PERSONAE GRATAE: VOICES IN THIS BOOK
JUSTIN ADAMS World music–steeped guitarist and Plant's principal '90s sideman
SAM AIZER Worked at Swan Song's New York office, mainly with Bad Company
STEVE ALBINI Produced the 1998 Page and Plant album Walking into Clarksdale
KEITH ALTHAM Interviewed Jimmy Page, the Yardbirds, and Led Zeppelin for NME, Record Mirror, and other publications
KENNETH ANGER Black Arts–dabbling director of Lucifer Rising, for which Jimmy Page supposedly failed to complete a soundtrack
MIKE APPLETON Producer of BBC2's Old Grey Whistle Test and mate of Zeppelin's
DICK ASHER Epic Records chief in the late '60s, snubbed by Page and Peter Grant in favor of Atlantic
JANE AYER Publicist at Atlantic Records' L.A. office and Zeppelin confidante
LONG JOHN BALDRY Singer with Blues Incorporated and other '60s R&B groups in London
FRANK BARSALONA Founder of the Premier Talent booking agency, which represented Zeppelin until 1972; once described by Ahmet Ertegun as “the most powerful man in the record industry”
JUNE HARRIS BARSALONA Former U.S. correspondent of New Musical Express and wife of Frank Barsalona
PETER BARSOTTI Worked for promoter Bill Graham at the time of the Oakland incident in 1977
DAVID BATES A&R man for Robert Plant and for Page and Plant's No Quarter album
JEFF BECK Childhood acquaintance of Jimmy Page's and guitarist in the Yardbirds; client of Peter Grant's
MAGGIE BELL Managed by Peter Grant as the singer in Stone the Crows; signed to Zeppelin's Swan Song label
JOHN “JB” BETTIE With his brother Paul (“PB”), worked at Horselunges in Peter Grant's twilight years
BEV BEVAN Drummer in the Move and the Electric Light Orchestra and friend of John Bonham's
ED BICKNELL Former manager of Dire Straits and friend of Peter Grant's
RODNEY BINGENHEIMER L.A. scenester, DJ, and owner in the '70s of the English Disco club on Sunset Boulevard
CHRIS BLACKWELL Founder of Island Records, who nearly signed Zeppelin
ROBBIE BLUNT Black Country guitarist and Robert Plant sideman in the '80s; former member of Silverhead and Bronco
DEBBIE BONHAM R&B singer and John Bonham's younger sister
BILL BONHAM Organist in Robert Plant's pre-Zeppelin band Obs-Tweedle, no relation to John
JASON BONHAM John Bonham's son; drummer with reunited Zeppelin at the O2 show and the Atlantic 40th Anniversary show
JOHN BONHAM Led Zeppelin's drummer; died in 1980
MICK BONHAM John Bonham's younger brother; died in 2000
CAROLINE BOUCHER Disc and Music Echo writer; interviewed Zeppelin several times
LORAINE ALTERMAN BOYLE As Loraine Alterman, toured with and interviewed Zeppelin several times for Melody Maker and other publications
RUSTY BRUTSCHE Cofounder with Jack Calmes of ShowCo sound and lighting in Dallas; worked with Zeppelin from 1971 to 1980
BEBE BUELL Celebrated rock consort; girlfriend of Jimmy Page's for a brief period in the mid-'70s
TREVOR BURTON Original rhythm guitarist in Birmingham band the Move
ALAN CALLAN President of Swan Song in the UK from 1977 to 1979
JACK CALMES Cofounder and head of Showco sound and lighting company in Dallas; worked with Zeppelin on all of their '70s tours
JULIE CARLO Wife of Phil Carlo
PHIL CARLO Roadie for Bad Company, tour manager on the last Zeppelin tour, and Page's right-hand man for most of the '80s
GARY CARNES Showco lighting director on 1977 tour
ROY CARR Interviewed Zeppelin several times for NME, friend of John Bonham's
PHIL CARSON Head of Atlantic Records UK and close confidant of Zeppelin's
CLEM CATTINI Leading drummer on London session scene of the '60s, played regularly with Page and Jones
CHRIS CHARLESWORTH Journalist—and sometime New York correspondent—who interviewed Led Zeppelin several times for Melody Maker
