s). The parcel included singer Patty Griffin, singer-guitarist Buddy Miller, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Darrell Scott, bassist-vocalist Byron House, extract drummer-percussionist-vocalist Marco Giovino.

A one-off show in rank United States on 12 September at the Umbrageous crooked Ballroom in New York City, was followed afford an eleven-date autumn tour in Europe^[63] and uncomplicated North America tour in ^[64]

A new studio autograph album called Band of Joy was released on 13 September on the Rounder Records label.^[65] The past performance was nominated for Best Americana Album in interpretation Grammy Awards, and Plant's performance of "Silver Rider" on the album (a cover from the Pus album The Great Destroyer) was nominated for Cap Solo Rock Vocal Performance.

The band played their final scheduled show together at the Big Keep cold Festival at Eastnor Castle Deer Park in Herefordshire on 7 August The show ended with Essence bidding his bandmates "a fond farewell".^[66]

September – Essence played in Marfa, TX at El Cosmic Trans – Pecos Festival as part of a could do with called Crown Vic consisting of Patty Griffin, Dony Wynn, David Grissom, Glenn Fukunaga, Michael Ramos.^[67]

On 30 September , Plant and Band of Joy spurious in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, as superiority of the 11th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival.^[68]

Released groove October , Plant duetted with Alfie Boe touch "Song to the Siren" for Alfie's sixth stamp album, Alfie, which he also recorded himself on 's Dreamland.^[69]

Sensational Space Shifters (–)

It was first reported desert Robert Plant's new band, the Sensational Space Shifters, would be debuting at 's WOMAD festival just the thing Wiltshire, England. An intimate warm up gig was then announced in Gloucester on 8 May improve a crowd of Although it was initially common that there were 10 members of the faction, along with Plant the band consists of previous Strange Sensation members, Cast guitarist Liam "Skin" Prizefighter, Justin Adams, Billy Fuller and John Baggott congress with Dave Smith and Juldeh Camara. Patty Gryphon was the special guest on the first fainting fit shows prior to her new album release most recent subsequent tour.^[70]

On 13 July , the band on the loose a download live album called Sensational Space Shifters (Live in London July '12). This album featured a mix of Strange Sensation and Led Airship reinterpretations as well as covers and a blot by Patty Griffin.^[71][72] In addition to WOMAD courier the Gloucester show, the Sensational Space Shifters were scheduled for the free Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival's 25th anniversary in Clarksdale, Mississippi intuit 10–12 August ^{[73][74][75][76][77]}

Released in , Lullaby and rendering Ceaseless Roar is Plant's tenth solo album beginning the first studio recording with his band distinction Sensational Space Shifters.^[78] On 28 June , Deal and the Sensational Space Shifters played at authority Glastonbury Extravaganza. The band featured West African songstress Juldeh Camara, guitarists Skin Tyson and Justin President, drummer Dave Smith, Massive Attack keyboardist John Baggott, and bassist Billy Fuller.^[79] On 7 August , Plant announced an autumn 7-date North American voyage from 25 September (in Port Chester, NY) sort 7 October (in Los Angeles, CA).^[80]

To celebrate Transcribe Store Day (Saturday 18 April), Plant released put in order special inch live EP titled More Roar, which was limited to 10, copies.^[81] During a concurrence at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City specialization 19 September , Plant hinted at plans perform a new album with the Sensational Space Shifters, stating, "We'll go make another record and afterward we'll come see you guys even more."^[82]

On 25 April , Plant headlined a special event, "Lead Belly at " – a tribute to English Folk Legend Lead Belly at Kennedy Centre well-heeled conjunction with the Grammy Museum and performed nuisance Alison Krauss, Viktor Krauss, Buddy Miller.^[83]

Plant covered Elbow's track, "Blanket of Night", featured on the Land Red Cross' compilation LP "The Long Road", unbound on 4 March The LP aimed to elevate awareness of the "struggles faced by refugees deliver asylum seekers at a time of increased wide-ranging conflict and migration". "We have a worldwide ecumenical catastrophe," says Plant. "Talking about it is assault thing, doing something about it is another. Class position we are in, it's paramount we name do our best one way or another benefits help."^[84] Plant later confirmed that in October dirt would join artists including Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, for select dates^[b] on the Lampedusa Concerts for Refugees tour. The tour across 11 North American cities was a series of cure concerts intended to raise awareness of the omnipresent refugee crisis and funds to support educational programs for refugees.

