Happy birthday, Robert Plant

Posted on August 20 2013 by Candy Rock

Categories: #Rock, #Hard Rock, #Heavy Metal, #Blues Rock, #Folk Rock, #Country Rock, #1948, #August

Robert Plant - On stage

Happy birthday, Robert Plant...

Born Robert Anthony Plant on August 20 1948 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England, Robert Plant is a vocalist, songwriter and musician best known as the singer and lyricist of Led Zeppelin.
As a teen, his admiration for artists such as Willie Dixon and Robert Johnson made him develop a passion for blues. He also sang with several bands. While being a member of the Crawling King Snakes, he met John Bonhman.
In 1967, they both joined the Band of Joy (lineup: Robert Plant (vocals), Kevyn Gammond (guitar, vocals), Paul Lockey (bass guitar, guitar, vocals), John Bonham (drums), Chris Brown (keyboards)).
In 1968, Jimmy Page saw him performed with Hobstweedle in Birmingham. After auditioning him, Jimmy Page quickly started to play and write with Robert.
Jimmy Page hired John Paul Jones, whom he had worked with as session musicians in the past, and auditioned John Bonhman after Robert's recommendation.
They played their first concert on September 7 1968 in Gladsaxe, Denmark, when they were still called the New Yardbirds.
After their Scandinavian tour, they changed their name to Led Zeppelin and began working on their debut album.
They released their first eponymous album, featuring a cover of Joan Baez's Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, in January 1969 (lineup: Robert Plant (lead vocals, harmonica), Jimmy Page (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), John Paul Jones (bass guitar, organ, backing vocals), John Bonham (drums, timpani, backing vocals)).
Robert began to write lyrics for Led Zeppelin during the making of the their second album, Led Zeppelin II, in 1969. Led Zeppelin II was mostly recorded while the band was on the road in North America.
The mixed reactions caused by Led Zeppelin III made Jimmy Page decide that their fourth album, though often refered to as Led Zeppelin IV, would be untitled and anonymous. Each member of the band chose a symbol that would represent him on the inner sleeve's design. Robert designed his symbol, the feather within a circle, himself. The album, platinium in several countries, was released in November 1971 and is not only the band's best selling release but also one of the best selling album in history with about 37 millions copies sold.
In March 1973, the band released Houses of the Holy and once again neither the band's name nor the album title was featuring on the cover.
Their tour of North America following the release of the album broke records for attendance. In Florida, at Tampa Stadium, the band broke the record set by The Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1965 by playing to 56,800 fans. Their three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden were filmed for the band's film The Song Remains the Same which was released in 1976.
While the band was touring in North America in 1977, Robert's son Karac, then five years old, died of a stomach infection. That tragic loss later inspired Robert to write the songs All My Love, featuring on Led Zeppelin's album In Through the Out Door (1979), and Blue Train, featuring on Page and Plant's album Walking into Clarksdale (1998).
Led Zeppelin disbanded in late 1980, soon after John Bonham's death. The band's final studio album, Coda, was released two years after.
In 1981, Robert formed the band The Honeydrippers.
One year later, he released his debut solo album, Pictures at Eleven (lineup: Robert Plant (lead vocals), Robbie Blunt (guitars), Paul Martinez (bass guitar), Phil Collins (drums on tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8), Cozy Powell (drums on tracks 4 and 7), Jezz Woodroffe (keyboards, synthesizers)).
Joined by Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, The Honeydrippers released the EP The Honeydrippers: Volume One in September 1984.
The three remaining members of Led Zeppelin reunited in July 1985 for the Live Aid concert at JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played a short set with bassist Paul Martinez and drummers Phil Collins and Tony Thompson. They also played with John Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, for the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in 1988. Both performances are considered as huge disappointments by Jimmy Page and Robert.
In 1994, Jimmy Page and Robert began recording and playing together under the name Page and Plant. Later the same year, they released the live album No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded and embarked on a world tour.
Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry in 1995.
Page and Plant disbanded in 1998, after the world tour following the release of their second album Walking into Clarksdale.
In the late 90s, Robert performed with his band Priory of Brion in many small venues.
In 2002, he released his seventh solo album, Dreamland, which was also the first with his newly formed backing band Strange Sensation. He toured a lot with them between 2001 and 2007.
In 2005, alongside Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, Robert received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his career with Led Zeppelin.
Through 2007 and 2008, Robert recorded and performed with Alison Krauss. They released the album Raising Sand in October 2007 and toured in the US and in Europe in 2008.
He reunited again with his bandmates from Led Zeppelin, and with Jason Bonham on the drums, for the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at the O2 Arena in London. The performance was filmed and released in October 2012 under the name Celebration Day.
In July 2010, along with Patty Griffin (vocals, guitar), Buddy Miller (guitar, vocals), Darrell Scott (vocals, mandolin, guitar, accordion, lap steel guitar, banjo), Byron House (bass guitar), and Marco Giovino (drums, percussion, vocals), Robert went on a twelve-date tour of the United States using the name of his former band Band of Joy.
In September the same year they released an eponymous album which is known as Robert Plant's ninth solo album.
Robert played his final show with the Band of Joy on September 30 2011 at the 11th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
In July 2012, Robert released a live album, Robert Plant presents Sensational Space Shifters (Live in London '12), recorded on July 12 2012 at the HMV Forum in London with his new backing band, Sensational Space Shifters.
He released his first studio album with the Sensational Space Shifters, lullaby and... THE CEASELESS ROAR, which was also his tenth studio album, in September 2014.
Through his career, Robert has more than once been named one of the best singer of all time, and he influenced plenty of artists such as Axl Rose and Freddie Mercury.

