ROBERT PLANT

ROBERT PLANT On Ahmet Ertegun - "I Loved Him Dearly"

LED ZEPPELIN legend ROBERT PLANT has issued the following tribute to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun: "I will miss our warm and long friendship. I loved him dearly."

THE ROLLING STONES singer Mick Jagger added: "He was a marvellous man, very witty, a great raconteur who lived a full social and business life spanning 50 years of popular music."

As previously reported, Ertegun died in New York on Thursday, December 14th. He was 83. Atlantic said the tireless socialite and deal-maker had been in a coma at Weill Cornell Medical Centre since October, when he slipped backstage at a New York concert by The Rolling Stones, who recorded for the label during the 1970s.

Armet founded Atlantic Records in 1947 with partner Herb Abramson. He went on to discover and nurture the early careers of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, GENESIS, BAD COMPANY, CREAM, CROSBY, STILLS & NASH among many others.

(Thanks Led-Zeppelin.com

ROBERT PLANT To Reform THE HONEYDRIPPERS For Two UK Shows

According to Expressandstar.co.uk, LED ZEPPELIN legend Robert Plant will recreate his group THE HONEYDRIPPERS in one of two major coups for a Dudley club. JBs host the former Led Zeppelin frontman and return of The Honeydrippers on Valentine’s Day. It is unclear who will be in The Honeydrippers’ line-up, but the band’s album from 1984 featured Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, who has been described by Eric Clapton as “the best guitarist around”. That release celebrated Plant’s first musical love, with covers of rock songs from the 1950s and 60s The concert, billed as An Evening Of Rhythm And Blues, will help pay for his friend, Kidderminster woman Jackie Jennings, to have life-saving Proton Beam therapy in Boston. Doors open at 7pm on the night and tickets are £15. And on February 1, Britpop hero Damon Albarn will also appear at the Dudley nightspot in a show which is already sold out. The Blur and Gorillaz lead singer will be performing in a more modern day supergroup along with Paul Simonon, ex-bass player in The Clash and Simon Tong, former guitarist in The Verve. Entry is £20. For tickets or information people can email simon@jbsdudley.co.uk, or call 01384 253597.