Once upon a time in a galaxy far away (or just West Bromwich, England), Robert Plant burst onto the music scene with a voice that could shatter glass and hair that could make Rapunzel jealous. Little did the world know that this rock ‘n’ roll lion would eventually trade his roar for a more melodious meow, becoming the king of some unexpected musical collaborations.
In the beginning, there was Led Zeppelin, and it was good. So good that Robert’s ego grew faster than Jack’s beanstalk. With his golden locks and bare chest, he strutted across stages like a peacock on steroids.
But even rock gods get lonely sometimes. Enter Sandy Denny, a member of the British folk-rock group Fairport Convention and the first brave soul to share vocal duties with the mighty frontman. In 1971, Sandy became the only guest vocalist ever to appear on a Led Zeppelin album with their duet on “The Battle of Evermore.”
Sandy’s contribution to Led Zeppelin’s legacy extends beyond her haunting vocals. Few fans realize that she also left a lasting mark on the band’s iconic symbolism. Led Zeppelin’s fourth album, often called Four Symbols for its representation of each band member, actually contains a fifth, lesser-known symbol. A small figure composed of three equilateral triangles appears on the inner sleeve of the LP, serving as an asterisk. This subtle addition was chosen to represent Sandy, acknowledging her guest appearance on “The Battle of Evermore.”
Tragically, Sandy Denny’s promising career was cut short in 1978 when she died from head injuries received after falling down a flight of stairs. Her brief but significant collaboration with Led Zeppelin remains a testament to her talent and influence on rock history.
Fast forward to 2008, and Robert decided to revive “The Battle of Evermore” with Kristina Donahue. Daughter of legendary guitarist Jerry Donahue, Kristina had been singing and dancing almost before she could walk or talk. Their performance at the Fairport Convention Cropredy Festival was a hit. Twenty thousand people watched as Robert and Kristina recreated that old Led Zep magic.
But the real game-changer came in the form of Alison Krauss, a bluegrass chanteuse with a voice sweeter than a Georgia peach. Their unlikely pairing was like mixing whiskey and milk – it shouldn’t work, but somehow, it does.
Their 2007 album Raising Sand was a smash hit, winning “Album of the Year” at the Grammys. Suddenly, the man who once sang about squeezing lemons was crooning about… well, still squeezing lemons, but in a much more tasteful way.
Robert Plant’s transformation from rock god to duet king was complete. He went from “Whole Lotta Love” to whole lotta harmony and now, at 76, he’s fully embraced his role as the elder statesman of rock. His mane may be grayer, and his roar may have softened to a purr, but he’s still got swagger.
This year, Plant and Krauss hit the road with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. As Plant himself jokes, “I’m now that guy on the Led Zeppelin IV cover. I pick up kindling everywhere I go and wrap it around with a piece of baling twine and shunt it on my back just in case anyone’s driving by and they go, ‘There’s that bloke from the album cover!’”
On occasion, he still belts out the unabashed rock tune. He said, “I know that the full, open-throated falsetto that I was able to concoct in 1968 carried me through until I was tired of it. Then that sort of exaggerated personality of vocal performance morphed and went somewhere else. But as a matter of fact, I was playing in Reykjavík, in Iceland, in 2019 [and I said to my band], “OK, let’s do ‘Immigrant Song.’” They’d never done it before. We just hit it, and bang — there it was. I thought, “Oh, I didn’t think I could still do that.”
From Sandy Denny to “raising sand” with Krauss, Robert Plant’s journey has been as unexpected as it is impressive. He’s proof that even old lions can learn new tricks – or in this case, old rock gods can learn new harmonies.
-Staci Layne Wilson
Photo: Robert Plant, 2010 (Phil King via Wikimedia Commons)
Great. Love to read your stuff, Staci. You are the best.
Thank you, Mike!