To conclude, we wish a happy birthday and years of rock to Robert Plant!

Updated on August 21 2015.

Robert Plant

Robert Plant - 2010 - Little Rock

[ french version :
Joyeux anniversaire, Robert Plant ...

Né Robert Anthony Plant le 20 août 1948 à West Bromwich, Staffordshire, Angleterre, Robert Plant est un chanteur, auteur-compositeur et musicien mieux connu en tant que chanteur et parolier de Led Zeppelin.
Adolescent, son admiration pour des artistes comme Willie Dixon et Robert Johnson lui fait déveloper une passion pour le blues. Il chante aussi dans plusieurs groupes. C'est alors qu'il est membre des Crawling King Snakes qu'il rencontre John Bonham.
En 1967, ils rejoignent Band of Joy (lineup : Robert Plant (vocals), Kevyn Gammond (guitar, vocals), Paul Lockey (bass guitar, guitar, vocals), John Bonham (drums), Chris Brown (keyboards)).
En 1968, Jimmy Page le voit sur scène avec Hobstweedle à Birmingham. Après l'avoir auditionné, Jimmy Page se met rapidement à jouer et écrire avec Robert.
Jimmy Page recrute John Paul Jones, avec qui il a travaillé par le passé en tant que musiciens de session, et auditionne John Bonham après la recommendation que lui en fait Robert.
Ils jouent leur premier concert le 7 septembre 1968 à Gladsaxe, Danmark, alors qu'ils s'appellent encore les New Yardbirds.
Après leur tournée en Scandinavie, ils changent leur nom pour Led Zeppelin et commencent à travailler sur leur premier album.
Ils sortent leur premier album éponyme, comportant une reprise de Babe I'm Gonna Leave You de Joan Baez, en janvier 1969 (lineup : Robert Plant (chant, harmonica), Jimmy Page (lead guitare, guitare acoustique, choeur), John Paul Jones (basse, orgue, choeur), John Bonham (batterie, timbales, choeur)).
Robert commencent à écrire des paroles pour Led Zeppelin alors qu'ils préparent leur deuxième album, Led Zeppelin II, en 1969. La majeure partie de Led Zeppelin II est enregistrée pendant que le groupe est en tournée en Amérique du Nord.
Les réactions divisées provoquées par Led Zeppelin III font que Jimmy Page décide que leur quatrième album, bien qu'il soit souvent appelé Led Zeppelin IV, n'ait pas de titre et soit anonyme. Chaque membre choisit un symbole qui le représenterait à l'intérieur de la pochette. Robert dessine son symbole, la plume à l'intérieur d'un cercle, lui-même. L'album, disque de platine dans de nombreux pays, sort en Novembre 1971 et n'est pas seulement l'album le plus vendu du groupe mais aussi un des albums les mieux vendus de l'histoire avec environ 37 millions de copies vendues.
En mars 1973, le groupe sort Houses of the Holy et à nouveau ni le nom du groupe ni le titre de l'album ne figure sur la couverture.
Leur tournée en Amérique du Nord qui suit la sortie de l'album brise les records d'audience en concert. En Floride, au Tampa Stadium, le groupe bat le record établie par The Beatles au Shea Stadium en 1965 en jouant devant 56 800 fans. Leur trois concerts complets au Madison Square Garden sont filmés pour le film du groupe The Song Remains the Same qui sort en 1976.
Alors que le groupe est en tournée en Amérique du Nord en 1977, le fils de Robert, Karac, alors agé de cinq ans, meurt d'une infection à l'estomac. Cette perte tragique inspire plus tard Robert à écrire les chansons All My Love, sur l'album de Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door (1979), et Blue Train, sur l'album de Page and Plant Walking into Clarksdale (1998).
Led Zeppelin se séparent fin 1980, peu après la mort de John Bonham. Le dernier album studio du groupe, Coda, sort deux ans après.
