(Credits: Far Out / Led Zeppelin)
Thu 18 September 2025 15:30, UK
By the end of the 1970s, no other rock band could dream of reaching the heights of Led Zeppelin.
They were the definition of what any supergroup was supposed to be, and even if not every song resonated with people, it was better to see the greatest band in the world taking chances than trying to sell the same schtick over and over. But before everything was brought to a screeching halt in the early 1980s, Robert Plant was already having second thoughts about going on with the group.
Granted, it’s not like anyone in the group didn’t realise what they had on their hands. What Jimmy Page had come up with was like lightning in a bottle, but since he was the producer, writer, and conceptualist behind most of their songs, it wasn’t out of the question for the others to want to flex their muscles.
Just look at what John Paul Jones was going through. Every great band needs its reserved member that stays in the background and casually makes brilliant tunes, but there was a split second when Jonesy was dangerously close to walking away from the band to be a choral master. It would have been creatively satisfying, but was anyone going to argue the profits of being in a gigging rock band compared to being a glorified teacher?
This was the kind of gig that most artists dream of, but Plant would have rather traded all of those days on the road to have his son back. Every single artist has to deal with those few moments of being away from their family, but the kind of pain that went through Plant’s mind when he found out that his son had passed away is something that people shouldn’t wish upon their worst enemy.
Judging by the rigorous schedule Zeppelin put themselves through, no one would have faulted Plant if he decided to bow out of music entirely. This is the kind of body blow that could practically destroy anyone’s sense of self, but the minute that John Bonham had a heart-to-heart with his old mate, he found the strength to carry on.
According to Plant, he was dangerously close to hanging it up before the drummer came back to him, saying, “So I was thinking about the merit of my life at that time, and whether or not I needed to put a lot more into the reality of the people that I loved and cared for: my daughter and my family generally. So yeah, I was ready to jack it in, until Bonzo came along. He was very supportive at that time, with his wife and the kids. So I did go back [to Zeppelin] for one more flurry.”
Bonzo may have been the perfect person to help lift Plant’s spirits, but it makes sense why the band figured they couldn’t go on once the drummer passed away. Beyond being a dear friend to everyone in the group, there’s no chance that anyone was going to find a drummer who had as much power as Bonham, even if technicians like Phil Collins did give it their best shot during their reunion at Live Aid.
While Plant will forever be putting his foot down on any rumours of a Zeppelin reunion, chances are it’s because there are some rough memories that he would rather not revisit. The band were musical brothers, and no matter how many times he immortalises his son in songs like ‘All My Love’, there’s nothing that truly makes that pain go away.
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