128-502: Robert Anthony Plant CBE (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo career, sometimes collaborating with other artists such as Alison Krauss . Regarded by many as one of the greatest singers in rock music, he is known for his flamboyant persona, raw stage performances and his powerful, wide-ranging voice. Plant
256-749: A Romani subgroup within the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world. Most Romanichal speak Angloromani , a mixed language that blends Romani vocabulary with English syntax. Romanichal residing in England, Scotland, and Wales are part of the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller community . Genetic, cultural and linguistic findings indicate that the Romani people can trace their origins to Northern India . The word "Romanichal"
384-543: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
512-474: A Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 50th Grammy Awards . In February 2009 at the 51st Grammy Awards , Raising Sand won 5 Grammys, for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, and Contemporary Folk/Americana Album. The album has been successful critically and commercially, and was certified platinum on 4 March 2008. The album
640-492: A bit similar to that. He left King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys in Stourbridge in his mid-teens and developed a strong passion for the blues , mainly through his admiration for Willie Dixon , Robert Johnson and early renditions of songs in this genre. I suppose I was quite interested in my stamp collection and Romani-British history. I was a little grammar school boy, and I could hear this kind of calling through
768-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
896-553: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
1024-453: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
1152-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
1280-434: A deal that also allowed them to visit Morocco to record new material. The album combines the results of both of these projects. The Led Zeppelin material features new 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 album of original material as the 1998 album Walking into Clarksdale , an effort that
1408-499: A double wall separates the living areas from the toilet and shower. Due to the Caravan Sites Act 1968 , which greatly reduced the number of caravans allowed to be pitched on authorised sites, many Romanichals cannot find legal places on sites with the rest of their families. Today, most Romanichal travel within the same areas that were established generations ago. Most people can trace back their presence in an area over
SECTION 10
#17327945887251536-640: A duet with Welsh folksinger Julie Murphy , emphasising Plant's recurring interest in Welsh culture (Murphy would also tour in support of Plant). In the summer of 2001, Plant reunited with Page for both a cover of "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" for a Sun Records tribute album and an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the last time they worked outside of Led Zeppelin together. In 2002, with his then newly formed band Strange Sensation, Plant released
1664-677: A few months while he recovered, and forced the band to cancel the remaining tour dates for the year. In July 1977, his son Karac died at the age of five while Plant was on Led Zeppelin's concert tour of the United States . Plant retreated to his home in the Midlands of England and, for months afterward, questioned his future. Plant began writing song lyrics with Led Zeppelin during the making of Led Zeppelin II , in 1969. According to Jimmy Page: The most important thing about Led Zeppelin II
1792-482: A few years already, he hadn't become a big name yet. So I had him down to my place for a little while, just to sort of check him out, and we got along great. No problems. With a shared passion for music, Plant and Page immediately developed a strong relationship, and began their writing collaboration with reworkings of earlier blues songs. Initially dubbed the "New Yardbirds" in 1968, the band soon came to be known as Led Zeppelin . The band's eponymous debut album hit
1920-635: A friend of his father; it later inspired the song " Bron-Yr-Aur ". The songs "Misty Mountain Hop", " That's the Way ", and early dabblings in what would become " Stairway to Heaven " were written in Wales and lyrically reflect Plant's mystical view of the land. Critic Steve Turner suggests that Plant's early and continued experiences in Wales served as the foundation for his broader interest in the mythologies he revisits in his lyrics (including those myth systems of Tolkien and
2048-637: A full pardon and was accompanied to England by a son born to an Aboriginal woman. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell 's government shipped Romanichals as indentured labourers to plantations in North America. From a later period, there is documentation of English Romanichal being enslaved by freed blacks in Jamaica , Barbados , Cuba and Louisiana . Romanichal belong to the wider community of Romani people . Important cultural celebrations include International Romani Day , commemorating
2176-677: A full-fledged performing act from 1994 through 1998, releasing the No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded album in 1994 and following with an enormously successful tour in 1995, including a return to the Glastonbury Festival. Fourteen years of speculation from their fans and occasional sniping between the two former members ended when they reconvened their former musical partnership to produce No Quarter . Having long resisted offers from MTV to reform to do an Unplugged show, they finally accepted as part of
