Rees - Robert plant: a life

The school newspaper of the King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys announces Plant as a form monitor. He always seemed to be at the centre of whatever was going on.

( King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys)

Plant, circled, in his 1963 school photo. Gary Tolley, guitarist in his first band, is to his immediate right.

( Colin Roberts)

Plants first stomping ground, Stourbridge High Street, circa 1963.

( Bev Pegg)

The school newspaper records Plants stint on the committee of the Jazz Society.

( King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys)

Dave Rowdy Yeats, proprietor of the Groove Record Shop in Stourbridge, a regular haunt of Plants during the mid 60s.

( David Yeats)

Plant, top left, with Listen in 1966. He was very popular with the girls, said guitarist John Crutchley, top right.

( John Crutchley)

Plant on his ill-starred Legalise Pot march, August 1967. Shirley Wilson is to his immediate left.

( Redferns)

Plant and John Bonham (with moustache) with the third incarnation of the Band of Joy, circa 1968. A number could go on for 10, 15 minutesGod help the poor audience.

( Redferns)

Plant and Jimmy Page on stage at the New Yardbirds first gig at Teen-Clubs in Gladsaxe, Denmark, September 7, 1968. Straight away, we could see the power of it, said Page.

( Redferns)

Plant at the time of his joining the New Yardbirds. He seemed sort of God-like.

( Redferns)

Led Zeppelin come together in London, 1968: from leftJohn Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Bonham.

( Redferns)

On stage at Londons Royal Albert Hall, June 29, 1969. It was like a rocket going up their fucking arses!

( Mirrorpix)

Plant somewhere in America during the heady days of 1969. All around me galaxies were going, Boom! Boom! Boom! I absorbed it all like moon dust.

( Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)

Zeppelin arriving in Hawaii in May 1969 with the Led Zeppelin II master tapes.

( Redferns)

Shelter from the storm: Plant at home with his wife Maureen and their daughter Carmen, 1969.

( Camera Press/ Randolph)

Plant and friend at his sanctuary, Jennings Farm. I was incredibly fortunate to have the decompression chamber of that and my family.

( Camera Press/ Randolph)

The proverbial hippy and his bird at the Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, June 2, 1973. It was like walking into the lions den.

( James Fortune/Rex Features)

Plant at Headley Grange, scene of Zeppelins greatest recorded triumphs.

( Idols/Photoshot)

With the late Sandy Denny, his co-vocalist on The Battle of Evermore, 1971.

( Mirrorpix)

Zeppelin on stage at the Bath Festival, June 28, 1969.

( Getty Images)

Zeppelin holding court on Hollywoods Sunset Strip, the center of their empire through the 1970s. People backed off, not wanting to be associated with this supposed enormous quantity of hedonism.

( Getty Images)

Plant with Zeppelins formidable manager Peter Grant. Everybody was shit-scared of G.

( Getty Images)

Zeppelins crowning moment, on stage at Londons Earls Court, May 1975.

( Redferns)

The last U.S. Zeppelin show: Plant at the Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, July 24, 1977. Within two days he had lost his seven-year-old son Karac.

( Redferns)