Robert Plant explains how Phil Collins guided him to solo success
In a new interview, Robert Plant discussed how Phil Collins was the driving force behind his solo career following the demise of Led Zeppelin.
The legendary rock group sadly parted ways in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham. After that, Plant found himself in an uncomfortable position and unsure of his next move. However, Collins had already created a blueprint following Genesis’ split, and Plant looked to his success for inspiration.
The singer told Vulture: “After John [Bonham, Led Zeppelin drummer] passed away and there was no Led Zeppelin, there had to be a way to go. I floundered around a lot because until I was 32, I was in some kind of wild and absurd adventure… Phil Collins especially was a driving force and had positive energy with the first record, Pictures at Eleven. It wasn’t a difficult job to get together with other people, it was just whether or not we could cook it properly.”
Plant continued: “With Phil, it wasn’t so much advice as encouragement and consideration. He was taking no prisoners. He would only allow himself a short amount of time to come to the studio in Wales and make it work. Nobody was hiding behind the performance.”
The former Led Zeppelin frontman recruited Collins to play on five tracks on his debut solo album, Pictures at Eleven, released in 1982. “Then he came on tour with me and basically said, ‘Robert, the guy that sat behind you for all those years was my hero,’” Plant said about the late Bonham. He added: “That was it. He said, ‘Anything I can do to help you to get back into fighting shape again, I’m here…’ He’s a great spirit, a good man.”
In other news, Plant surprised locals in Aberdeen by performing at an open-mic night at a pub in November. The vocalist was in Scotland with his bandmates in Saving Grace, and after playing at the Tivoli Theatre in Aberdeen, they went for a drink at Under the Hammer.
In a social media post, the pub shared a picture of them in their establishment and wrote in the caption (via STV): “It doesn’t happen very often that we get a visit from Rock ‘n’ Roll hall of famer and CBE but last night we were honoured by a presence of Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant!”
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