NICKY CHINN Cowriter with Mike Chapman of countless glam-rock hits (by Sweet, Suzi Quatro, and Mud) for Mickie Most's RAK label
ROBERT CHRISTGAU Music editor of the Village Voice, 1974–2006
PETER CLIFTON Film director who completed The Song Remains the Same and shot all of the band's fantasy sequences
BILL COLE Bass player in skiffle and R&B era
MARILYN COLE First wife of Zeppelin tour manager Richard Cole
RICHARD COLE Zeppelin's tour manager from 1968 to 1979
PHIL COLLINS Genesis drummer; played with Robert Plant in the early '80s and performed with Zeppelin at Live Aid
JOHN COMBE Author of the Kidderminster rock history Get Your Kicks on the A456
GYL CORRIGAN-DEVLIN Zeppelin friend who traveled on the 1973 tour
CLIVE COULSON Zeppelin roadie who became Bad Company's tour manager; died in 2006
CAMERON CROWE Interviewed Zeppelin for the L.A. Times and Rolling Stone before becoming a film director; based scenes in Almost Famous on his Zeppelin experiences
JOHN CRUTCHLEY Guitarist with Plant's pre-Zeppelin band Listen
BILL CURBISHLEY Manager of the Who and later of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
DAVID DALTON Biographer of Janis Joplin and cowriter of autobiographies by Marianne Faithfull, Steven Tyler, and others
RAY DAVIES Leader of the Kinks; Page played on some of his early Pye sides
MALCOLM DENT Caretaker of Boleskine House, the sometime Aleister Crowley residence in Scotland, bought by Page in 1970
MICHAEL DES BARRES Friend of Zeppelin's; singer with Silverhead and with Swan Song band Detective
PAMELA DES BARRES L.A. groupie and girlfriend of Page's in 1969–1970; married (and divorced) Michael Des Barres
JACKIE DeSHANNON L.A. pop/folk singer-songwriter; worked and had relationship with Page in London and America in 1964–1965
MARIE DIXON Widow of Chicago bluesman Willie Dixon, who sued Zeppelin for copyright breach on “Whole Lotta Love” and other songs
DONOVAN SCOTTISH folk-pop-rock star for whom John Paul Jones arranged “Sunshine Superman” and others
CHRIS DREJA Bassist with Page's pre-Zep band the Yardbirds
DAVE EDMUNDS Swan Song artist from 1977 to 1982
MARK ELLEN Presenter of The Old Grey Whistle Test; interviewed Page and Roy Harper in 1984
BOB EMMER Publicity director, Atlantic West Coast office
AHMET ERTEGUN Cofounder of Atlantic Records; mentor and inspiration to Zeppelin
MARIANNE FAITHFULL Immediate Records singer; covered songs written by Page and Jackie DeShannon
BP FALLON UK press officer for Zeppelin, 1972–1976
MICK FARREN Singer with the Deviants; writer for the underground press and NME
BILL FORD Bassist in Bonham's early '60s Brum band the Senators
KIM FOWLEY L.A. producer and scenester
MITCHELL FOX Swan Song U.S. staffer, 1977–1980
PAUL FRANCIS Drummer with Maggie Bell in the mid-'70s
TONY FRANKLIN Bassist in Page's post-Zeppelin band the Firm
TOM FRY Worked for promoter Freddy Bannister at the time of Zeppelin's Knebworth shows
KEVYN GAMMOND Guitarist in Plant's pre-Zeppelin group the Band of Joy and post-Zeppelin group Priory of Brion
STEFAN GATES The naked boy on the cover of Houses of the Holy
VANESSA GILBERT L.A. scenester and Zeppelin friend on the 1973 U.S. tour
DANNY GOLDBERG U.S. press officer for Zeppelin and president of Swan Song in New York
HARVEY GOLDSMITH Promoter of Zeppelin's O2 show in 2007
LORD JOHN GOULD West Sussex vintage car enthusiast who be-friended Peter Grant in the last years of his life
BILL GRAHAM Rock promoter who opened the Fillmore in San Francisco and the Fillmore East in New York; promoted Zeppelin's ill-fated final shows on U.S. soil; died in 1991
GLORIA GRANT Wife of Peter Grant
HELEN GRANT Daughter of Peter Grant
