Robert Plant (born 20.08.1948) Robert Plant is an English musician best known as the lead singer in the band Led Zeppelin.
Childhood: Robert Plant was born in West Bromwich, West Midlands but grew up in Halesowen. His parents were Robert, a civil engineer, and Annie Plant. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys in Stourbridge and became interested in blues music. He briefly trained as a chartered accountant before attending college to gain more qualifications in order to join the English Midlands blues scene. While attempting to pursue a career in music, he made a living from various jobs including for the construction company Wimpey and at Woolworths.
Musical career: Robert Plant began his career by recording three singles for CBS records and singing with several bands including The Crawling King Snakes and Band of Joy with Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. In 1968, he was approached by guitarist Jimmy Page who was looking for a singer for The Yardbirds while Plant was part of a band named Hobbstweedle. Plant brought along John Bonham and they were soon joined by John Paul Jones and dubbed themselves New Yardbirds before becoming Led Zeppelin.
Their self-titled debut album hit the UK charts at number 6. Their subsequent seven albums before their last were number one hits. Plant started writing songs for the band for the second album 'Led Zeppelin II' in 1969. The band broke up in 1980 after Bonham was found dead in an alcohol related incident. Plant considered abandoning music to become a teacher, but later embarked on a solo career. He released his debut solo effort 'Pictures at Eleven' in 1982 and his next album 'The Principle of Moments' came soon after.
In 1984, he formed a group called The Honeydrippers with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck and had hits with their 'Sea of Love' and 'Rockin' at Midnight' covers. They released the album 'The Honeydrippers: Volume One'. Page also contributed to Plant's album 'Now And Zen'. The pair toured together in 1995 and released the album 'No Quarter' which reached the UK charts at number 7 and number 4 in the US. In 1995, Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their only album of original material was 1998's 'Walking into Clarksdale' which was unsuccessful and Plant soon went solo again.
He later won a Grammy after re-recording one the album's songs 'Please Read the Letter' with Alison Krauss. Between 1999 and 2000, he had a folk band called Priory of Brion. He also contributed on the Moby Grape album 'More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album'.
In 2002, he formed the band Strange Sensation and released the album 'Dreamland'. It was followed by the significantly more successful 2005 album 'Mighty ReArranger'. The living former members of Led Zeppelin were honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. In 2006, he headlined the Benefit For Arthur Lee concert which was to raise money for Lee's medical bills while suffering from leukaemia. That year he also released a box set of his solo work called 'Nine Lives'.
In 2007, he wrote 'It Keeps Rainin'' and 'Valley of Tears' for the Fats Domino tribute album 'Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino'. Between 2007 and 2008, he teamed with Alison Krauss releasing a duet album, 'Raising Sand', which won a Grammy and was certfied platinum.
2009 saw them win further Grammy Awards for their work. In 2010, he toured with his new band, Band of Joy, which included singer Patty Griffin. Their subsequent self-titled album was nominated for a Grammy in 2011 and they played their last show at the Big Chill Festival. The band played their final scheduled show together at the Big Chill Festival at Eastnor Castle Deer Park in Herefordshire on 7 August 2011. Plant has maintained his opposition to a Led Zeppelin reunion tour though the band have previously reunited for one-off gigs including 1985's Live Aid and 1988's Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary.
Personal life: Robert Plant married Maureen Wilson in 1968 and they had three children, Carmen Jane, Karac Pendragon and Logan Romero. They divorced in 1983. He also has a child with Maureen's sister Shirley Wilson called Jesse Lee. In 1975, he and Maureen suffered serious injuries after a car crash in Greece. In 1977, his son Karac died at the age of 5 from a virale stomach infection. Plant wrote the son 'All My Love' in his memory.
In 2012, he revealed he was living with Patty Griffin in Austin, Texas. In 2009, he became the third vice president of the Wolverhampton Wanderers football club of which he is a lifelong fan.
Biography by Contactmusic.com