The Guitar Player's Resource
Few young rock guitar players in the 1970s were not influenced by the legendary leader of Led Zeppelin - producer and guitarist Jimmy Page. In high school in the Chicago suburbs there were already Led Zeppelin tribute bands - one called "Bron-Yr-Aur", led by devotee Jim Magrini (who was fortunate enough to own both a Les Paul and a double neck).
The concert film "The Song Remains The Same" was the last straw for me as well. After seeing the live energy of the group and the creativity of Mr. Page, I had to have a guitar.
Page is generally considered to be one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Rolling Stone magazine described Page as "the pontiff of power riffing" and ranked him number three in their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time", behind Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Notably In 2010, he ranked number two in Gibson's list of "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time" and, in 2007, number four on Classic Rock's "100 Wildest Guitar Heroes".
Page was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: once as a member of the Yardbirds (1992) and once as a member of Led Zeppelin (1995).
When I starting recording my own music, I was also inspired by the fact that Page was the producer and visionary of Led Zeppelin's music, and I considered him to be just as influential in the realm of production as he was as a guitar player.
In this 25-minute video, Jimmy Page joins the BBC's Kirsty Lang for a fireside chat about his music, past and present.
The Queen's Brian May might have the last word here, as he told Guitarist in 2004: "I don't think anyone has epitomized riff writing better than Jimmy Page - he's one of the great brains of rock music."
Dan McAvinchey is a guitarist and composer living in Raleigh, NC.
He believes every musician or composer has the power to write, record and release their own music.
