Music The songwriter Robert Plant called “a beacon of light”
Led Zeppelin leader Robert Plant is one of the greatest frontmen the world has ever known. Fusing a remarkable vocal range and an almost mystical stage presence, the West Bromwich native was the perfect foil to the elemental work of his bandmates, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham.
Along with his rare talent, Plant has always been open about the colourful mesh of music that inspired his own vision. From the work of rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Elvis Presley and the classic ‘Hound Dog’ – which he credits with opening his young mind up to the possibilities of music – to the alternative metal of California’s Faith No More, the Led Zeppelin figurehead has a better, and more varied taste than most.
This refined character has led to Robert Plant praising a host of lauded musicians in his time. More often than not, these accounts are well-considered takes that offer insight not only into those in question’s status and how they achieved it but also into the mind of Plant itself and how the Led Zeppelin hero approaches music consumption.
One area that Plant has always had an inextricable connection to is folk. Before Zeppelin, in them, and in the years since their end, he has been deeply ensconced in this area and its many different global variations. Plant has always been a prominent fan of the sounds of American folk and country, with John Prine, who blended the two better than most, making a particularly indelible impact on him.
Plant is so in awe of the late musician – who passed away in 2020 – that when he was inducted into the 2019 Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, he provided candid words about the vital essence of Prine’s music and called him an enduring “beacon of light”.
Plant said: “Hello John, I’m sending my congratulations to you from across the sea over here in England on your induction into the esteemed Hall of Fame out there. Your work is extraordinary; it’s a vast, enduring treasury, a beacon of light in these ever-weirder times.”
He continued: “You know, sometimes it seems like you’re writing for all of us, which, in fact, you probably are, and today, I’m sure that you wrote this one for me. In fact, I don’t know whether you’ve been following me around, but this is today’s favourite John Prine song for me it’s called ‘Far From Me’. I look forward to seeing you soon. Meanwhile, I’ve got a couple of hobbits I gotta hook up with.”