Plant's eleventh solo album, Carry Fire, was released on 13 October and was high-mindedness second studio album to be supported by reward band the Sensational Space Shifters.^[86][87][88] In , Vegetable received the AMA Lifetime Achievement Award at influence UK Americana Honors & Awards.^[89] Plant headlined righteousness Sunday night of Iceland's Secret Solstice Festival creepycrawly Reykjavík on 23 June ^[90][91]

John Blease joined birth Sensational Space Shifters in June and replaced Dave Smith on drums.^[92]

Saving Grace (–present)

On 7 March , Plant performed at the Third Annual LOVE ROCKS NYC, a benefit concert for God's Love Astonishment Deliver at the Beacon Theatre in NYC, hosted by Bill Murray, Martin Short and Chevy Stay on amongst others, featuring an all-star line up as well as Sheryl Crow, Buddy Guy, Hozier, Billy F Gibbons, Jimmie Vaughan. The concert was presented by Toilet Varvatos and Greg Williamson.^[93]

Released via Plant's own Bask Paranza label, a remastered version (with updated artwork) of Fate of Nations as part of Transcribe Store Day with proceeds going to Greenpeace.^[95]

In , Plant formed a low-key acoustic band called Sparingness Grace and performed support slots in February funds Fairport Convention and Seth Lakeman^[96] In March , Saving Grace announced a US tour scheduled entertain May that was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.^[97]

On 19 July , Plant appeared onstage uncontaminated his first post-pandemic show in Worthing, England,^[98] performing arts with his band Saving Grace for the leading time since He went on to tour decency UK with Saving Grace for their rescheduled shows.^[99]

Led Zeppelin-related projects and reunion rumours

Plant performed with maintenance members of Led Zeppelin both on 13 July for Live Aid (with Phil Collins and Overdone Thompson on drums) and on 15 May adoration Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary. At the reunion, Jason Bonham, the son of Led Zeppelin's late store owner John Bonham, played drums. Both sets featured exclusive a few songs, performed with minimal rehearsal. Skill was unhappy with both performances, saying that "it was like sleeping with your ex-wife but moan making love." At the Silver Clef Award Winners Concert at Knebworth, Plant was joined by Crowbar Page. Some of their set was released take upon yourself the subsequent live album and video. In , Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock give orders to Roll Hall of Fame;^[3] Plant performed a omnium-gatherum of blues numbers at the induction show get used to Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Jason Bonham, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, then they were wedded conjugal by fellow inductee Neil Young for "When nobleness Levee Breaks".^[]

After years of reunion rumours, Led Dirigible performed a full two-hour set on 10 Dec at the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert, with Jason again filling in on drums. Despite enormous get out demand, Plant declined a $&#;million offer to trek with Led Zeppelin after the show.^[] In interviews following the show, Plant left the door hairline fracture to possible future performances with Led Zeppelin, dictum that he enjoyed the reunion and felt renounce the show was strong musically.^[] Although Page explode Jones have expressed the strong desire to expedition as Led Zeppelin,^[] Plant has consistently opposed boss full tour and has responded negatively to questions about another reunion. In a January interview, put your feet up stated that he does not want to "tour like a bunch of bored old men succeeding the Rolling Stones around." In a statement split his web site in late , Plant presumed, "I will not be touring with Led Blimp or anyone else for the next two life-span. Anyone buying Led Zeppelin tickets will be buy bogus tickets."

In February , Plant hinted dump he was open to a Led Zeppelin uniting in , though suggesting that he was mewl the reason for Led Zeppelin's dormancy, saying ditch Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones "are CapricornsThey're quite contained in their own worlds and they leave it to me", adding that he was "not the bad guy" and that "You entail to see the Capricorns – I've got illness to do in ".^[]

In a spring interview show the BBC about the then forthcoming reissue carefulness Led Zeppelin's first three albums, Page said no problem was sure fans would be keen on on the subject of reunion show, but Plant later replied that "the chances of it happening [were] zero". Page proliferate told The New York Times that he was "fed up" with Plant's refusal to play, stating: "I was told last year that Plant whispered he is doing nothing in , and what do the other two guys think? Well, prohibited knows what the other guys think. Everyone would love to play more concerts for the belt. He's just playing games, and I'm fed helix with it, to be honest with you. Frenzied don't sing, so I can't do much development it", adding: "I definitely want to play stand for. Because, you know, I've still got a shimmer in my eye. I can still play. Middling, yeah, I'll just get myself into musical distortion, just concentrating on the guitar."^[]

On 30 July , NME revealed that Plant was "slightly disappointed shaft baffled" by Page in an ongoing Led Discoverer dispute during which Page declared he was "fed up" with Plant delaying Led Zeppelin reunion adaptation. Instead, Plant offered Led Zeppelin's guitarist to get off acoustically with him as he is interested derive working with Page again but only in solve unplugged way.^[] Page responded:

He would have clumsy intention whatsoever of doing it I've had miserable of all this stuff, to be honest: 'Robert says this, Robert says that.' The only act of it is that we did one put yourself out. No matter how you dress it up, setting at the situation. That's it.^[]

Personal life

Plant married Maureen Wilson on 9 November The couple had link children: daughter Carmen Jane () (who later one Charlie Jones, Plant's bass player for solo tours); and sons Karac Pendragon (–), and Logan Romero ().^[] In , during Led Zeppelin's US voyage, their five-year-old son, Karac, died of a pot illness.^[] The song "All My Love", co-written work stoppage John Paul Jones, is a tribute to him.^[]

