Speaking on his Digging Deep podcast, Robert said: “When we were young, when I was 17 I cut my first record, came down to London and quaked when I walked into the recording studio.
“I was just playing, singing as a 17-year-old who listened to what I listened to. So, that became the blueprint or the way that I could actually make my way through the early parts of my singing.”
The lead singer and lyricist enjoyed huge success with Led Zeppelin through the late 1960s, 70s and 80s releasing hits like ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and ‘Whole Lotta Love’.
Led Zeppelin released a total of nine studio albums and have achieved numerous awards in music, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Robert Plant was also honoured with a CBE by Prince Charles in 2009.
He continued: “And as the influences grow, you change. So, later on, 20, 30, 40 years later, the contemporary singers of the time can have a huge study because the availability later on of all these angles of beautiful music – which were kind of there in the 70s but they were underground, the facility wasn’t quite the same.
“There wasn’t that much access to all these other sources of inspiration, I don’t think.”
He also added that it was important for musicians and songwriters to gain experience, to be open to welcoming new styles and appreciating different genres.
He said: “The fine art of subtlety and beauty wasn’t quite as easily recognisable when you were 17 sleeping at the back of a van.”
Take a look at these famous musicians, then and now:
Then: Cher
Born in 1946, in El Centro, California, the global icon’s career began in the early 1960s when she moved to LA and met aspiring singer Sonny Bono. The pair released several singles together, including ‘Let the Good Times Roll’ and ‘Love is Strange’, before Cher released her own debut solo album ‘All I Really Want to Do’, ranking in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 charts.
In the years to follow, Cher enjoyed success both solo and alongside Sonny, who she was married to from 1964-75, dabbling in television as well. Their 1965 single ‘I Got You Babe’ stormed the charts, hitting the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, whilst Cher graced us with solo albums ‘The Sonny Side of Chér’ and ‘Chér’ in 1966.
The 1970s then saw the release of various albums, including ‘Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves’, ‘Foxy Lady’ and ‘Bittersweet White Light’. Cher also featured in a few films, including Suspect, Moonstruck and Mask.
Now: Cher
Throughout the course of her career, spanning over five decades, the megastar has released a whopping total of 27 studio albums, three live albums, 10 compilation albums and four soundtrack albums – with 2023 seeing her release her first ever Christmas album, featuring popular tracks such as ‘DJ Play a Christmas Song’ and ‘What Christmas Means to Me’.
She has featured in smash-hit films like Burlesque (2010) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), both acting and singing. – and with rumours of Mamma Mia 3 beginning to swirl, we may just see her return to her iconic role in the film franchise. Cher, and her ex-husband Sonny, were honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998, following him sadly passing away.
Cher has won countless awards, from Grammys and Billboard Music Awards – and her talents in the world of acting have not been overlooked either, receiving multiple Golden Globes and Academy Awards as well.
Then: Duran Duran
Duran Duran was formed in the late 1970s by Nick Rhodes and John Taylor in Birmingham. In 1980, the band brought their demo tape to Paul and Michael Berrow, who ran the nightclub Rum Runner.
After the addition of Simon Le Bon, they wrote their first single ‘Sound of Thunder’, and after signing with the Berrow brothers’ new music company they recorded their now hit singles ‘Girls on Film’ and ‘Tel Aviv’.
Their first album, ‘Duran Duran’, was released in 1981, with their first single ‘Planet Earth’ reaching the UK’s Top 20. The rest, of course, was history.
Now: Duran Duran
16 studio albums later, and the addition/subtraction of the odd member here and there, Duran Duran have enjoyed a bountiful career.
With their success spanning across the globe, the megastars have collected plenty of Grammy and BRIT Awards over the years. The gang have also bagged themselves a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with a tour in 2022 as well as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
In 2022, they performed at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Concert, as well as the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony. Then, in 2023, the band released their Halloween-inspired 16th album ‘Danse Macabre’, which featured special guests including former members Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo.
Then: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
In 1969, Birmingham-based musicians Roy Wood and Bev Bevan approached Jeff Lynne about joining them in creating music like no other artist, combining violins, cellos, string basses, horns and woodwinds to change the sound of rock. After initially declining, Roy joined the pair in 1970 and Electric Light Orchestra was born.
Their first album ‘The Electric Light Orchestra’ was released in December 1971, with their first single titled ‘10538 Overture’ reaching Number 9 in the UK charts. As well as their fame growing, so did the group, with Bill Hunt, Andy Craig, Mike Edwards, Wilfred Gibson, Hugh McDowell and Richard Tandy all joining the band, ahead of their debut concert in 1972.
Jeff Lynne later became the front-man for the band, after the departure of multiple members of the group. By 1978, the band had set two music world records, hitting Number 1 in the UK Albums Chart with ‘Discovery’ in the year to follow.
Now: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
Many years, awards, band members and band names later, we now have Jeff Lynne’s ELO. Jeff and his band have now played some huge events, including The Grammys in 2015 and Glastonbury in 2016.
In 2015, Jeff was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and five years later, in 2020, was awarded an O.B.E. for his services to music.
The group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and in 2022 Jeff Lynne was nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame – in which he was inducted the following year.
Then: Culture Club
In London, back in 1981, Boy George, Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss teamed up to create the iconic Culture Club. Unimpressed by their demos, EMI Records decided not to sign the band. Luckily for all of us, Virgin Records and Epic Records picked up on the gang, collectively releasing their records across Europe and the US.
Despite Boy George’s androgynous style catching the eye of the public and the media, the band’s early singles ‘White Boy’ and ‘I’m Afraid of Me’ didn’t make the charts – but, of course, that didn’t stop the gang, with their third single ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me’ flying to the Number 1 spot in the UK, and becoming one of their biggest hits.
Now: Culture Club
40 years and six studio albums later, Culture Club have become one of the most successful British bands of all time. Picking up countless awards, ranging from Best British Group to Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, the band is no stranger to the odd Grammy or BRIT. Providing huge hits like ‘Karma Chameleon’ and ‘Time (Clock of the Heart)’, the band’s frontman, Boy George, even received recognition from the Royal family.
The band are still together, despite the departure of Jon Moss in 2018. In 2022, Boy George took part in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!, and was the fourth celebrity to leave the jungle.
The band are still performing, with Boy George & Culture Club joining Rod Stewart on his summer 2023 UK tour, as well as the frontman also joining Squeeze for a co-headlining tour in summer 2024.
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