Jimmy Page Born: Led Zeppelin's Guitar Architect

Jimmy Page was the most sought-after session guitarist in London before the Yardbirds existed. Born on January 9, 1944, in Heston, Middlesex, he taught himself guitar as a teenager, inspired by the rockabilly of Scotty Moore and the blues of Hubert Sumlin. By 16, he was already performing on British television. He chose session work over a performing career initially, and through the mid-1960s he played on hundreds of recordings for artists including Tom Jones, Donovan, the Kinks, the Who, Them, and Marianne Faithfull. He was so ubiquitous that he appeared on records by bands that had no idea he was there. He joined the Yardbirds in 1966, initially as a bassist before switching to guitar alongside Jeff Beck. When the Yardbirds dissolved in 1968, Page owned the band's name and their contractual obligation to complete a Scandinavian tour. He assembled a new group: Robert Plant on vocals, John Paul Jones on bass, and John Bonham on drums. The tour promoters billed them as the New Yardbirds. Keith Moon suggested the name Lead Zeppelin. Page dropped the 'a' in Lead so Americans wouldn't mispronounce it. Led Zeppelin's debut album was recorded in approximately 36 hours of studio time and released without any singles. It reached number ten on the Billboard chart on word of mouth alone. Over the next decade, the band produced some of the most influential rock music ever recorded. The guitar solo on "Stairway to Heaven" was reportedly completed in a single take during a soundcheck. Page also produced every Led Zeppelin album, an unusual level of artistic control for the era. The band dissolved after Bonham's death in 1980. Page has largely avoided sustained touring since.