2304-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
2432-416: A hundred or two hundred years. Many traditional stopping places were taken over by local governments or by settled individuals decades ago and have subsequently changed hands numerous times. However, Romanichal travellers have long historical connections to such places and do not always willingly give them up. Most families are identifiable by their traditional wintering base, where they will stop travelling for
2560-655: A lyric or cymbal crash, throwing back his head, or placing his hands on his hips. As the 1970s progressed he, along with the other members of Led Zeppelin, became increasingly flamboyant on-stage, and wore more elaborate, colourful clothing and jewellery. According to Classic Rock magazine, "once he had a couple of US tours under his belt, "Percy" Plant swiftly developed a staggering degree of bravado and swagger that irrefutably enhanced Led Zeppelin's rapidly burgeoning appeal." In 1994, during his "Unledded" tour with Jimmy Page, Plant himself reflected tongue-in-cheek upon his Led Zeppelin showmanship: I can't take my whole persona as
2688-492: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
SECTION 20
#17327945887252816-538: A short-lived all-star group with Page and Jeff Beck in 1984, called the Honeydrippers . They released an EP called The Honeydrippers: Volume One , and the band had a No. 3 hit with a remake of the Phil Phillips ' tune " Sea of Love ", plus a follow-up hit with a cover of Roy Brown 's " Rockin' at Midnight ". The pair again worked together in the studio on the 1988 Page solo effort Outrider , and in
2944-451: A show which raised money for Lee's medical expenses from his bout with leukaemia. Plant and band performed thirteen songs – five by Arthur Lee & Love, five Led Zeppelin songs and three others, including a duet with Ian Hunter. At the show, Plant told the audience of his great admiration for Arthur Lee dating back to the mid-'60s. Lee died of his illness six weeks after the concert. An expansive box set of his solo work, Nine Lives ,
3072-460: A singer back then very seriously. It's not some great work of beauty and love to be a rock-and-roll singer. So I got a few moves from Elvis and one or two from Sonny Boy Williamson II and Howlin' Wolf and threw them all together. One of the oddest awards he received was the Rock Scene magazine "Chest O Rama". Readers of the magazine had to decide who had the best chest in rock, and Plant
3200-567: A smattering of Led Zeppelin classics, made up the set-list for Plant's acclaimed sunset performance on the Main Stage at Glastonbury Festival, in 1993. It was Johnstone who talked Plant into playing Led Zeppelin songs in his live shows, something Plant had always previously resisted, not wanting to be forever known as "the former Led Zeppelin vocalist". Although Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980, Plant occasionally collaborated with Jimmy Page on various projects through this period, including forming
3328-579: A successful solo career, helped by encouragement from Genesis drummer Phil Collins , who would go on to play with him. Plant's solo career began with the album Pictures at Eleven in 1982, followed by 1983's The Principle of Moments . Popular tracks from this period include " Big Log " (a Top 20 hit in 1983), " In the Mood " (1983), " Little by Little " (from 1985's Shaken 'n' Stirred ), "Far Post" (the B-side of " Burning Down One Side "), which appeared on
3456-616: A surprise guest during Fairport Convention 's set at the 2008 Cropredy Festival , performing Led Zeppelin's " The Battle of Evermore " with Kristina Donahue as a tribute to Sandy Denny . Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside
3584-469: A time, as is typical of other Romani groups. A bender is a type of tent constructed from a frame of bent hazel branches (hazel is chosen for its straightness and flexibility), covered with canvas or tarpaulin. Around the mid- to late-19th century, the Romanichal began using wagons that incorporated living spaces on the inside. These they called "vardos" and were often brightly and colorfully decorated on
3712-477: A variety of solo and group projects. His first two solo albums, Pictures at Eleven (1982) and The Principle of Moments (1983), each reached the top ten on the Billboard albums chart. With his band The Honeydrippers he scored a top-ten single hit with a remake of " Sea of Love ", which featured former Led Zeppelin bandmate Jimmy Page on guitar. Solo album Now and Zen (1988) was certified 3× Platinum and
3840-482: A widely acclaimed collection of mostly blues and folk remakes, Dreamland . Contrasting with this lush collection of often relatively obscure remakes, the second album with Strange Sensation, Mighty ReArranger (2005), contains new, original songs. Both have received some of the most favourable reviews of Plant's solo career and four Grammy nominations, two in 2003 and two in 2006. As a former member of Led Zeppelin, along with Page and John Paul Jones, Plant received
3968-485: Is Plant's biggest-selling solo album to date. In the 1990s, another reunion project called Page and Plant released two albums and earned a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1998 for " Most High ". In 2007, Plant began a collaboration with bluegrass artist Alison Krauss, releasing the album Raising Sand , which won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2009 and produced the hit song " Please Read
