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Janis Joplin at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, 1968. Photo by David Gahr.
October 24, 2024

In 1968, Jimmy Page was looking for new members for his band, the Yardbirds, which he had joined in 1966. He first saw Robert Plant singing with his band, Hobbstweedle, at a college in Birmingham. Impressed by Plant’s voice, Page thought it was too great to have gone undiscovered and wondered if Plant was difficult to work with. The meeting was arranged by Terry Reid, lead singer of Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers. Reid, who had commitments with the Rolling Stones and declined offers to join both Page’s new project and Deep Purple, recommended Plant instead. Page then chose Plant as the vocalist for his new band, which he initially named The New Yardbirds. Reid also suggested Plant’s drummer, John Bonham. This lineup, with Yardbirds bassist Chris Dreja, eventually evolved into Led Zeppelin.
October 22, 2024