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Rebellious Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has revealed his first steps into rock ‘n’ roll – as a choirboy.
Rock God Page, infamous for his raunchy guitar riffs, recreational drug use and giving a Whole Lotta Love to adoring groupies once donned the holy white attire of a choirboy whilst wailing The Lord’s My Shepherd.
But the dynamic guitarist, founder of the Herculean foursome Led Zeppelin, insists that he had a hardnosed motive for singing innocently at St Barnabas Church near his home in Epsom, Surrey.
He said: “In those days it was difficult to access rock ‘n’ roll music because after all the riots happened in the cinemas, when people heard Rock Around the Clock in the film Blackboard Jungle, the authorities tried to lock it all down.
“You needed to tune in to radio or go to places where you could hear it.
“It just so happened that in youth clubs they would play records you’d get to hear Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ricky Nelson – but you had to either go to church or be a member of the choir to go to the youth club.â€
As a child, Page dedicated long periods of his time mastering the guitar and was soon jamming with his friends from the church with his indulgent parents even allowed them to rehearse in their Epsom Home.
Page added: “The Choirmaster at St Barnabas remembered that I used to take my guitar to choir practice and I’d ask if I could tune it up to the organ.â€
The Lord of the Riffs, then 12, took his band on a BBC young-talent show and stated that he wanted to work in “biological research†when he grew up, and in a way he eventually achieved that goal earning the adoration of many women and demonstrating his knowledge of’ biology’ with them.
It wasn’t until the 60’s though when Page really began to bloom as a guitarist, playing sessions with the likes of the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Who and Tom Jones amongst others.
From there he never looked back and became one of the most expressive guitarists ever to plug into an amplifier.
Now 66, a silver ponytail replaces the long dark tresses of his 1970’s heyday, and a garibaldi with a nice brew is enough to satisfy his ravenous libido.