Jimmy Page

Arguably one of the greatest guitarists in the history of rock-n-roll, Jimmy Page earned his place among the pantheon of immortals as the guitarist for the mighty Led Zeppelin, one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century. Prior to their inception in 1968, Page had been a prolific session guitarist, lending his versatile talents to songs by the Rolling Stones, The Who and The Kinks, among countless others. He joined the Yardbirds shortly before their breakup in 1968, after which he recruited singer Robert Plant, bassist and fellow session vet John Paul Jones and the formidable drummer John Bonham to fulfill concert dates as the New Yardbirds. However, the quartet's thunderous sonic attack and preference for improvisational blues jams set them apart from the Yardbirds' pop-rock sound, which spawned a new name and the dawn of a rock band that contributed hugely to the formation of countless hard rock, heavy metal and punk acts, from Van Halen and Guns N' Roses to the Ramones and Black Sabbath. In the decades after Zeppelin's demise following Bonham's death in 1980, Page worked on a variety of projects, including a new group, The Firm, but his former band loomed largely over all of his subsequent creative efforts. Page, Plant and Jones reunited on several occasions, each spawning rumors of a full-fledged reunion tour. Though Zeppelin remained largely dormant, Jimmy Page's impact on popular music through his storied body of work ensured his status as one of rock's most legendary figures.