Happy Birthday, Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant was born on August 20, 1948. He is of course the lead singer and lyricist of Led Zeppelin, and quite simply, one of the great figures in the history of rock and roll. In his lyrics, one sees a wide range of influences from Norse and Welsh mythology to Tolkien to the blues. After the death of drummer John Bonham, Led Zeppelin broke up, and since then they’ve each found their own musical path, and Plant has constantly sought new influences and ideas. Raising Sand, the album he made with Allison Krauss and producer T-Bone Burnett shows that. He’s explored synth rock and roots music, Appalachian music and North Africans rhythms. He has nothing to prove but is constantly curiosity, always amazed by and interested in music. One has to remember the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012 where Led Zeppelin was honored and Plant had tears in his eyes at the performance of Stairway to Heaven, a song he’s heard probably more than anyone ever, and yet, it can bring him to tears. Plant is a musical genius, but more than that, a model for anyone, to never stop creating, never stop working, never stop finding wonder and ideas everywhere.