Robert Plant - Misplaced Pages Continue
4096-516: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
4224-545: Is considered unclean, or mochadi . Most sites have separate utility blocks with toilets, sinks, and electric showers. Many Romanichal will not do their laundry inside, especially not underwear, and subsequently many utility blocks also have washing machines. In the days of horse-drawn wagons and vardos, Romanichal women would do their laundry in a river, being careful to wash upper-body garments further upstream from underwear and lower-body garments, and personal bathing would take place much further downstream. In some modern trailers,
4352-656: Is derived from Romani chal , where chal is Angloromani for "fellow". Nearly all Romanichal in Great Britain live in England, with smaller communities in South Wales, Northeast Wales, and the Scottish Borders. The Romanichal diaspora emigrated from Great Britain to other parts of the English-speaking world . Based on some estimates, there are now more people of Romanichal descent in
4480-973: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
4608-507: Is that up to that point I'd contributed lyrics. Robert hadn't written before, and it took a lot of ribbing to get him into writing, which was funny. And then, on the second LP, he wrote the words of Thank You. He said, "I'd like to have a crack at this and write it for my wife." Plant's lyrics with Led Zeppelin were often mystical, philosophical and spiritual, alluding to events in classical and Norse mythology , such as " Immigrant Song ", which refers to Valhalla and Viking conquests. However,
4736-600: The Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert with other famous Midlands musicians. During the late 1980s and early 1990s Plant co-wrote three solo albums with keyboardist/songwriter Phil Johnstone . These were: Now and Zen in 1988, Manic Nirvana in 1990, and the 1993 Fate of Nations (which features Moya Brennan of Clannad and former Cutting Crew guitarist Kevin Scott MacMichael ). Songs from this third album, plus
4864-524: The Denton talk show in 1994, Plant stated his desire, as a ten-year-old, to be like Elvis Presley : When I was a kid I used to hide behind the curtains at home at Christmas and I used to try and be Elvis. There was a certain ambience between the curtains and the French windows, there was a certain sound there for a ten-year-old. which was all the ambience I got at ten years old ... And I always wanted to be ...
4992-631: The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and the Polar Music Prize in 2006. From 2001 to 2007, Plant actively toured the US and Europe with Strange Sensation. His sets typically included recent, but not only, 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
5120-495: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
5248-800: The Soweto Gospel Choir . Plant performed with Strange Sensation guitarist Justin Adams and the West African riti (a one-string violin) master Juldeh Camara for the finale of the three day World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival in Abu Dhabi . Approximately 50,000 attended each of the free Womad concerts, which took place on the Corniche public beach from 23–25 April 2009. In 2007 and 2008, Plant recorded and performed with bluegrass star Alison Krauss . A duet album, Raising Sand ,
Robert Plant - Misplaced Pages Continue
5376-528: The West Midlands region of England, whilst a further 16,000 lived in bricks and mortar. Of the 13,386 caravans, 1,300 were parked on unauthorised sites (that is, on land where Romani were not given permission to park). Over 90% of Britain's travelling Romanichal live on authorised sites, where they pay full rates ( council tax ). On most Romanichal traveller sites, there are usually no toilets or showers inside caravans because in Romanichal culture, this
5504-659: The charismatic rock-and-roll front man, similar to his contemporaries the Who 's singer Roger Daltrey , Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones , and Jim Morrison of the Doors . With his mane of long blond hair and powerful, bare-chested appearance, Plant helped to create the "god of rock and roll" or "rock god" archetype. On stage, Plant was particularly active in live performances, often dancing, jumping, skipping, snapping his fingers, clapping, making emphatic gestures to emphasise
5632-546: The civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition
5760-725: The 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 , 1999), with the album title referring to Spence's only solo album, Oar ( Columbia , 1969), contained Plant's version of Spence's "Little Hands". Plant had been an admirer of Spence and Moby Grape since the release of Moby Grape's eponymous 1967 debut album . In 2001, Plant appeared on Afro Celt Sound System 's album Volume 3: Further in Time . The song "Life Begin Again" features
5888-502: The 100 best singers of all time (2008); and he was the top pick for the greatest lead singer in a 2011 readers' poll. Hit Parader named Plant the "Greatest Metal Vocalist of All Time" (2006). Plant was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR . In 2009, Plant was voted "the greatest voice in rock" in a poll conducted by UK classic rock radio station Planet Rock . Billboard ranked him number 4 on their list of The 50 Greatest Rock Lead Singers of All Time (2023). Robert Anthony Plant
