The Led Zeppelin biography begins with a series of fortuitous coincidences which when taken together changed the history of classic rock music forever. The band was formed in 1968 after guitarist Jimmy Page began looking for a new project, as the band he was in, The Yardbirds, disintegrated. Page first contacted a young singer named Robert Plant to see if he would be interested in filling the role as front man for what was at the time called ‘The New Yardbirds’. Plant readily agreed and recommend a friend of his named John Bonham to fill the vacant spot on drums. The final piece clicked into place when bassist John Paul Jones, who had previously recorded with Page, asked him if he was still looking for someone to fill out the group. The band was able to use a tour of Scandinavia that had been scheduled for the original Yardbirds to gel and create a good buzz surrounding their live fury. They changed their name to Led Zeppelin and were signed to Atlantic Records, sight unseen, for an enormous amount of advance cash.

Led Zeppelin worked hard to keep their momentum going, touring 8 separate times in their first year alone. They were a band that wasn’t afraid to sweat for the success that they were sure was waiting just around the corner. With the breakthrough hit ‘Whole Lotta Love’, the Led Zeppelin biography shifted into high gear, and by the beginning of the 1970’s it was clear that they were a force to be reckoned with. When their fourth album hit the shelves in 1971, public response to the song ‘Stairway to Heaven’ was unprecedented. It went on to become the most requested song on classic rock radio in broadcast history.

It was not all smooth sailing for the members of Led Zeppelin, however. Personal tragedy would dog the group in the later years of the 1970’s. Robert Plant was involved in a serious car accident with his wife, and while they both recovered, neither of them would ever be whole again after the death of their son Karac from a virus in 1977. This also precipitated the cancellation of the rest of that year’s tour. John Bonham, of course, would go on to suffer the worst fate out of the four, choking to death on his own vomit in 1980 after a long day of rehearsal and marathon drinking. His death would spell the end of the band and the end of an era for classic rock and roll.