originally appeared at monstersandcritics.com

Robert Plant wants to spend New Year’s Eve (31.12.09) in the arms of a woman.

The 61-year-old rocker - who has famously lived a life of sex, drugs and rock n roll excess - admitted he will be looking for love over the holiday season.

He said: “Where would I like to welcome in the New Year? In some warm, tantalising arms.”

Although he is looking forward to celebrating New Year’s Eve, the former Led Zeppelin singer isn’t looking forward to the next decade because all it holds for him is “more attention to bladder control”.

He added: “I don’t think I’ve aged gracefully. When you can feel the breeze of the Grim Reaper, there’s nothing graceful about that fear, because I’m only a third of the way through the adventures I want to have.”

However, the star has made some New Year’s Resolutions - to improve his driving.

He explained: “I park my car by touch, using the wheels as a guide to when I’ve hit the kerb.”

originally appeared on news.qthemusic.com

Robert Plant rounded off the Q Awards 2009 with Russian Standard Vodka by receiving the Q Outstanding Contribution To Music.

Introducing the award which was presented by Ibrahim from Tinariwen and Bob Harris, and included a video message from Alison Krauss, Harris paid tribute to his friend of forty years. He described him as “a wonderfully exciting person to be around, an artist who has never lost his wanderlust”, recounting Plant’s numerous achievements, including the recent Led Zeppelin reunion and the 5 Grammy awarded album Raising Sand.

Perhaps illustrating his musical journey best of all Plant in return thanked a long list of people from throughout from all eras of his career and across different musical genres, whom he said he shared the award with, including the members of Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley, Tinariwen, Alison Krauss and legendary record executive and Atlantic Records’ co-founder Ahmet Ertegun.

originally appeared on NME.com

Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant has said that he has held talks with Glastonbury festival chief Michael Eavis about him performing at next year’s event.

The singer told BBC 6music that although he had spoken to Eavis about the possibility of him playing, he had not thought about who he would be playing with.

“I’ve just been talking to Michael,” he said. “There’s place for me there, but I have no idea who with. There is a chance yeah, but I don’t know with who.”

Led Zeppelin reunited in December 2007 to play the London O2 Arena, although they haven’t been active since. Plant released an album, ‘Raising Sand’, in 2007 with Alison Krauss.

When asked if he would play Glastonbury solo he said, “Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m good at card tricks.”

Originally appeared in the Cornwall Standard Freeholder

Posted By JAMES REANEY, SUN MEDIA

Super songwriter Mel Tillis has a whole lotta love and gratitude for this singer called Robert Plant.

Tillis just isn’t sure who the guy is. Tillis knows some of the songs that this Plant fella sings because he wrote them. One is Stick With Me Baby, a Tillis-penned tune for the Everly Brothers in the late 1950s.

“It was just recorded by a person that I’ve never of, Robert Plant,” Tillis says. “He cut a duet with Alison Krauss. He did it and last count it’s over two million albums.”

British rock superstar Plant and roots music superstar Krauss teamed on the multi-Grammy-winning Raising Sand. Tillis carefully checks the album’s title with his staff.

He doesn’t need to check where Plant found Raising Sand’s 10th track. “He heard that song in England. I’ll tell you how he heard it,” Tillis says. “That was on the back side of Temptation by the Everly Brothers … Over in England, Stick With Me Baby was the hit and he heard that over there away back when he was just a young man.”

It’s hard to believe someone with a 52-year career like Tillis and a hip daughter, Pam Tillis, in the business really hadn’t heard of the ex-Led Zep frontman.

He is, after all, the famous author of Stutterin’ Boy, hailed as a brave and funny account of his storied stutter and rise to country success, and a multiple winner of comedy awards.

“No, no, no, I hadn’t . . . that ain’t my world,” Mel Tillis insists. That is his answer when he is pressed on not knowing about Plant by a slightly skeptical interviewer who is wondering if the fabled country wit and award-winning comedian might be planting a tale.

Tillis has been tracking Plant, who’s been singing a lot of Mel’s music, it seems, “I heard him the other day with some damn guy on TV singing an old song that I wrote for Burl Ives and Lefty Frizzell called What You Going to Do, Leroy. I heard him singing that on MTV or one of them,” Tillis says.

It’s likely Tillis saw Plant with U. S. roots star Buddy Miller when it comes to doing Leroy.

“They did it real smooth, almost like the Everly Brothers . . . (with) heart and soul. They didn’t change anything,” Tillis says of one or maybe both of the Plant celebrity duets on Mel-made classics.

It is suggested that Tillis and his celebrated band, the Statesiders, might want to return Plant’s favour by covering Whole Lotta Love or Black Dog or other Led Zep classics on their current tour. The man who has written more than 1,000 songs, as many as 600 of them covered by other recording artists, laughs good-naturedly at the thought.

So it’s not likely Tillis, and the twin fiddles who drive the nine-piece Statesiders, will shift into Zep mode when the tour reaches Centennial Hall on Monday night.

Originally appeared on wolves.co.uk

Lifelong Wolves fan and rock legend Robert Plant is to be honoured for his dedication to the club by being made a Vice-President.

The world-famous Led Zeppelin frontman, who has become an iconic figure in the music industry, will officially receive the honour prior to kick off in the opening Barclays Premier League game of the season against West Ham tomorrow.

