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I can say that although I heard Zeppelin frequently on the radio in the 70s, I was puzzled that my friends talked more about the Rolling Stones and the Who and I never, ever saw Zeppelin interviewed in the media. I read the Washington Post every day, and I remember a full-length interview with Mick Jagger; I also remember when the Stones were on Saturday Night Live in '79, and I remember a photo spread in some magazine of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards with their girlfriends (later wives) Jeri Hall and Patti Hansen. I never read an interview anywhere with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, JPJ or John Bonham, saw photos of them anywhere other than the album sleeves or posters sold in record shops. I didn't know who they were married to much less saw pictures of their wives or girlfriends. What I did know of their personal lives, I heard from the DJs on FM radio. To me at the age of 13-15 this DID make it seem like there was something underground about them.

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What an odd place you must have lived in hah. Zeppelin was THE top band when I was a teen (I graduated high school in '75, the same year I saw them in Vancouver, Canada during the Physical Graffiti tour). There were more Zeppelin fans than any other band easily in the day. In fact is was so common to like Zeppelin that I found myself drawn to other bands simply by way of perhaps trying to be different. Also, Boston and Kansas and Wings were significantly after Zeppelin's heydey and had far far fewer fans.

I graduated from a an integrated high school in 1977, two years after you. My recollection is that Zeppelin was huge among the white teenage guys I knew. Some of the white teenage girls liked them too, but many of them preferred softer rock or pop music. Most of the black teens I knew at the time were into funk (think Parliament/Funkadelic and the Ohio Players). The ones who also liked rock preferred Queen and the Doobie Brothers. However, even the black teens who DIDN'T listen to rock music at all, knew who Led Zeppelin were. Of course, all of this took place long ago, but these are my recollections of musical preferences in my tiny patch of America circa 1977.

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I graduated from a an integrated high school in 1977, two years after you. My recollection is that Zeppelin was huge among the white teenage guys I knew. Some of the white teenage girls liked them too, but many of them preferred softer rock or pop music. Most of the black teens I knew at the time were into funk (think Parliament/Funkadelic and the Ohio Players). The ones who also liked rock preferred Queen and the Doobie Brothers. However, even the black teens who DIDN'T listen to rock music at all, knew who Led Zeppelin were. Of course, all of this took place long ago, but these are my recollections of musical preferences in my tiny patch of America circa 1977.

It's now become clear to me that the peak of Zep's popularity in the US was '73-'77 and dropped after that. I became a diehard fan in '76-'77, but I was still in junior high then and when I went to high school in '78, Zep was starting to decline in popularity a bit I think, whereas the Who were not only churning out albums but also touring, plus they made the movie Quadrophenia, and the Stones put out albums in both '78 and '80 I think...I graduated from high school in '81.

None of the black people I knew listened to Zeppelin but that's not saying much as there were approximately 3 black people in my high school out of 1,800.

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None of the black people I knew listened to Zeppelin but that's not saying much as there were approximately 3 black people in my high school out of 1,800.

that just sounds really dumb

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Do you have any recollection of black people listening to Zep?

of course black people like zep too. same as the stones and even johnny cash. why does race have to come up in this?

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of course black people like zep too. same as the stones and even johnny cash. why does race have to come up in this?

It reminded me... back in the 80s when Korea was so conservative,

people used to ask me if I was really into Zeppelin when I was a woman.

I knew they didn't mean anything, but I felt condescended......

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In Led Zeppelin FAQ I quoted some insights I got from African-American music writer Marcus Reeves, who told me that while a few of his black friends liked Zep, and black DJs sampled parts of Zeppelin songs, "I never knew any black folks who were fans like the white ones." I was grateful for his opinions, and for his observation that the question of how race and musical taste intersect was a legitimate topic for discussion. Certainly it's a big can of worms to open up, and since I already looked into it in my book, I'm not going to get into it here.

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Do you have any recollection of black people listening to Zep?