En 1981, Robert forme le groupe The Honeydrippers.
Un an après, il sort son premier album solo, Pictues at Eleven (lineup : Robert Plant (chant), Robbie Blunt (guitares), Paul Martinez (basse), Phil Collins (batterie sur les pistes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, et 8), Cozy Powell (batterie sur les pistes 4 et 7), Jezz Woodroffe (clavier, synthétiseur)).
Rejoints par Jimmy Page et Jeff Beck, The Honeydrippers sortent leur premier EP he Honeydrippers: Volume One en septembre 1984.
Les trois membres restant de Led Zeppelin se réunissent en juillet 1985 pour le Live Aid concert au JFK Stadium, Philadelphie, Pennsylvanie, et jouent un petit set avec le bassiste Paul Martinez et les batteurs Phil Collins et Tony Thompson. Ils jouent aussi avec le fils de John Bonham, Jason Bonham, pour le concert pour le 40ème anniversaire d'Atlantic Records en 1988. Les deux performances sont considérées comme de grosses déceptions par Jimmy Page et Robert.
En 1994, Jimmy Page et Robert commencent à enregistrer et jouer ensemble sur le nom Page and Plant. Plus tard la même année, ils sortent le live album No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded et commencent une tournée mondiale.
Led Zeppelin est induit au Rock and Roll Hall of Fame par Steven Tyler et Joe Perry en 1995.
Page and Plant se séparent en 1998, après la tournée mondiale qui a suivi la sortie de leur deuxième album Walking into Clarksdale.
Durant la fin des années 90, Robert joue avec son groupe Priory of Brion dans de nombreuses petites salles.
En 2002, il sort son septième album solo, Dreamland, qui est aussi le premier avec son groupe récemment formé Strange Sensation. Il fait de nombreuses tournées avec eux entre 2001 et 2007.
En 2005, aux côtés de Jimmy Page et John Paul Jones, Robert reçoit le Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award pour sa carrière avec Led Zeppelin.
En 2007 et 2008, Robert enregistre et joue avec Alison Krauss. Ils sortent l'album Raising Sand en Octobre 2007 et tournent aux Etats-Unis et en Europe.
Il se réunit à nouveau avec ses camarades de Led Zeppelin, et avec Jason Bonham à la batterie, pour le Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert à la O2 Arena à London. Le concert est filmé et sort en Octobre 2012 sous le nom de Celebration Day.
En juillet 2010, avec Patty Griffin (chant, guitare), Buddy Miller (guitare, chant), Darrell Scott (chant, mandoline, guitare, accordéon, pedals, lap steel guitar, banjo), Byron House (basse), et Marco Giovino (batterie, percussions, chant), Robert fait une tournée de douze dates aux Etats-Unis en utilisant le nom de son ancien groupe Band of Joy.
En septembre de la même année ils sortent un album éponyme qui est connu comme étant le neuvième album studio de Robert Plant.
Robert joue son dernier concert avec Band of Joy le 30 septembre 2011 au 11ème Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival au Golden Gate Park à San Francisco.
En juillet 2012, Robert sort un live album, Robert Plant presents Sensational Space Shifters (Live in London '12), enregistré le 12 juillet 2012 au HMV Forum à Londres avec son nouveau groupe, Sensational Space Shifters.
Il sort son premier album studio avec les Sensational Space Shifters, lullaby and... THE CEASELESS ROAR, qui est aussi son dixième album studio, en septembre 2014.
Durant sa carrière, Robert est plus d'une fois nommé l'un des meilleurs chanteurs de tous les temps, et il a influencé de nombreux artistes comme Axl Rose et Freddie Mercury.