The Steve Bull Stand Season Ticket Holder will join Rachael Heyhoe-Flint and Steve Bull as the third Vice President inducted at Molineux. ||Continue reading||

Press Association News Release

Robert Plant has admitted he’s less rock’n'roll these days.

The former Led Zeppelin frontman, who was honoured with a CBE at Buckingham Palace by Prince Charles alongside actress Liz Smith, said his conversation with the prince had changed over the years.

He recalled how the first time he met Charles when working with the Prince’s Trust, the prince had said: “That is a remarkable voice - do you gargle with port?”

But this time, he said, they discussed the recent Dimbleby lecture that the prince gave on global challenges and the environment which was broadcast earlier this week.

He also joked that he and former Zeppelin band-mate Jimmy Page - who has an OBE - would not be fighting over rank.

“If we can remember each other’s phone number at this time in life it’s a miracle. We’re still good friends, we both enjoy a rather dark sense of humour that comes I think from being from rather the wrong side of the tracks for all those wild years.”

Plant last year decided not to take part in a Led Zeppelin reunion tour, choosing instead to concentrate on his collaboration with American bluegrass singer Alison Krauss.

Royle Family star Liz also got the royal seal of approval - but the Prince of Wales admitted his relief that his relatives were nothing like her fictional family.

Charles told the 87-year-old, who played the ailing Nana in the hit show, as he presented her with an MBE that the sofa-bound TV characters were “nothing like my family, thank God”.

Originally appeared in Kiderminster Shuttle (UK)

WYRE Forest rock legend Robert Plant was honoured by Prince Charles today when he received a CBE.

The former Led Zeppelin frontman, who lives in Shatterford, was given the accolade in recognition of his services to music.

Still hugely popular today, Led Zeppelin were formed 40 years ago and have been widely acclaimed as one of the first heavy metal bands.

They broke up in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham and have sold more than 300 million albums world wide.

Mr Plant is currently enjoying a successful solo career, having toured America and Europe last year with bluegrass star Alison Krauss.

He still finds the time for the odd performance in local venues such as Kidderminster Town Hall and supports many local causes.

He helped boost the Shuttle/Times & News Operation Covert appeal to raise £80,000 to replace the Rhydd Covert activity centre after it had been destroyed by vandals.

In 2005 he was pictured manning a mechanical digger to cut the first trench for the new facility in the woodland site next to West Midland Safari Park.

He is also patron of Mighty Atom Smasher (MAS) Records which helps to promote the latest up and coming bands in the West Midlands, in partnership with Kidderminster College.

MAS provides training and advice for nearly 160 musicians, helping bands to land all important record deals.

Originally appeared in Express and Star (UK)

Rock legend Robert Plant played a new venue today when he climbed the stairway to Buckingham Palace for a date with royalty.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers fanatic was honoured by the Prince of Wales when he received a CBE.

Fellow musician Courtney Pine also got a CBE while Royle Family actress Liz Smith was honoured with an MBE.

Former Led Zeppelin frontman Plant, who lives near Kidderminster, has had a successful and diverse solo career since the band split in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham.

He appeared in a tribute concert at the O2 arena where Jason Bonham took the role of his late father on the drums.

But he recently refused to join a mooted Led Zeppelin reunion so he could concentrate on his collaboration with American bluegrasssinger Alison Krauss.

Their first album, Raising Sand was released in 2007 and won five Grammy awards, more than he ever did with band Led Zeppelin.

He gained a Grammy lifetime achievement award with Led Zep in 2005 but failed to win one of the prestigious gongs while the group was together from the late 1960s until 1980.

Plant, who is patron of MAS Records, the record label based at Kidderminster College which aims to help talented up-and-coming musicians, still maintains close links to the town.

Originally appeared on Telegraph.co.uk

Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant denied he was now part of the establishment after being awarded a CBE by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

Plant said the experience was humbling to take part in a ceremony alongside “very selfless” military heroes and community volunteers.

With his long hair tied into a ponytail and wearing a simple blue suit and a handful of heavy silver rings giving away his rock roots, he denied that the award meant he was now part of the establishment.

“The diversity of people who have moved through here this morning prove there is no real establishment here,” he added.

Plant last year decided not to take part in a Led Zeppelin reunion tour, choosing instead to concentrate on his collaboration with American bluegrass singer Alison Krauss.

Asked today if he would ever return to the stage with his old band-mates, he said: “Sometimes I go a bit deaf in either ear, especially when people are talking nonsense.”

He said that he owed “everything to the musicians I work with”, adding: “From the UK to Africa to Tennessee, it is their brilliance that I bounce off. Alone I’m nothing.”

He also joked that he and former Zeppelin band-mate Jimmy Page - who has an OBE - would not be fighting over rank.

“If we can remember each other’s phone number at this time in life it’s a miracle. We’re still good friends, we both enjoy a rather dark sense of humour that comes I think from being from rather the wrong side of the tracks for all those wild years.”

Originally appeared on Sunderlandecho.com (UK)

By Fiona Thompson

A County Durham Led Zeppelin fan was left stunned when his hero popped into an annual summer fair.

Mick Hudspeth was preparing for the annual fete at the community centre he manages when rock legend Robert Plant stopped by to offer his support.

Robert then offered one of his guitars as a lot in the fair’s auction.

Mick, originally from Seaham but now living in London, was left stunned after the highest bidder offered a staggering £1,200 for the instrument at Primrose Hill Community Centre. ||Continue reading||