Plant's vocal surgery

[snapper]

I wonder if Plant regrets having vocal surgery and what the circumstances he was dealing with really were at that time. Could he have taken a year off and let his throat heal,

or was it so far gone that he had no choice but to do the operation.

If I were a professional singer I'd be scared shitless about having that procedure done, there's no turning back from something like that.

I also wonder what Jimmy's feelings were on the subject.

Anybody know of other recognizable singers who also had this operation,

and if so, what was their voice's like afterwards?

[ZepFanatic]

Well his voice, while weak in '74 (listen to the PG tracks from then!) and '75, was basically recovered in '77. He was losing his high range by late '72 anyway, although in '73 he was still pretty strong. But he got most of it back in mid '77 and especially in '80.

I think it was nodes on the vocal chords, which as far as I know necessitate surgery...

[glicine]

I wonder if Plant regrets having vocal surgery and what the circumstances he was dealing with really were at that time. Could he have taken a year off and let his throat heal,

or was it so far gone that he had no choice but to do the operation.

If I were a professional singer I'd be scared shitless about having that procedure done, there's no turning back from something like that.

I also wonder what Jimmy's feelings were on the subject.

Anybody know of other recognizable singers who also had this operation,

and if so, what was their voice's like afterwards?

That's just impossible, you know how hard they worked and toured. Take a year off? Would Jimmy and Peter Grant let that happen? I don't think so.

[snapper]

That's just impossible, you know how hard they worked and toured. Take a year off? Would Jimmy and Peter Grant let that happen? I don't think so.

Well, that really is my question. Was this a decision made in order to keep the ball rolling or did he have a chance to recover his voice somehow.

After the 73' tour they didn't go on the road for two years, thats the longest break from touring the band had ever taken before, by far. Yet still, Plants voice was in bad shape right off the bat for the 75' tour and well into it.

Did Plant have the operation done before or after the 75' tour?

[glicine]

Well, that really is my question. Was this a decision made in order to keep the ball rolling or did he have a chance to recover his voice somehow.

After the 73' tour they didn't go on the road for two years, thats the longest break from touring the band had ever taken before, by far. Yet still, Plants voice was in bad shape right off the bat for the 75' tour and well into it.

Did Plant have the operation done before or after the 75' tour?

As you said, every singer would be scared(or at least very thoughtful) towards a vocal surgery. It was just impossible that he did have a chance but threw it away.

A surgery would need less time for the vocal chords to recover than the natural course. That's why it was done. Even for a big band like Zeppelin, it was not like they could just have a one-year holiday and the world would stand still waiting for them. There were big competitions and quick devolopments. I think they have thought about it seriously and then made the decision. He had no choice, they had no choice.

The operation was done before the 75 tour.

[snapper]

As you said, every singer would be scared(or at least very thoughtful) towards a vocal surgery. It was just impossible that he did have a chance but threw it away.

A surgery would need less time for the vocal chords to recover than the natural course. That's why it was done. Even for a big band like Zeppelin, it was not like they could just have a one-year holiday and the world would stand still waiting for them. There were big competitions and quick devolopments. I think they have thought about it seriously and then made the decision. He had no choice, they had no choice.

The operation was done before the 75 tour.

Damn, Plant's had his share of bad luck, man. Vocal surgery followed by a tour of

America in 75' (which obviously began before his vocal cords were properly healed),

car accident/broken leg before the 77' tour, which culminated in the death of his son,

and a few years later, Bonham.

Zeppelin had some bad mojo goin' on. Only John Paul Jones seems to have come out of this band unscathed.

[zosoman11]

I have no sources in front of me, so please correct if I'm wrong. Didn't they base themselves in Minnesota at the start of the 1975 tour and didn't Plant come down with the flu or larangitis?

I had heard that openning shows with "Immigrant Song" really did a number on him and after awhile he had to stop (1970 to 1972). I heard it from a DJ in Wisconsin, so feel free to correct if I'm wrong.

I totally disagree that his voice was weak for the Graffiti sessions. Kashmir? In my time of Dying? C'mon.

[SteveAJones]

I have no sources in front of me, so please correct if I'm wrong. Didn't they base themselves in Minnesota at the start of the 1975 tour and didn't Plant come down with the flu or larangitis?

Led Zeppelin was flown on British Airways from London to New York on January 15, 1975. When they landed at JFK International they were transferred to the Starship,

and continued on to Chicago. When they deplaned at O Hare International JPJ was

the only band member wearing a coat. The tour opened the next night in Minnesota,

with the Ambassador East Hotel (Chicago) being used as their base hotel until they

stayed the night at Swingo's Keg & Quarter for Cleveland on January 24, 1975 (and

were billed $13,000 for damages!).

They returned to Chicago the following day, and the St. Louis gig set for January

25th was postponed until February 16th on account of Plant being bedridden and

suffering with the flu in Chicago. The other band members flew to Los Angeles for

three days of fun in the sun. Consequently the group's next gig, Greensboro, on

the 29th, was arguably the worst they ever performed. The exhausted group was

flown to NYC, where they would remain for an 18 night stand at the Plaza Hotel.