PETER GRANT Manager of the Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, Maggie Bell, and Bad Company; died in 1995
WARREN GRANT Son of Peter Grant
JERRY GREENBERG General manager of Atlantic Records, 1969–1980
GEOFF GRIMES Plugger for Atlantic Records UK, 1972–1978
ROSS HALFIN Doyen of hard-rock photographers and close friend of Page's; compiled The Photographers' Led Zeppelin
CONNIE HAMZY AKA “SWEET CONNIE FROM LITTLE ROCK” Arkansas groupie of wide renown
BOB HARRIS Presenter of The Old Grey Whistle Test, 1972–1978
ROY HARPER Maverick British folkie; friend of, and inspiration to, Page and Plant
BILL HARRY Zeppelin's first UK press officer
BILL HARVEY Black Country jazz drummer who gave the young Bonham early tutorials
ANDREW HEWKIN Black Country–born painter and friend of Plant's
DAVE HILL Guitarist in the 'N-Betweens and Slade
MICK HINTON Bonham's roadie-cum-dogsbody; died in 2007
ABE HOCH Ran Swan Song's UK office, 1975–1977
GLENN HUGHES Black Country singer and bassist with Trapeze, Deep Purple, and (with Jason Bonham) Black Country Communion
CHRIS HUSTON Owner of Mystic Sound studios in L.A.
ELIZABETH “BETTY” IANNACI Receptionist and Zeppelin point person in Atlantic's West Coast office, 1975–1977
TONY IOMMI Black Sabbath guitarist and close friend of John Bonham's
ANNI IVIL Press officer at the Atlantic UK office, late '60s–early '70s
CATHERINE JAMES Hollywood groupie, an early squeeze of Page's
ANDY JOHNS Younger brother of Glyn; engineer on Led Zeppelin II, III, and the untitled fourth
GLYN JOHNS Engineer/producer on early Page and Jones sessions; engineer on Led Zeppelin
PHIL JOHNSTONE Keyboard player and Plant collaborator on Now and Zen, Manic Nirvana, and Fate of Nations
JOHN PAUL Jones Bassist and keyboard player with Led Zeppelin
REG JONES Singer and guitarist with Bonham's pre-Zeppelin band A Way of Life
JOHN KALODNER '80s A&R kingpin who signed Coverdale/Page to Geffen Records
SHELLEY KAYE Assistant to Steve Weiss in U.S. office of Swan Song
NICK KENT Legendary NME journalist; interviewed Led Zeppelin and the solo Page on several occasions
DESIREE KIRKE Ex-wife of Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke and close friend of Led Zeppelin
SIMON KIRKE Drummer with Free and Bad Company
ALEXIS KORNER Sang and recorded with Plant in 1967, shortly before the latter joined Obs-Tweedle
EDDIE KRAMER Engineer on Houses of the Holy, most of Led Zeppelin II, and some of Physical Graffiti
ALISON KRAUSS Plant's partner on 2007's Grammy-scooping and multi-million-selling Raising Sand
HARVEY KUBERNIK L.A. correspondent for Melody Maker in the '70s; author of Canyon of Dreams
DENNY LAINE Singer with Birmingham's Moody Blues, friend of Bonham's
DON LAW Boston rock promoter
BENJI LeFEVRE Zeppelin sound technician from 1973 to 1980; Plant's right-hand man from 1975 to 1986
DAVE LEWIS Founder and editor of Zeppelin fanzine Tight But Loose; traveled on the 1980 tour
HARVEY LISBERG Manager of Herman's Hermits and '60s associate of Mickie Most's and Peter Grant's
PAUL LOCKEY Bassist in Plant's pre-Zep Band of Joy
MARK LONDON Comanager with Peter Grant of Stone the Crows and Maggie Bell
LULU CLOSE friend of John and Pat Bonham's
JOHN LYDON Former lead singer with the Sex Pistols
UNITY MacLEAN Managed Swan Song's London office from 1976 to 1980
MIKEAL MAGLIERI Son of Mario, proprietor of the Whisky a Go Go and the Rainbow Bar & Grill on L.A.'s Sunset Strip
TONY MANDICH Artist relations manager at Atlantic's West Coast office, 1972–1997
TERRY MANNING Engineered tracks on Led Zeppelin III; owner of Compass Point studios, Nassau
DANNY MARKUS Artist relations manager in Atlantic's Midwest office; later comanaged Luther Vandross and others
