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Hit Parader was an American music magazine that operated between 1942 and 2008. A monthly publication, it focused on rock and pop music in general until the 1970s, when its focus began turning to hard rock and heavy metal . By the early 1980s, Hit Parader focused exclusively on heavy metal and briefly produced a spinoff television program entitled Hit Parader's Heavy Metal Heroes . The magazine reached its circulation peak in the mid-to-late 1980s selling a half-million copies every month as heavy metal music achieved high levels of popularity and commercial success.

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71-561: " Pledge Pin " is a song by Robert Plant from his album Pictures at Eleven . It was a popular track on album-oriented rock radio in the United States , peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart in 1982. Later released as the second single from the album, it reached number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 on Billboard Top Tracks . A: "Pledge Pin" (Robert Plant, Robbie Blunt) – 4:01 B: "Fat Lip" (Plant, Blunt, Jezz Woodroffe) – 5:05 Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant CBE (born 20 August 1948)

142-479: 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

213-493: 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

284-434: 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

355-641: 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

426-679: 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

497-484: 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

568-549: 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

639-678: 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

710-558: A half-million copies every month, a 450% increase in sales. Secher recognized the magazine's target demographic as the young suburban male, whom he referred to as "some 17-year-old kid in Iowa, not a socialite in Manhattan", and attributed Hit Parader' s longevity and success to its ability to anticipate trends in music months in advance. By 1984, the magazine was focusing solely on heavy metal. The magazine's top-selling issue of all time

781-538: 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

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852-451: 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 ,

923-461: 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

994-569: 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

1065-580: 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

1136-483: 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 . Hit Parader Hit Parader was launched in 1942 by Charlton Publications , based in Derby, Connecticut . Publishing its first issue on September 16, 1942, the magazine's original mission statement read as follows: Hit Parader

1207-464: A track entitled " Get in the Ring ", the lyrics of which accused Secher and Hit Parader of "printin' lies instead of the things we said" and "rippin' off the fuckin' kids … [and] startin' controversy". The song was written in response to a March 1991 Hit Parader cover piece written by Secher in which the band's vocalist Axl Rose and Sebastian Bach of Skid Row were ostensibly interviewed together for

1278-448: A true interview. Rose and Bach both claimed that Hit Parader editor Andy Secher was misleading his readers with such tactics. With the dramatic decline in the popularity of heavy metal in the 1990s, Hit Parader' s monthly readership began a steady decline. Many observers have noted that everything changed almost overnight with the emergence of Nirvana and grunge music in 1991, and Secher agrees wholeheartedly with this conclusion. Of

1349-477: 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

1420-482: 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

1491-492: A year to interview The Clash and positioning Hit Parader to be on the cutting edge of what Secher would later refer to as "the whole Avant-Garde, New Wave movement". The magazine struggled, however, printing 200,000 monthly copies but only selling approximately 30% of them. In 1980 Secher replaced Robinson as the magazine's editor and Shelton Ivany came on board as editor-in-chief, and it was under their leadership that Hit Parader moved away from new wave music for good, becoming

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1562-485: 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

1633-449: 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

1704-409: Is designed to appeal to boys and girls in school, in colleges, and in the armed services... and the millions who listen to radio every day, the people who go to the movies and dances, the jukebox addicts, the people who buy phonograph records and sheet music for home use, and even the people who whistle while they work. Along with the likes of Billboard , Down Beat and Song Hits , Hit Parader

1775-509: 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,

1846-600: 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

1917-524: 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 ...

1988-632: 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

2059-801: 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 ,

2130-726: 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

2201-508: 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

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2272-564: The 1960s, Jim Delehant worked as a staff writer and editor for the magazine. According to his recollection, Hit Parader covered "an extremely boring music scene" in the early 60s prior to the emergence of hugely popular rock groups such as the Beatles and the Beach Boys in 1964. At that time, it was a common practice among music magazines to write fake articles pieced together from sources such as bios and publicity material distributed by

2343-570: 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

2414-708: The 1970s, Hit Parader frequently covered hard rock acts such as Led Zeppelin , the Rolling Stones , Elton John , David Bowie , Blue Öyster Cult , the Kinks , Three Dog Night , the Who , Cheap Trick , Kiss , and Van Halen . As the decade progressed the magazine began covering punk and new wave artists as well. The magazine typically featured song lyrics, artist photos, feature articles, album reviews, interviews, reader mail, bits of trivia on popular rock acts, and readers' polls. Longtime editor Andy Secher joined

2485-463: 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 a lyric or cymbal crash, throwing back his head, or placing his hands on his hips. As

2556-540: 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

2627-658: 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

2698-802: 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 ,

2769-417: 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

2840-662: 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

2911-520: The artists who regularly appeared in the magazine. During its 1980s heyday, Hit Parader featured the work of rock journalists such as Charley Crespo, Jodi Summers, Wolfgang Schnapp, Adrianne Stone, Rob Andrews, Winston Cummings, and Rick Evans. Hit Parader fell into decline in the 1990s, with a handful of factors contributing to this. Facing financial troubles in 1991, Charlton sold off Hit Parader to raise money. Later that year, Guns N' Roses ' hugely successful Use Your Illusion II album included