[bouncing~ship]

Led Zeppelin was flown on British Airways from London to New York on January 15, 1975. When they landed at JFK International they were transferred to the Starship,

and continued on to Chicago. When they deplaned at O Hare International JPJ was

the only band member wearing a coat. The tour opened the next night in Minnesota,

with the Ambassador East Hotel (Chicago) being used as their base hotel until they

stayed the night at Swingo's Keg & Quarter for Cleveland on January 24, 1975 (and

were billed $13,000 for damages!).

They returned to Chicago the following day, and the St. Louis gig set for January

25th was postponed until February 16th on account of Plant being bedridden and

suffering with the flu in Chicago. The other band members flew to Los Angeles for

three days of fun in the sun. Consequently the group's next gig, Greensboro, on

the 29th, was arguably the worst they ever performed. The exhausted group was

flown to NYC, where they would remain for an 18 night stand at the Plaza Hotel.

ehh steve...did robert really have vocal surgery?

ohh and i thought you might like this link...i don't know if you remember a while back, a discussion was held and its topic was about how many times jimmy had got'n booked in the 80's. One in particular being when jimmy was aprehended inside a train station in 85. if you look at the link...robert mentions the train station and jimmy's wonderful g/f. though i'd share...pretty funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8bAq3XCZTA

[Aquamarine]

Robert was joking there about their first meeting being at "Pangbourne railway station"--that's not where Jimmy was arrested in the 80s.

And yes, Robert did have vocal surgery.

[bouncing~ship]

Robert was joking there about their first meeting being at "Pangbourne railway station"--that's not where Jimmy was arrested in the 80s.

And yes, Robert did have vocal surgery.

I think last week or maybe 2 weeks ago, Steve dated all the events from the 80's where/when/how jimmy had gotten booked...the train station happening occurred in 85. who knows...i don't really care. I just thought Robert was trying to "trip out" jimmy, like he's done so many times in the past. I guess it was a bad assumption on my part.

as of the vocal surgery...was it performed in the 70's?

[Aquamarine]

1974, I think.

[lzfan715]

I thought he had one before the filming of TSRTS. I could be wrong though.

[ninelives]

I thought he had one before the filming of TSRTS. I could be wrong though.

I thought it was around 1974 too as there was no tour activity, which I'd assume was for Robert's vocal chords to properly heal.

[SteveAJones]

I think last week or maybe 2 weeks ago, Steve dated all the events from the 80's where/when/how jimmy had gotten booked...the train station happening occurred in 85. who knows...i don't really care. I just thought Robert was trying to "trip out" jimmy, like he's done so many times in the past. I guess it was a bad assumption on my part.

as of the vocal surgery...was it performed in the 70's?

Jimmy was cited for cocaine possesion at a train station in London on September 6th 1984. As I recall, it was at Victoria Station but have yet to reconfirm that. The date

is "important" because it occured as he was about six weeks into tour rehearsals with

The Firm. Many have speculated the judge did not issue a prison sentence in part

because of the monies such a tour would generate for the Inland Revenue Service.

Robert said when he went for the first time to Jimmy's Pangbourne boat house a beautiful girl had answered the door. It's a just a short walk from the Pangbourne

Rail Station to Jimmy's boathouse. You walk straight down the road to the water's

edge and turn right. The street name is Shooters Hill if I remember right.

Robert had nodes removed from his vocal cords, most probably in late '73 or early '74.

Thanks, Bouncer!

[HeresToMySweetSatan]

Damn, Plant's had his share of bad luck, man. Vocal surgery followed by a tour of

America in 75' (which obviously began before his vocal cords were properly healed),

car accident/broken leg before the 77' tour, which culminated in the death of his son,

and a few years later, Bonham.

Zeppelin had some bad mojo goin' on. Only John Paul Jones seems to have come out of this band unscathed.

Its the curse of Satan my friend.....

if that is true haha, doubt it tho

[bouncing~ship]

Jimmy was cited for cocaine possesion at a train station in London on September 6th 1984. As I recall, it was at Victoria Station but have yet to reconfirm that. The date

is "important" because it occured as he was about six weeks into tour rehearsals with

The Firm. Many have speculated the judge did not issue a prison sentence in part

because of the monies such a tour would generate for the Inland Revenue Service.

Robert said when he went for the first time to Jimmy's Pangbourne boat house a beautiful girl had answered the door. It's a just a short walk from the Pangbourne

Rail Station to Jimmy's boathouse. You walk straight down the road to the water's

edge and turn right. The street name is Shooters Hill if I remember right.

Robert had nodes removed from his vocal cords, most probably in late '73 or early '74.

Thanks, Bouncer!

no, thank you.

i wonder if the operation is different now a days. if it's been improved...has to be. I would be a tad worried on receiving an operation in the 70's. man...robert can easily pull off a tour with the boys...all this stupid talk on replacing him with chris cornel and steve tyler. I say they go on tour when this economic crisis hits "dead bottom" & they perform for the poor. Man...they can stop the earth from standing still. With Robert that is. I say they do it for the Universal brotherhood of man---Do it for Mark Twain!!!

[Aquamarine]

They knew all about circulation of the blood and stuff in the 70s, you know. I know a number of people who had operations back then and survived.