Led Zeppelin biography
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The Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band Ever?
In the early half of the 1970s, there was no rock 'n roll band bigger than Led Zeppelin. They defined hard rock with a series of albums that showcased virtuoso solos from guitarist Jimmy Page, sky-scraper high vocals from the incomparable Robert Plant, supple bass from John Paul Jones and the best drummer in the world, the late, great John Bonham.
Forming out of the ashes of the Yardbirds, the band's self-titled debut (better known as Led Zeppelin I) was released in 1969 and quickly stamped itself upon the public's consciousness, selling by the truckload. The band followed it up quickly with two more self-titled releases - Led Zeppelin II and Led Zeppelin III - then in 1971 released their fourth and most popular album which bore no name. Instead, a series of four symbols was used to identify each band member; the album is often referred to as 'Four Symbols' or 'Zoso', which refers to the symbol instigator Jimmy Page used to represent himself.
From this point on, Led Zep began playing mega-sized stadium shows and living life to excess - they began travelling in a private jet (nicknamed 'The Starship'), destroyed hotel rooms seemingly on a whim, started their own record label... and still found the time to release some of the greatest rock 'n' roll the world has ever heard. Houses of the Holy was released in 1973, while 1975 saw the release of the double-album Physical Graffiti. By this stage, Led Zeppelin's sales were outstripping everyone else, and their live show was growing increasingly theatrical.
1976's Presence was a different step for the group, exhibiting a more jam-based sound, while 1978's In Through the Out Door offered a further major change, showcasing a more experimental side.
As the band were rehearsing for another major American tour on September 24, 1980, drummer John Bonham - well-known for his wild ways and love of partying - forced rehearsals to come to a close due to his inebriated state. The next morning his body was discovered by JPJ, with the coroner ruling that Bonham died as a result of choking on his own vomit.
And with that, Led Zeppelin - one of the greatest bands the world of rock 'n' roll has ever known - were no more. Blending together elements of blues, folk, and eastern influences, the sound that they created came to define hard rock, and their influence can be heard in everyone from Guns 'n' Roses through to Wolfmother.
On September 12, 2007, a press conference confirmed rumours that the surviving members of Led Zeppelin would reunite in aid of the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund for a show at the O2 Arena in London on 26 November 2007, with Jason Bonham - John's son - filling in on drums.
Tickets for the show were made available online via a lottery system, with the website exceeding its bandwidth allowance and crashing almost immediately following the announcement, with the ticket request site receiving 120 million hits, and 25 million registrations for only 20,000 available tickets.
The tribute concert will also feature Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Paolo Nutini, and Foreigner as supporting acts.