6016-446: The 1960s led to the disappearance of many of the casual farm jobs Romanichal had traditionally carried out. Didicoy ( Angloromani ; didikai, also diddicoy , diddykai ) is a term sometimes used to refer to a person of mixed Romani and Gorger (non-Romanichal) blood but is often considered offensive. Originally, Romanichal would travel on foot or with light, horse-drawn carts, and would build bender tents where they settled for
6144-448: The 2002 album Dreamland . Most of the lyrics of " Stairway to Heaven " from Led Zeppelin IV were written spontaneously by Plant in 1970 at Headley Grange while the track was being recorded. While never released as a single, the song has topped polls as the greatest song of all time. Plant enjoyed great success with Led Zeppelin throughout the 1970s and developed a compelling image as
6272-420: The 2021 census. Historically, Romanichal earned a living doing agricultural work and would move to the edges of towns for the winter months. There was casual work available on farms throughout the spring, summer, and autumn months. Spring would start with seed sowing and planting potatoes and fruit trees, early summer with weeding, and summer to late autumn with the harvesting of crops. Of particular significance
6400-473: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
6528-792: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
SECTION 50
#17327945887256656-494: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
6784-537: The Hills and Far Away " contain verses referencing Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit . Conversely, Plant sometimes used more straightforward blues themes dealing with sex, as in " The Lemon Song ", " Trampled Under Foot " about giving in to sexual temptation, and " Black Dog " narrated by a man obsessed with a woman. Welsh mythology forms a basis of Plant's interest in mystical lyrics. He grew up close to
6912-657: The Letter ", which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year the same year. In 2010, he revived the Band of Joy (which shared its name with an early band he performed with in the 1960s), and in 2012 formed a new band, the Sensational Space Shifters, followed by a reunion with Alison Krauss in 2019. In 1995, Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Rolling Stone ranked Plant as one of
7040-824: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
7168-751: The Norse). Page's passion for diverse musical experiences influenced Plant to explore Africa, specifically Marrakesh in Morocco, where he encountered Umm Kulthum : I was intrigued by the scales, initially, and obviously the vocal work. The way she sang, the way she could hold a note, you could feel the tension, you could tell that everybody, the whole orchestra, would hold a note until she wanted to change. Both he and Jimmy Page revisited these influences during their reunion album No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded in 1994. During his solo career Plant tapped into these influences many times, most notably on
7296-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
7424-520: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
7552-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
7680-409: The Romani language until the 19th century, when it was largely replaced by English and Angloromani, a creole language that combines the syntax and grammar of English with the Romani lexicon. Today, most Romanichal speak both English and Angloromani, with only a small minority believed to speak the traditional Romani language. There are two dialects of Angloromani: Southern Angloromani (spoken in
7808-579: The Romanichal was formed between 1660 and 1800, as a Romani group living in Britain. Hostility and discrimination against Romani people is still present in the UK. In 2008, it was reported that the Romani experienced a higher degree of racism than any other group in the United Kingdom, including asylum-seekers, and a Mori poll indicated that a third of UK residents admitted to being prejudiced against Romani. The authorities began to deport Romanichal, principally to Norway , as early as 1544. The process
SECTION 60
#17327945887257936-801: The Soundstage studios in Chicago on 16 September 2005), was released in October 2006. With Strange Sensation's Justin Adams he appeared at the 2003 Festival au Desert held in Essakane in the North of Mali , captured in a French-language documentary film entitled Le Festival au Désert (2004). On 23 June 2006, Plant was the headliner (backed by Ian Hunter 's band) at the Benefit For Arthur Lee concert at New York's Beacon Theatre ,
8064-719: The Southeast, Southwest, Midlands, East Anglia, and South Wales) and Northern Angloromani (spoken in the Northeast, Northwest, Yorkshire, Scottish Borders, and Northeast of Wales). These two dialects, along with the accents that accompany them, have led to two regional Romanichal identities forming, these being the Southern Romanichal identity and the Northern Romanichal identity. Many Angloromani words have been incorporated into English, particularly in
8192-414: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
8320-416: The United States than in Britain. In Great Britain, there is a sharp north–south divide among Romanichal. Southern Romanichal live in the Southeast, Southwest, Midlands, East Anglia, and South Wales; Northern Romanichal live in the Northwest, Yorkshire, Scottish Borders, and Northeast of Wales. The two groups' dialects differ in accent and vocabulary. The Romani people in England are thought to have spoken