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2982-477: 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

3053-808: The disapproval the genre attracted from some music critics, saying: "I always sensed that people like Christgau had to justify their existence by promoting the artistic aesthetics of the rock form. I've never taken any of this that seriously. Hit Parader isn't the New York Times … it's a frikkin' fanzine , and proud to be exactly that." The magazine closed down following the publication of its December 2008 issue. During its years of operation, Hit Parader also published issues dedicated to "Top 100" lists, such as "Top 100 Metal Bands", "Top 100 Guitarists", "Top 100 Vocalists" and "Top 100 Bassists & Drummers". In 2020, entertainment industry veterans Matt Pinfield , Ash Avildsen , and Josh Bernstein purchased

3124-744: The first monthly publication to focus exclusively on hard rock and heavy metal. " ...we were the first magazine in the world to focus exclusively on hard rock/heavy metal. We were a bit lucky in that the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was just kicking in, and the West Coast Metal Explosion was about to launch. Our timing was very good. We've stayed loyal to hard rock throughout the years because that's where my interest remains. Trends, bands and fans have come and gone, but hard rock has stayed strong. " - Andy Secher in 2004 The move paid immediate dividends and Hit Parader began selling

3195-490: The first time. However, it soon came to light that rather than the exclusive it claimed to be, the interview was instead merely a transcript of a telephone conversation between the two musicians and Howard Stern that had earlier been broadcast on Stern's popular radio-show. The pair, along with Rose's then-wife Erin Everly, had talked to Stern during a party at Rose's home, and some observers questioned whether it even constituted

3266-560: The issue nonetheless created a firestorm of controversy which saw retailers such as 7-Eleven threaten to take the magazine off its shelves. Over the ensuing decade, Hit Parader became one of America's leading heavy metal publications, providing extensive coverage of the era's popular acts such as Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot , Def Leppard , Ratt , and Ozzy Osbourne . During this period the magazine also published special bonus issues with titles such as Hit Parader's Heavy Metal Hot Shots and Hit Parader's Heavy Metal Heroes . Secher often went on

3337-492: 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

3408-516: The magazine as an assistant editor in 1979 when the staff consisted of essentially two people. Secher was hired on the strength of an interview he had done with AC/DC which appeared in the New York Daily News and has said that Hit Parader' s mission at that time was to simply survive month to month. During this period, editor Lisa Robinson had begun taking the magazine in the direction of new wave music, traveling to England four times

3479-465: The magazine's 1970s and 1980s heyday, Secher has said "The stories are too many, and in some cases too wild, to be printed here." Speaking to the music website rockcritics.com in the early 2000s, Secher identified the magazine's target readership as "a young, male demographic … They want short, pithy interviews and features – along with BIG color photos. The formula is fairly basic." He also defended Hit Parader ' s championing of heavy metal, despite

3550-546: The mythologies he revisits in his lyrics (including those myth systems of Tolkien and 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,

3621-442: 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

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3692-445: The record companies. Hit Parader employed traveling rock journalists who spent time with the artists and wrote legitimate feature articles about them. In addition to Delehant's contributions, Hit Parader also published articles by music journalists Ellen Sander, Keith Altham and Derek Taylor . Over the following decade, its contributors included Nick Logan , Barbara Charone , Lenny Kaye , Jonh Ingham and Alan Betrock . During

3763-571: The rights to Hit Parader and resurrected it as a branded production company . The new Hit Parader was headquartered in the Panasonic building in Universal City with a mission statement to focus "on original content and immersive experiences." It announced plans for a new television series entitled Paradise City which Avildsen described as "A mix of the young angst of Euphoria , the entertainment biz authenticity of Entourage and

3834-694: The road to meet the artists personally. "Ozzy in Brazil, Dio in Japan, Bon Jovi in Canada, the Scorpions in Sweden...it goes on and on. There's no question that the times were bigger and brighter in the '70s and '80s," he has said of this era. Secher produced a spinoff television program entitled Hit Parader's Heavy Metal Heroes on USA Network which featured heavy metal music videos and short interviews with

3905-662: 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

3976-460: 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

4047-713: 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

4118-462: 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 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

4189-514: 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 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

4260-633: 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

4331-503: Was among the first and longest-lasting American music magazines. The magazine's title referenced the popular music " hit parade ", a list of current hit singles determined either by sales or airplay. In its early years, the magazine largely consisted of lyrics to the hit songs of the day, a practice that remained until 1975 when licensing of the rights became too expensive. From that point onward it featured interviews, color photos, and feature articles on popular rock musicians. For much of

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4402-684: Was appearing at this college when [manager Peter Grant ] and Jimmy turned up and asked me if I'd like to join 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

4473-623: 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

4544-711: 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

4615-458: 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

4686-554: Was its June 1984 issue which was the first cover story devoted to a rising band from Los Angeles called Mötley Crüe . Upon arriving in Mexico in December 1983 to interview the band, Secher was met by lead vocalist Vince Neil and taken to the group's hotel where he found "this young woman, spread eagle on the bed, naked, and they're going at her with a wine bottle". Though he had to sanitize the story heavily before it could be published,

4757-568: 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

4828-574: 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

4899-517: 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

4970-445: 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

5041-679: 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

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