Jimmy Page’s Response to Roger Daltrey’s Proposal as a Replacement for Robert Plant
via Academy of Achievement / YouTube
In the annals of legendary rock bands, Led Zeppelin stands as an iconic force, with their monumental 2007 reunion concert at London’s O2 Arena etching its place in history. Acknowledged by the Guinness World Records in 2009 for the ‘Highest Demand for Tickets for One Music Concert,’ the show exemplified the band’s enduring appeal, drawing a staggering 20 million fans competing for a mere 20,000 coveted golden tickets.
Five years after this historic event, Jimmy Page, the acclaimed guitarist of Led Zeppelin, embarked on a nostalgic journey during an interview with Lori Spencer. Reflecting on the momentous show, Page addressed lingering rumors and shed light on an intriguing offer extended by The Who’s Roger Daltrey to step in for Robert Plant.
The Concert and Rumors About Robert Plant
Led Zeppelin’s final performance on December 10th, 2007, featured a setlist of 16 songs, including two encores. However, before the show, rumors circulated among fans, speculating that the band might replace Robert Plant with another vocalist. Page clarified these rumors in a 2012 interview, stating, “Well, look: If we’d have eventually settled on a singer, I don’t think that would have been a good idea to have done that prematurely.”
He emphasized the importance of presenting exceptional new material, saying, “Of course, we would have played Led Zeppelin material. But I don’t know, it’s all hypothetical. But, you know, you want to be playing some really, really, really good new material to knock people’s socks off.”
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The Misunderstanding of Roger Daltrey’s Role
During the conversation, the host brought up a rumor suggesting that Roger Daltrey might replace Plant. Page expressed confusion, as he was unaware of these rumors. Daltrey had expressed interest in collaborating with Page, but it appears there was a misunderstanding about the context. Page explained, “Well, we had discussed it. But for the Teenager Cancer Trust, yeah. Yeah, and I said: ‘You know, I’d love to do that with you, Roger,’ but certainly, at the time I was saying that I thought I was already going to be out there playing, you know what I mean?”
Page clarified that although he was involved in musical endeavors, it didn’t necessarily mean playing the guitar. Plant’s discussion about working with various musicians, including Daltrey, continued with the explanation, “Like, you can imagine with all of this, this relative to the O2, and there’s some other things that are going on. Like the sort of re-mastering of the catalog and this sort of stuff.”
