In addition to being one of the biggest and most successful rock bands of all time, Led Zeppelin was also composed of music executives, as they founded their own record label called Swan Song. The label featured artists and bands such as The Pretty Things, Dave Edmunds, Maggie Bell, Mirabai, and their first ever client, Bad Company. Indeed, shortly after the founding of the label, Zeppelin and company signed Paul Rodgers and Bad Company to their first-ever major record deal. At the moment, this was primarily a financial investment, but unbeknownst at the time, it was also a sentimental one, as Paul Rodgers played an important part in Jimmy Page‘s career.
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In 1980, Led Zeppelin experienced the most tragic event of their career—the loss of their drummer, John Bonham. Subsequently, the band broke up and each member went their separate ways, confused, lost, and unsure of what direction they might head. Though for Page, that changed when Paul Rodgers encouraged him to pick up the guitar after allegedly not playing for two years after Bonham’s passing.
Paul Rodgers Did What Nobody Else Had the Courage To Do
In an interview on the Howard Stern Show, Paul Rodgers revealed how gracious and kind Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page were to him and Bad Company at the start of their careers. Rodgers thanked Zeppelin for introducing them to America, which ultimately led to their mainstream success. That being said, when Bonham died and Page mourned, Rodgers made sure Jimmy Page picked up a guitar once again.
After Jimmy Page paid Rodgers a visit on an arbitrary night, Rodgers recalled “that all the people that were around him, his roadie, his driver, and everybody, just said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t ask him to play guitar.’”
“So, as soon as we got to the studio, I said, ‘Hi Jimmy, did you bring your guitar?’” Rodgers continued. “‘Let’s have a jam.’”
After that, Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers went on to play for the rest of the night. Rodgers said that he did what he did because he believed that “the best way for anybody to bring them out of a depression like that, a deep mourning, is to do the thing you love.”
Rodgers was seemingly right, as Jimmy Page continued his music career and seemingly made peace with the troubles within him. Five years after Bonham’s passing, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, and the supergroup, The Firm, released their debut self-titled album.
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