8448-417: The Welsh border and would often take summer trips to Snowdonia . Plant bought a Welsh sheep farm in 1973, and began taking Welsh lessons and looking into the mythology of the land (such as Black Book of Carmarthen , Book of Taliesin , etc.) Plant's first son, Karac, was named after the Welsh warrior Caratacus . The song " Bron-Y-Aur Stomp " is named after the 18th-century Welsh cottage Bron-Yr-Aur , owned by
8576-452: The Yardbirds . I knew the Yardbirds had done a lot of work in America – which to me meant audiences who would want to know what I might have to offer – so naturally I was very interested. Page: When I auditioned him and heard him sing, I immediately thought there must be something wrong with him personality-wise or that he had to be impossible to work with, because I just could not understand why, after he told me he'd been singing for
8704-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
8832-592: The airwaves. He abandoned training as a chartered accountant after only two weeks to attend college in an effort to gain more GCE passes and to become part of the English Midlands blues scene. "I left home at 16," he said, "and I started my real education musically, moving from group to group, furthering my knowledge of the blues and of other music which had weight and was worth listening to." Plant's early blues influences included Johnson, Bukka White , Skip James , Jerry Miller , and Sleepy John Estes . Plant had various jobs while pursuing his music career, one of which
8960-413: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
9088-421: The charts in 1969 and is widely credited as a catalyst for the heavy metal genre. Plant has commented that it is unfair for people to think of Zeppelin as heavy metal, as almost a third of their music was acoustic. In 1975, Plant and his wife Maureen (now divorced) were seriously injured in a car crash in Rhodes , Greece. This significantly affected the production of Led Zeppelin's seventh album Presence for
9216-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
9344-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
9472-492: The community as 'aunts' and 'uncles', a common tradition in many Asian cultures ), and a traditionally nomadic lifestyle (although many Romanichal are now settled). Romanichal social customs have traditionally been influenced by the concept of marimé , or mochadi (ritual impurity). The majority of Romanichal in the UK are Christian, with religion often playing an integral role in their culture and celebrations. 71.8% of Romani in England and Wales identified as Christian in
9600-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
9728-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
9856-626: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
9984-407: The fact that British Romani people probably made up just 0.01 per cent of the original convict population of 162,000. However, it has been suggested that Romanichal were discriminated against under the transportation laws and may well have been undercounted. Fragmentary records suggest that at least fifty British Romani may have been transported to Australia. It has been suggested that transportation
10112-477: The form of British slang . The Romani have origins in northwestern India , specifically Rajasthan , and are believed to have begun migrating westwards sometime between the 6th and 11th centuries. Travelling through Western Asia and the Balkans , they migrated through regions such as Armenia and Turkey , before reaching modern-day Bulgaria , Serbia , and Romania in the 14th century. Due to conflicts in
10240-529: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
10368-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
10496-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
10624-706: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Romanichal The Romanichal ( UK : / ˈ r ɒ m ə n ɪ tʃ æ l / US : /- n i -/ ; more commonly known as English Gypsies ) are
10752-585: The inaugural World Roma Congress, held in London in 1971. Romanichal in the United Kingdom have a distinct ethnic and cultural identity apart from the non-Romani population, whom they refer to as Gorjas , or country people . Prominent features of Romanichal culture include emphasis on the importance of family and extended family, adherence to traditional gender roles, birth and death rituals, emphasis on hygiene and household cleanliness, respect towards their older generations (including by referring to older members of
10880-530: The inside and outside. In the present day, Romanichal are more likely to live in houses or caravans . Over 60% of 21st-century Romanichal families live in houses of bricks and mortar, whilst the remaining 40% still live in mobile homes such as caravans, static caravans, or trailers (with a small minority still living in vardos ). According to the Regional Spatial Strategy caravan count for 2008, there were 13,386 caravans owned by Romani in
11008-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
11136-640: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
11264-555: The latest). The new version of The Yardbirds changed their name to Led Zeppelin, and from the late 1960s to the end of the 1970s, the band enjoyed considerable success. Plant developed a compelling image as a charismatic rock-and-roll frontman, comparable to other '70s contemporaries such as Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones , Roger Daltrey of the Who , and Jim Morrison of the Doors . After Led Zeppelin dissolved in 1980, Plant continued to perform and record continuously on