My cousin did but he is eight years older than me so he would have been around 18 when they first toured the U.S. and 24 when they released Physical Graffiti. He was the one who first told me that a lot of their music was based on the blues. I was twelve or so at the time. My cousin also liked The Doors, The Who and thought Jimi Hendrix was god. He and a couple of his friends wanted to attend Woodstock but couldn't get enough money together to make the trip. Later, when I was in college, I met a few other black kids my age who were into Led Zeppelin.

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The only high-profile black super fan, so to speak, of Led Zeppelin that comes to mind is JJ Jackson.

Prince has also cited Zeppelin as an influence and he covered "Whole Lotta Love" (the video has been taken down from YT)

And hello, Lenny Kravitz? he's a massive Zeppelin fan, most recently honouring them at their Kennedy Centre tribute by performing "Whole Lotta Love"

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The entire rock band Living Colour, Prince, Robin Quivers (Howard Stern co-host), Puff Daddy, Chuck D from Public Enemy, and Lenny Kravitz just to name a few! I almost forgot President Obama!

The only high-profile black super fan, so to speak, of Led Zeppelin that comes to mind is JJ Jackson.

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I can say that although I heard Zeppelin frequently on the radio in the 70s, I was puzzled that my friends talked more about the Rolling Stones and the Who and I never, ever saw Zeppelin interviewed in the media. I read the Washington Post every day, and I remember a full-length interview with Mick Jagger; I also remember when the Stones were on Saturday Night Live in '79, and I remember a photo spread in some magazine of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards with their girlfriends (later wives) Jeri Hall and Patti Hansen. I never read an interview anywhere with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, JPJ or John Bonham, saw photos of them anywhere other than the album sleeves or posters sold in record shops. I didn't know who they were married to much less saw pictures of their wives or girlfriends. What I did know of their personal lives, I heard from the DJs on FM radio. To me at the age of 13-15 this DID make it seem like there was something underground about them.

Again, this was due in part to the fact that LZ were not "under the thumb" of record company or management executives or producers. They did not depend on the media to make or break an album or a tour. Which is not to say they wouldn't have appreciated some favorable press that they often did not get at the time despite a continually growing fan base and consistent radio air time. Many bands and artists were "set up" on promotional tours, interviews and press conferences. LZ were not told which songs would be put out as "hits" or even which songs would go on albums as many other artists of the times were. They were able to choose not to do television because neither Jimmy or Grant were satisfied in how the fidelity of the music would be represented in that medium. The Stones and The Who predated Zeppelin by several years and were actually thought of at the time (60's) as Pop music. Their whole "scene" was set up differently from Zeppelin's in that regard. In fact Jimmy played on The Who's "Can't Explain" as a session guitarist at the behest of their producer/executives and much to the dislike of Pete Townshend. So although the times of their music making overlapped they were not necessarily born out of the same stew. And LZ's record publishing, producing deal and the negotiations they were able to make with tour promoters and venues set them apart from other bands at the time.

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> They did not depend on the media to make or break an album or a tour. Which is not to say they wouldn't have appreciated some favorable press that they often did not get at the time despite a continually growing fan base and consistent radio air time.<

RS,the *cough* bible at the time slagged their first album.That pissed the lads off(rightly so) and they took their music to the fans.Black roses?

Many bands and artists were "set up" on promotional tours, interviews and press conferences.

A hold over of the 60's.Zep gave the 'critics' and music press the finger.

In fact Jimmy played on The Who's "Can't Explain" as a session guitarist at the behest of their producer/executives and much to the dislike of Pete Townshend. So although the times of their music making overlapped they were not necessarily born out of the same stew.

Which Jimmy said one can hardly hear.Pete's -animosity- may have started9no proof on this) when John and Keith wanted to quit The Who and form a band with Jimmy.The so-called lead balloon indecent.Peter has since come around.

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RS,the *cough* bible at the time slagged their first album.That pissed the lads off(rightly so) and they took their music to the fans.Black roses?

