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Robert Plant has proven to be one of the most talented and successful male singers in the history of rock music. And it didn't hurt that along the way he brought an overt, sexual tenacity to the role of lead singer that is still with us to this day.

Now there's no disputing the fact that Elvis, the Beatles, and even Jimi Hendrix commanded a great degree of female attention due to their sexual charisma and appeal. But Plant would take it to a whole new level of macho bravado as he performed barechested or with tops wide open, and with pants so tight that they left little to the female imagination. And this was still in the late Sixties, and years before Rod Stewart or the Bee Gees ever dared to imagine to do such a thing, lest they lose their legions of young male fans or be accused of being gay, which could be a career killer in the late sixties.

But Robert had the ability of possessing a stage persona that might be defined as somewhat effeminate, or even campy; but there was never any question of ANYBODY ever questioning his sexual orientation. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that publicly, he was a happily married young man and soon a father a couple of children. Or that privately, the rumour mill was full of brazen sexual exploits involving a never-ending number of eager and desirable young groupies, especially when touring America in the early Seventies.

And his talent wasn't simply defined by this sexual dominance that enabled Led Zeppelin to replace the Beatles as the top band in the world of rock. Because even if you had never been to a Led Zep show and hadn't seen them as a live act, all you had to do was hear that extraordinary voice and you would shake your head in wonder, as you questioned if Janis Joplin had suddenly changed her gender and formed a new band.

Some historical accounts have stated that Robert never received any writing credits on the first album because Jimmy Page wasn't really sure in the beginning if he was going to be "the guy" for Page's New Yardbirds, who would later earn their new band title thanks to the manic Keith Moon, who deadpanned that this group would take off like a lead balloon.

But after a few New Yardbirds shows in Europe, and later some Zeppelin shows in North America, there was no doubt that Plant was indeed "the guy". In fact, word had it that there was always a bit of unsettled resentment on Page's part towards Robert and the immense popularity he garnered from Zeppelin fans, especially since it was really Jimmy's

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