11392-528: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
11520-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
11648-430: The local population. Despite this new option, the Romani were forced into a marginal lifestyle and subjected to discrimination by the authorities and by many non-Romani. In 1596, 106 men and women were condemned to death at York for being Romani, and nine were executed. Samuel Rid wrote two books about them in the early 17th century. From the 1780s onwards, the anti-Romani laws were gradually repealed. The identity of
11776-588: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
11904-559: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
12032-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
12160-473: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
12288-454: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
12416-620: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
12544-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
12672-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
12800-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
12928-441: The original Band of Joy guitarist Kevyn Gammond alongside Andy Edwards (drums), Paul Timothy (keyboards), and Paul Wetton (bass). The Priory of Brion played around one hundred concerts across Europe at various small clubs and festivals. The band performed cover versions of songs that had influenced Plant in his formative years. Many of these cover versions would crop up later on his Dreamland album. In 1999, Plant contributed to
13056-684: The region, particularly during the Ottoman conquest of Southeastern Europe , they continued their migration farther north and west, arriving in England by the early 16th century. There are also records of Romani people who migrated from Spain to Scotland before arriving in England in 1512. During the reign of Henry VIII , the Egyptians Act 1530 banned Romani from entering the country and required those already living there to leave within sixteen days. Failure to do so could result in confiscation of property, imprisonment, and deportation. During
13184-516: The reign of Mary I , the Act was amended by the Egyptians Act 1554 , which removed the threat of punishment if Romani people abandoned their "naughty, idle and ungodly life and company" and adopted a sedentary lifestyle, but increased the penalty for non-compliance to death. In 1562, a new law offered Romani born in England and Wales the possibility of becoming English subjects if they assimilated into
13312-603: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
13440-662: The same year Page contributed to Plant's album Now and Zen . Also, on 15 May 1988 Plant appeared with Page as a member of Led Zeppelin, at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert (where he also performed in his own right as a solo artist). Plant's live collaborations with other well-known musicians continued when he took to the stage with Queen at Wembley Stadium, for 1992's "The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert" for AIDS Awareness; where he sang Queen's " Innuendo " and " Crazy Little Thing Called Love ", and Led Zeppelin's " Kashmir " and " Thank You ". Page and Plant became
13568-457: The song " No Quarter " is often misunderstood to refer to the god Thor ; the song actually refers to Mount Thor (which is named after the god). Another example is " The Rain Song ". Plant was influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien , whose book series inspired lyrics in some early Led Zeppelin songs. Most notably, " The Battle of Evermore ", " Misty Mountain Hop ", " No Quarter ", " Ramble On " and " Over
13696-713: The soundtrack of the 1985 movie White Nights starring Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov , and popularised by airplay on album-oriented rock stations), " Tall Cool One " (a No. 25 hit from 1988's Now and Zen ) and later " I Believe " (from 1993's Fate of Nations ). This last track, like Led Zeppelin's " All My Love ", was written for and dedicated to his late son, Karac. Whilst Plant avoided performing Led Zeppelin songs through much of this period (although he would occasionally improvise his unique Zeppelin screams into his set), his tours in 1983 (with Phil Collins on drums) and in 1985 were very successful, often performing to sold-out arena-sized venues. In 1986 Plant performed at
13824-461: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
13952-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
14080-589: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
14208-632: Was also nominated for the Mercury Prize in July 2008. Plant and Krauss began an extended tour of the US and Europe in April 2008, playing music from Raising Sand and other American roots music as well as reworked Led Zeppelin tunes. Also in 2008, Plant performed with bluegrass musicians at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. He appeared as
14336-561: Was born and raised in the West Midlands area of England, where, after leaving grammar school , he briefly trained as a chartered accountant before leaving home at 16 years old to concentrate on singing with a series of local blues bands, including Band of Joy with John Bonham . In 1968, he was invited by Peter Grant and Jimmy Page to join The Yardbirds , which Grant and Page were attempting to keep going after it had broken up (a breakup that became public knowledge by early July at
