One of the innovators of rock & roll, Robert Plant had a remarkable vocal range that inspired musicians worldwide to explore new vocal possibilities in songs. He had a significant role in Led Zeppelin’s popularity, which elevated the sound produced by Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham’s instruments. Over the years, Plant influenced a great deal of singers, and during his career, he shared his thoughts with many of them. Freddie Mercury, the late and renowned singer of Queen, was one of them.
What is Robert Plant’s opinion on Freddie Mercury:
As Robert Plant stated in an observation on Freddie Mercury’s official website, he admires the singer not just for his amazing singing abilities but also for his amazing stage presence. He said, “There’s so few people behind the glamour who really make it as true performers. It’s a very strange thoroughbred condition to be a successful musician and still be able to project it with confidence. Freddie had that, and there’s not many people who have had it.”
The frontman of Led Zeppelin had the good fortune to be a part of the legendary 1992 Wembley Stadium tribute to Freddie Mercury, which brought together a number of well-known performers. He performed the iconic Queen songs “Innuendo” from the 1991 album of the same name and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” from the 1980 record “The Game” with Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor. The band included parts of the two iconic Zeppelin songs, “Kashmir” and “Thank You,” while performing those songs live.
Freddie wrote “Innuendo” as a tribute to Led Zeppelin according to Robert Plant
In 2022, Plant disclosed to Classic Rock that Freddie informed him that he composed “Innuendo” as an homage to Led Zeppelin. The performer reportedly mentioned that he had trouble learning the show’s words and that, at the conclusion, he performed with a “huge lyric sheet taped to the stage.”
Plant paid tribute to the late artist in an interview for the TV special created for the Freddie Mercury Tribute show. “He was a sweet guy, great voice. A tribute and testament to him, which a lot of people won’t click and understand, a lot of people are changing the keys to these songs because they just can’t do it Freddie.”
Robert Plant said, “Freddie sang all these songs originally and he sang them better than we gonna sing them. He sang them in the correct keys, he sang them with confidence, he sang them really, really well. His personality vocally and his whole projection we can’t capture. The real thing about today is that he is not here.”
Robert Plant once said that Freddie was much better than him
“I knew Freddie quite well and he was a wonderful guy. We used to sit and talk about what we would gonna do (when) our voices (would go away).”
Freddie once said that Led Zeppelin was the greatest band of all time
Even though Queen had only put out four albums, they were already highly popular by 1975. During that year, Freddie Mercury was asked about Jimi Hendrix, Liza Minnelli, and Led Zeppelin in an interview with Circus magazine. Then, the late vocalist praised the virtues of all three of them, declaring that Zeppelin was the ultimate band.
“Jimi Hendrix is very important. He’s my idol. He sort of epitomizes, from his presentation onstage, the whole works of a rock star. There’s no way you can compare him. You either have the magic or you don’t.”
Freddie continued, “There’s no way you can work up to it. There’s nobody who can take his place. Liza, in terms of sheer talent, just oozes with it. She has sheer energy and stamina, which she gets across the stage. The way she delivers herself to the public is a good influence.”
“There is a lot to learn from her. Led Zeppelin is the greatest. Robert Plant is one of the most original vocalists of our time. As a rock band they deserve the kind of success they’re getting.”