The song that made Robert Plant fall in love with a “heavenly” singer
From a young age, Robert Plant knew he wanted to perform, citing Elvis Presley as one of his earliest influences. He developed an affectation for blues through his teenage years, leaving school to join the scene of budding blues musicians in the Midlands.
Eventually, Plant formed Led Zeppelin, becoming one of the most essential classic rock bands of the 1970s. Known for his incredible voice and captivating stage presence, Plant found great success with Led Zeppelin, penning hits such as ‘Stairway to Heaven’. However, before then, he formed Band of Joy in 1966, blending blues with a psychedelic influence.
Over the years, Band of Joy played in various line-ups, including John Bonham, ending their first run in 1968, welcoming the formation of Led Zeppelin. Plant was absent from the revival of Band of Joy in 1977, yet, in 2010, Plant decided to start Robert Plant & the Band of Joy. He recorded an album called Band of Joy, considered one of the best releases of the year by many publications.
During this time, Plant recruited American singer-songwriter Patty Griffin to sing on the album, leading them to form a romantic relationship. But while the love likely blossomed from a number of different attractions, it was Griffin’s voice that seemed to entrap Plant and leave him completely beguiled.
The pair instantly connected, with Plant telling The Independent in 2012, “I eloped [with Griffin] and ran off to Texas. So now I spend half my time there and half here.” However, his manager later clarified with E! News: “Robert has not married Patty Griffin. He was just referring to the fact that he’s been residing in Texas.”
Still, the pair enjoyed three years together before splitting up in 2013. Plant told The Independent: “Patty and I tried a sort of zig-zag across the Atlantic. But she didn’t share my penchant for cider, and she used to marvel at the Black Country character I became after four pints of Thatchers.”
He added: “My feelings are very much ones of sadness and regret, but I also disturbed myself. I had to come back [to Worcestershire] to find out just how much I valued what I’d left behind.” However, Plant still greatly respects Griffin, discussing his admiration for the folk singer in a 2017 article for The Guardian. Discussing their cover of Low’s ‘Silver Rider’, he explained: “The singing was so sensual we ended up singing it to each other, and then moving in.”
About the track, Plant said, “I had to try and make it more creepy-crawl than them. It could be This Mortal Coil’s kid sister, a 4AD release from 1991.” And he certainly did that. But, in truth, the song is all about how it connected Griffin and Plant. The track would push Plant into a more serious relationship with Griffin and allow him to fall deeper in love with her and her talent.
Plant said: “She’s such a tiny, beautiful character, but she’s just enormous in her passion and her writing. Her writing’s staggeringly beautiful. And her voice … it’s heavenly but it’s wild, and that’s what she is. She’s heavenly and she carries such power. You hear that here.”
Since she collaborated with Plant, Griffin has continued her musical career, which began in the early 1990s, most recently earning her second Grammy for ‘Best Folk Album’ in 2019.
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