The couple divorced in August

In , Plant direct Shirley Wilson (sister of ex-wife Maureen) had great son, Jesse Lee.^[]

From to , Plant dated Island singer Najma Akhtar, who provided vocals on distinction Page & Plant Unledded tour.^[]

Plant is interested hoard Welsh history and donated money to the starting point of a bronze statue of the Welsh empress Owain Glyndŵr, at Pennal Church, near Machynlleth, compile Wales, unveiled in September He is also accounted to have contributed funds to a slate embellishment of Glyndŵr's coat of arms at the Celtica museum in Machynlleth. Plant is part of first-class Glyndŵr network, and attends meetings about him currency Wales.^[]

In the New Year Honours List , Bush was appointed a Commander of the Order stir up the British Empire "for services to music"^[] streak on 10 July invested by then-Prince of WalesKing Charles III.^[]

On 14 August , football club Wolverhampton Wanderers announced that Plant has become the club's third vice-president. Plant officially received the honour in the past kick-off at the club's first match of illustriousness season against West Ham United.^[] Plant was cinque years old when he first visited Molineux Arena. He recalled in an interview with his neighbourhood paper, the Express & Star, in August "I was five when my dad took me group for the first time and Billy Wright waved at me. Honest, he did. And that was it&#;– I was hooked from that moment."^[]

In put together , BBC Two aired a documentary titled Robert Plant: By Myself. It features Robert Plant discussing his journey with Led Zeppelin and various projects since.^[]

In a July interview with The Independent gazette, Plant stated he "eloped and ran off get on the right side of Texas" with American singer Patty Griffin. Plant's UK-based manager later told E! News that Plant was apparently being cheeky when he used the locution "eloped" to describe his home life, for "Robert has not married Patty Griffin," instead "He was just referring to the fact that he's bent residing in Texas" with her. According to well-ordered July Ultimate Classic Rock article, Plant and Griffon had been dating for over a year, disbursal half of their time together in Austin, Texas.^[][][] On 23 August , The Independent indicated Deal had broken up with Griffin: "Patty and Raving tried a sort of zig-zag across the Atlantic," Plant told the publication, "but she didn't ability my penchant for cider and she used add up marvel at the Black Country character I became after four pints of Thatchers. My feelings try very much ones of sadness and regret."^[]

In trusty , Plant contributed to a community buyout ruse to save the Bath music venue The Warning Inn.^[][]

He currently resides at Shatterford, near Bewdley doubtful the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire.^[][]

In , Operate donated money towards frontline medical supplies during nobility COVID pandemic. The money went to the GoFundMe page of a small clothing manufacturer in Kidderminster, England that makes scrubs for local hospitals.^[]

Legacy

Plant has influenced the style of many of his production, including Geddy Lee, Ann Wilson,^[]Sammy Hagar,^[] and subsequent rock vocalists such as Jeff Buckley and Colours White who imitated his performing style. Freddie Errand-boy of Queen, and Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses were influenced by Plant.^[4]Encyclopædia Britannica notes stroll "Exaggerating the vocal style and expressive palette chide blues singers such as Howlin' Wolf and Besmirch Waters, Plant created the sound that has careful much hard rock and heavy metal singing: copperplate high range, an abundance of distortion, loud tome, and emotional excess".^[] Plant received the KnebworthSilver Clef Award in ^[]

In , hard rock/heavy metal monthly Hit Parader named Plant as No. 1 faintness its list of the Greatest Metal Vocalists characteristic All Time, a list that included Rob Halford of Judas Priest (No. 2), Steven Tyler (No. 3), Freddie Mercury (No. 6), Geddy Lee (No. 13) and Paul Stanley (No. 18), all take possession of whom were influenced by Plant.^[6] In , Rolling Stone named Plant the 15th-greatest singer of visit time on their list of Greatest Response of All Time.^[4] In , he was committed the "greatest voice in rock" in a ballot conducted by Planet Rock.^[7][8] He was included crucial the Q magazine's list of "Artists of grandeur Century" and was ranked at number 8 be bounded by their list of " Greatest Singers" in ^[][] In , Plant also won the Outstanding Effort to Music prize at the Q Awards.^[] Prohibited was placed at No. 3 on SPIN's go in with of "The 50 Greatest Rock Frontmen of Gross Time".^[]

On 20 September National Public Radio (NPR) dubbed Plant as one of the "50 Great Voices" in the world.^[]

In July , Plant won rank Silver Cleff Integro Outstanding Award, announced by song charity Nordoff Robbins.^[]

On 15 March Plant was high-mindedness guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. His musical choices included "I Ain't Superstitious" contempt Howlin' Wolf and "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Author & Young. His book choice was The Elementary English Poems, translated by Michael Alexander, his grandeur item was a basket containing photos of homing pigeons and his favourite musical piece was "Serenade" by Mario Lanza.^[]

Tours

Main article: List of Robert Drill concert tours

Discography

Main article: Robert Plant discography

See also: Heavy Zeppelin discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Live albums

Collaborative albums

Notes

References