STEVE MARRIOTT Lead singer and guitarist in the band Small Faces; later formed Humble Pie
JOE MASSOT Original director of The Song Remains the Same; died in 2002
LORI “LIGHTNING” MATTIX Teenage groupie who became Page's main L.A. squeeze in 1973
JIM MATZORKIS The Bill Graham security guard severely beaten in Oakland by Peter Grant and John Bindon
MALCOLM McLAREN Manager of the Sex Pistols; spent months researching a biopic of Peter Grant
MARIO MEDIOUS Atlantic Records promotion man, 1965–1972
MARTIN MEISSONNIER Parisian world-music producer; prepared African tape loops for No Quarter: Page and Plant Unledded
JOHN MENDELSSOHN Reviewed the first two Zeppelin albums for Rolling Stone
JONI MITCHELL High priestess of the L.A. singer-songwriter com-munity and inspiration for Zeppelin's “Going to California”
MICKIE MOST Producer of the Animals and Herman's Hermits; partner with Peter Grant in RAK Records and Management; died in 2003
DON MURFET Head of security for Zeppelin in the late '70s; died in 2005
CHARLES SHAAR Murray Famed journalist and blues writer who interviewed Zeppelin for NME and other publications
LAURENCE MYERS Accountant who partnered with Mickie Most and Peter Grant in RAK Records and Management in the mid-'60s.
HOWARD MYLETT Author of Led Zeppelin (1976) and renowned Zeppelin collector and expert; died in 2011
SIMON NAPIER-BELL Second manager of the Yardbirds
RON NEVISON Engineer on Headley Grange sessions for Physical Graffiti
DAVE NORTHOVER Nominally John Paul Jones's assistant on Zeppelin's 1975 and 1977 U.S. tours
JEFF OCHELTREE Drum tech who advised and assisted Bonham on 1977 U.S. tour
JOHN OGDEN Pop music writer on the Birmingham Express and Star newspaper from the early '60s to the '90s
ANDREW LOOG OLDHAM Manager of the Rolling Stones and founder of Immediate Records; hired Page and Jones to play on sessions
JIMMY PAGE Led Zeppelin's founder and guitarist
DAVE PEGG Played bass in Bonham's pre-Zep band A Way of Life; close friend of the Zeppelin drummer's
ROBERT PLANT Led Zeppelin's lead singer and lyricist
MAC POOLE Midlands drummer; replaced Bonham in A Way of Life
IGGY POP Lead singer of the Stooges; habitué of Rodney's English Disco
AUBREY POWELL Cofounder of Hipgnosis Design; created sleeves for all Zeppelin albums from Houses of the Holy to In through the Out Door
GUY PRATT Bassist in Coverdale/Page; played on Olympics version of “Whole Lotta Love”
PERRY PRESS London estate agent to the stars; found homes for Led Zeppelin and Peter Grant
DOMENIC PRIORE L.A. music historian; author of Riot on Sunset Strip
HOSSAM RAMZY Egyptian arranger on No Quarter: Page and Plant Unledded album and tour
TERRY REID Singer originally considered for Zeppelin before Plant; managed by Mickie Most
BARRY JAY Reiss Worked with Steve Weiss before and during the Swan Song era
JOHN RENBOURN Folk guitarist on the Kingston/Richmond circuit and founder member of Pentangle
KEITH RICHARDS Guitarist and coleader of the Rolling Stones
RICHARD RIEGEL Rock critic and contributor to Creem
JAKE RIVIERA Managed Dave Edmunds and signed him to Swan Song
WILLIE ROBERTSON Provided insurance coverage to Zeppelin and numerous other rock bands; died in 2011
LISA ROBINSON New York rock writer; interviewed Zeppelin for Disc, NME, and Creem
PAUL RODGERS Lead singer of Free, Bad Company, and the Firm
STEVEN ROSEN Interviewed Page and Jones for Guitar Player; traveled on the Zeppelin plane on the 1977 U.S. tour
CYNTHIA SACH Worked in Swan Song's UK office, 1977–1981
JANINE SAFER WHITNEY As Janine Safer, worked closely with Zeppelin and other Swan Song acts in the label's New York office; main press liaison officer on the 1977 U.S. tour
