Born: January 9, 1944 in Heston, Middlesex England
It could be argued that guitarist Jimmy Page did more to introduce a rock audience to the blues than any other musician. From his early-1960s session work, through the groundbreaking tenure of Led Zeppelin, and into various post-Zep creative collaborations, Page has continued to expand upon his talents and expose listeners to various forms of blues, folk, and rock music.
Born in 1944 in Heston, Middlesex England, Page picked up the guitar at the tender age of 13 and is largely a self-taught musician. After a disastrous early band experience, Page nearly gave up on music, enrolling in college to pursue a career in art. The electric blues-based rock sound of bands like the Rolling Stones captured his fancy, however, and Page began his musical career as a session musician. Page spent the early part of the 1960s playing behind both top rock bands like the Who and the Rolling Stones, as well as British pop and folk artists like Donovan and P.J. Proby.
The Yardbirds
By 1966, Page was an in-demand session player, but he accepted an offer to join popular U.K. rock band the Yardbirds as a bassist. He quickly moved over to guitar alongside Jeff Beck, subsequently taking over the lead slot upon Beck's departure. When that band ran its inevitable course in 1968, Page put together the "New Yardbirds" to fulfill a string of concert bookings. Recruiting fellow session pro, bassist John Paul Jones, along with the relatively unknown vocalist Robert Plant, and drummer John Bonham, the band would later change its name and become Led Zeppelin.
Led Zeppelin
It is with Led Zeppelin that Page's talent and reputation became widespread, and his influence on a generation of blues-rock guitarist was cemented by the band's two 1969 album releases, simply titled Led Zeppelin I and Led Zeppelin II. Both albums were strongly blues-based, building upon the work of Cream and Jimi Hendrix, albeit with a heavier psychedelic rock sound. Both albums also featured notable covers of blues songs by Willie Dixon. Led Zeppelin's hard rock sound laid the groundwork for blues-and-boogie-rock from bands like Savoy Brown and Foghat.
With the release of Led Zeppelin III and the band's untitled fourth album, Page - Zeppelin's primary songwriter and producer - began mixing elements of British folk, Celtic and Welch mysticism and strains of exotic world music into the Led Zeppelin sound. By the time of the band's break-up in 1980 after the death of drummer Bonham, Led Zeppelin had conquered the music world with sold-out world tours and multi-Platinum album sales.
After Zep
Since Led Zeppelin, Page has dabbled in movie soundtracks; performed with both Robert Plant's Honeydrippers and as part of the Firm with former Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers; recorded a single album with Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale; toured and recorded with the Black Crowes; worked with his idol, British folk legend Roy Harper; and recorded a pair of critically-acclaimed albums in collaboration with Plant. Page has declined to aggressively pursue a solo career, releasing his only individual effort, Outrider, in 1988.
Recommended Albums: Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with both the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, Page's most outstanding blues-rock guitar work can be found on Led Zeppelin's first two albums. Page's solo album Outrider, and the 2000 live album with the Black Crowes, an engaging collection of classic rock, blues and R&B titled Live at the Greek, show other facets of the guitarist's enormous talent.
