Profile
Jimmy Page: The Guitar Genius Behind Led Zeppelin
Founder, guitarist and producer of Led Zeppelin
James Patrick Page grew up in Epsom, Surrey, and taught himself guitar as a boy. In the 1960s he became one of the most in-demand session guitarists in London, playing on hundreds of records before joining The Yardbirds in 1966.
When The Yardbirds split, he formed Led Zeppelin in 1968 with Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Page produced all of their albums, which sold well over 200 million copies, featuring classics such as Whole Lotta Love, Stairway to Heaven and Kashmir.
Famous for his double-neck Gibson guitar and playing with a violin bow, he helped define the sound of hard rock. Led Zeppelin broke up after Bonham's death in 1980, but reunited for a celebrated one-off concert at London's O2 Arena in 2007.
Career highlights
- 1966The Yardbirds: joins the band
- 1968Led Zeppelin: forms the band
- 1969Whole Lotta Love: signature riff
- 1971Stairway to Heaven: released on Led Zeppelin IV
- 1975Kashmir: epic from Physical Graffiti
- 1995Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: inducted with Led Zeppelin
- 2007O2 reunion: one-off London concert
Did you know?He once owned Boleskine House on Loch Ness, the former home of occultist Aleister Crowley.