EDWARD ST. Aubyn Author of Mother's Milk and other acclaimed novels
ELLEN SANDER Traveled with Zeppelin in 1969 and published her account of the experience in the 1973 book Trips
RAT SCABIES Drummer with the Damned, whom Zeppelin came to see at London's Roxy in 1977; auditioned for the Firm in 1984
TONY SECUNDA Manager of Birmingham bands the Move and the Moody Blues; died in 1995
HARRY SHAPIRO Biographer of Alexis Korner
DENNIS SHEEHAN Assistant to Robert Plant on the 1977 U.S. tour; subsequently, road manager for U2
BURKE SHELLEY Bassist and singer in the '70s Welsh power trio Budgie
PAUL SIMONON Bassist with the Clash
JIM SIMPSON Founder of Big Bear Records and mainstay of Birmingham music scene; hired Bonham to play in Locomotive
DIGBY SMITH Tape-operator/engineer at Island Studios on sessions for Led Zeppelin III and the untitled fourth album
HENRY “THE HORSE” SMITH Roadie for the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, 1966–1972; subsequently worked for Aerosmith
STEVE SMITH Producer of Robert Palmer and other artists; was asked to produce Maggie Bell for Swan Song
BARNABY SNOW Director of a TV documentary about the Black Country
MAT SNOW Former editor of MOJO; interviewed all three surviving Zeppelin members several times for MOJO and Q
DON SNOWDEN Author of the Willie Dixon biography I Am the Blues (1995)
DENNY SOMACH Creator and producer of the “Get the Led Out” segment on many U.S. classic rock radio stations
SABLE STARR Queen of the L.A. ultravixens; Lori Mattix's coconspirator and chief rival; died in 2009
ROD STEWART Singer in the Jeff Beck Group, managed by Peter Grant and road-managed by Richard Cole
MARTIN STONE Guitarist in the Action and Mighty Baby; later sold rare occult books to Page
BIG JIM Sullivan Leading session guitarist on the '60s London studio scene and mentor to “Little” Jimmy Page
RAY THOMAS Flautist and singer with the Moody Blues
BRAD TOLINSKI Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World
DAN TREACY Singer and guitarist with the Television Personalities; worked in Swan Song's UK office
STEVEN TYLER Lead singer of Aerosmith; tried out as Plant's replacement in London after the O2 show
JAAN UHELSZKI Interviewed Zeppelin for Creem; traveled with the band on 1975 and 1977 U.S. tours
STEVE VAN ZANDT Guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band; inducted Frank Barsalona into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005
CHARLIE WATTS Drummer with the Rolling Stones
JON WEALLEANS Architect who drew up plans for Page's Equinox bookshop in Kensington
STEVE WEISS New York entertainment lawyer who negotiated Zeppelin's Atlantic deal and subsequently took care of all Swan Song legal affairs; died in 2008
CHRIS WELCH Melody Maker staffer who interviewed Zeppelin several times in the '70s and Page and Plant in the subsequent decade
MORGANA WELCH L.A. groupie, Zeppelin friend, and author of The Hollywood Diaries
JERRY WEXLER Atlantic Record producer and executive; signed Led Zeppelin in 1968; died in 2008
JACK WHITE White Stripes singer, writer, and guitarist, influenced by Zeppelin; costar with Page and U2's the Edge in 2009 documentary It Might Get Loud
DAVID WILLIAMS Boyhood friend—and fellow blues and rock 'n' roll fanatic—of Page's in Epsom
RICHARD WILLIAMS Melody Maker writer and editor; interviewed Plant in early '70s
ROY WILLIAMS Black Country veteran and live engineer for Robert Plant
SALLY WILLIAMS Ex-girlfriend of Bonham roadie Mick Hinton
MICHAEL WINNER Director of Death Wish II, for which Page supplied the soundtrack music
JOE “JAMMER” WRIGHT Chicago blues guitarist and Zeppelin roadie; later played with Maggie Bell