A hold over of the 60's.Zep gave the 'critics' and music press the finger.

Which Jimmy said one can hardly hear.Pete's -animosity- may have started9no proof on this) when John and Keith wanted to quit The Who and form a band with Jimmy.The so-called lead balloon indecent.Peter has since come around.

According to Townshend, he and Page were competing for the affections of a woman around this time (1965). This could be another factor in his early animosity towards Zeppelin.

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  • 9 months later...

The entire rock band Living Colour, Prince, Robin Quivers (Howard Stern co-host), Puff Daddy, Chuck D from Public Enemy, and Lenny Kravitz just to name a few! I almost forgot President Obama!

I cannot say that he was a fan of Led Zeppelin (I would like to think so) but (supposedly) Robert Plant hung out with Richard Pryor when Led Zeppelin were on tour in Los Angeles in 1977. I read this in the book about Led Zeppelin titled, "The Story of a Band and Their Music 1968-1980", by Keith Shadwick. I realize that just because it was written does not make it true. If it is true, even the better. Maybe Robert gave Richard a backstage pass. That would have made Richard Pryor a "Badgeholder".

Can anyone who reads this posts confirm or deny this "alleged" encounter between Robert and Richard?

Edited to add: That book is a very good read. Very informative and very incisive.

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  • 7 months later...
Lecture by Susan Fast: Whole Lotta Love: Power, Pleasure, Gender and Fandom in Led Zeppelin Susan Fast Author/Professor McMaster University - In the Houses of the Holy: Led Zeppelin and the Power of Rock Music Paperback Legendary John Paul Jones contributes in this book

book review

http://blogcritics.org/book-review-in-the-houses-of/

Vancouver Art Gallery...

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Race?
Back in 78 or 79 I got busted for some weed along with a fellow student/friend of mine...black dude named Jimmy Page. He listened to Pink Floyd mostly, except for Candy Store Rock. Dude loved that song.
Culturally, a lot more pencil lead was used during the 70's drawing zosos on book covers, and I kinda liked the idea my parents and teachers were somewhat nervous about Zeppelin for some reason. They didn't mind the Black Sabbath posters but the Zep made them nervous. I think mainly because they heard some of the same things I heard in that music(Truth? Real? Ancient? Deja-Vu?) and instead of digging it, they feared it for some reason.
Led Zeppelin was the band that took me and my friends off the radio and onto the turntable, and in turn opened up a worldful of music for me. Led Zeppelin actually introduced me to Neil Young, Rush, Allman Bros etc etc etc and those deeper tracks where things really were explained in detail.
Today, you can't even open Facebook or the news without seeing a thousand mentions, desires, and arguments of possible future concerts from soccer moms and penny loafer dads and a lot of them to this day still have never heard Candy Store Rock but they tapped toes during those Cadillac ads.
Culturally, I really don't know exactly how they affected the rest of society, but as a teen I felt complete having them inside my headphones, and as a father, proud when my daughter put them in her earbuds.
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When I was at school in the late 80's early 90's I was told about Led Zeppelin by a friend, although I didn't actually listen to anything until I bought III on cassette from woolworths. After I got into them I realised that all the other kids knew who they were, and this was 10 years after the break up.

Later in the late 90's when I was teaching guitar I remember this 11 year old who was desperate to learn Moby Dick.

I also remember reading an interview with the Stone Roses where Ian Brown talked about how he'd hated them until he and John Squire had stumbled upon the Danish tv show one night. Anyone whose heard the Second Coming or witnessed John Squires choice of jumpers around that time should be able to spot the Zep / Page influence.

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Redirtuo, Babysquid...after reading your comments,I like to post this quote from Jimmy Page latest interview...

Exactly. Fate and vision both.
I mean, it looks like it, right? Fate intervened or dictated that we should break musical horizons or traverse the musical map. And we did that.

Cultural Diversity in Led Zeppelin Music is full of colors and textures, flavors, and expressions and longings for individuality....

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