Robert Plant, singer and songwriter
Robert was born in West Bromwich in 1948. At 15 he appeared on stage for the first time as the lead vocalist for a local band after the regular singer fell ill. In 1965 he started performing with the Crawling King Snakes and it was after one of the band’s gigs that he met his friend, the drummer John Bonham.
In 1968 Robert and John joined up with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones to form Led Zeppelin. Later that year the band embarked on its first US tour and the enthusiastic response from American audiences heralded a new force in British music. Over the next 12 years the band released eight studio albums including Led Zeppelin IV which featured one of their most popular tracks – Stairway to Heaven.
In 1980 John Bonham died from alcohol poisoning at the age of 32 and Led Zeppelin broke up. Devastated by his friend’s death, Robert took himself off to explore other creative avenues, recording and performing with a wide range of artists.
Robert and Alison Krauss released their second album, Raising the Roof, in 2021.
Robert lives in Worcestershire near where he grew up. He is a committed fan of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Black Country homing pigeons.
DISC ONE: Pink Peg Slacks by Eddie Cochrane
DISC TWO: Serenade by Mario Lanza
DISC THREE: I Ain’t Superstitious by Howlin’ Wolf
DISC FOUR: Teenage Ska by Baba Brooks
DISC FIVE: Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
DISC SIX: Raha Gardishon Mein Hardam by Mohammed Rafi
DISC SEVEN: Diaraby by Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder
DISC EIGHT: Your Long Journey by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
BOOK CHOICE: The Earliest English Poems, translated by Michael Alexander
LUXURY ITEM: A basket containing photos of homing pigeons
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Serenade by Mario Lanza
Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Paula McGinley