14464-638: Was born on 20 August 1948, in the Black Country town of West Bromwich , Staffordshire, England, to Robert C. Plant, a qualified civil engineer who worked in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, and Annie Celia Plant (née Cain), a Romani woman. He grew up in the Hayley Green area of Halesowen , Worcestershire. Plant gained an interest in singing and rock and roll music at an early age; in an interview with Andrew Denton on
14592-619: Was continued and encouraged by Elizabeth I and James I . The Finnish Kale , a Romani group in Finland, maintain that their ancestors were originally a Romani group who travelled from Scotland , supporting the idea that they and some of the Scandinavian Travellers/Romani are distantly related to Scottish Romani and English Romanichal. In the years following the American War of Independence , Australia
14720-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
14848-568: Was in search of a lead singer for his new band and met Plant after being turned down by his first choice, Terry Reid , who referred him to a show at a teacher training college in Birmingham (where Plant was singing in a band named Hobbstweedle). In front of Page, Plant sang Jefferson Airplane 's " Somebody to Love ", leading Page to end his search. As recalled by Plant and Page: Plant: I was appearing at this college when [manager Peter Grant ] and Jimmy turned up and asked me if I'd like to join
14976-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
15104-513: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
15232-419: Was particularly harsh for Romanies: For Romani convicts, transportation meant social and psychological death; exiled, they had little hope of returning to England to re-establish family ties, cultural roots, continuous expression, and validation that would have revived their Romani identity in the convict era. At least one Romani returned from Australia to England: Henry Lavello (or Lovell) was repatriated with
15360-585: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
15488-568: Was released in November 2006, which expanded all of his albums with various B-sides, demos, and live cuts. It was accompanied by a DVD. All his solo works were re-released with these extra tracks individually. In 2007, Plant contributed two tracks to the Fats Domino tribute album Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino , "It Keeps Rainin ' " with the Lil' Band o' Gold and " Valley of Tears " with
15616-574: Was released on 23 October 2007 on Rounder Records. The album, recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles and produced 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 Clark , Tom Waits , Doc Watson , Little Milton and the Everly Brothers . In February 2008 the song " Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) " from Raising Sand won
15744-541: Was the hop industry, which employed thousands of Romanichal both in spring for vine training and for the harvest in early autumn. Winter months were often spent doing casual labour in towns or selling goods or services door to door. Traditional economic activities include gardening, fortune telling, hawking, selling, and collecting scrap. They have also produced notable boxers such as Henry Wharton and Billy Joe Saunders , as well as some notable footballers like Freddy Eastwood . Mass industrialisation of agriculture in
15872-574: Was the preferred destination for penal transportation of Romanichal. The exact number of Romanichal deported to Australia is unknown. It has been suggested that three Romanichal were carried by the First Fleet , one of whom is thought to have been James Squire , who founded Australia's first commercial brewery in 1798, and whose grandson, James Farnell , became the first native-born premier of New South Wales in 1877. The total Romani population of Australia seems to have been extremely low, reflecting
16000-572: Was the winner. When they contacted him about it, he replied: "I'm really greatly honoured although it's hard for me to be eloquent on the subject of my chest." After Led Zeppelin disbanded in December 1980 (following the death of drummer John Bonham ), Plant briefly considered abandoning music to pursue a career as a teacher in the Rudolf Steiner education system , going so far as to be accepted for teacher training. He nevertheless embarked on
16128-526: Was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
16256-445: Was unsuccessful commercially, leading Plant to return to his solo career after another world tour. A song from this album, " Please Read the Letter ", was re-recorded by Plant with Alison Krauss , and was featured on their 2007 album which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year . Starting in mid-1999, Plant performed until the end of 2000 at several small venues with his folk-rock band, named Priory of Brion. This band consisted of
16384-678: Was working for the major British construction company Wimpey in Birmingham in 1967, laying tarmac on roads. He also worked at Woolworth's in Halesowen town for a short period of time. He cut three obscure singles on CBS Records and sang with a variety of bands, including the Crawling King Snakes, which brought him into contact with drummer John Bonham . They both went on to play in the Band of Joy , merging blues with newer psychedelic trends. In 1968, guitarist Jimmy Page
#724275