Jimmy Page

Two time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, English guitarist Jimmy Page is revered by many as one of the greatest guitarists of our time.

James Patrick Page was born January 9, 1944 in Heston, Middlesex, England. His mother was a doctor’s secretary, while his father was a personnel manager. When Page was eight years old, the family relocated to Epsom. Four years later, Page picked up his first guitar.

Attending a minimal amount of lessons, Page eventually decided to teach himself how to play the instrument with the help of musical inspirations Scotty Moore, James Burton, Elmore James, and BB King.

In order to pursue his musical career, Page left school when he was fourteen. Earning gigs right away, he appeared on the television show All Your Own as well as touring with Neil Christian and The Crusaders.

When Page became seriously sick with glandular fever, he decided to pursue his other passion, painting. To that end, he enrolled in Sutton Art College.

It seemed, however, Page couldn’t stay away from music for long. He continued to perform, sometimes even with legends such as Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. Before long, he earned studio work and went to the top of the singles chart with “Diamonds” in 1963.

Now a full time recording artist, Page worked with bands such as The Who, The Kinks, Jackie DeShannon, and Joe Cocker. There is even a particularly rare version of Robert Johnson’s “Little Queen of Spades” with Keith Richards of Rolling Stones fame.

While Page was offered Clapton’s position in The Yardbirds, Page declined due to their friendship and a reluctance to give up his lucrative recording career. When Clapton left in 1965, however, Page was taken on as bass guitar and subsequently moved to lead guitar.

When he left The Yardbirds, Page was integral in forming the definitive rock band Led Zeppelin. The lineup included John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and Robert Plant. Their years together produced some of the most memorable albums as well as singles including “Stairway to Heaven.” During his run with Led Zeppelin, Page was voted “Guitarist of the Year” five consecutive times.

When drummer Bonham died, the band went their separate ways. Page continued to perform in various groups, including The Honeydrippers with former Zeppelin band mate Plant. Page also participated in Live Aid with Phil Collins and Tony Thompson filling the place of deceased Zeppelin members.

Connecting with a younger generation, Page accompanied Diddy (formerly Puff Daddy) on the song “Come With Me,” used in the Matthew Broderick and Jean Reno remake of Godzilla (1998).

Page, along with many of his musical associates, admit to being addicted to both cocaine and heroin. Although he spent the majority of the 70s addicted to the narcotics, he went clean in the 80s.

Riddled with personal problems, his romantic history reflects this trouble. His relationship with fourteen year old groupie, Lori Maddox, became a well-known but accepted scandal. This was followed by three marriages. Although some dispute whether they actually married, Page’s first wife was Charlotte Martin. They had one child before divorcing. His second wife was Patricia Ecker from 1986 to 1995. They also had one child before divorcing. His present wife is Jimena Gomez Paratcha, with whom he has two children.

Despite any and all personal problems, Page made an indelible mark on the music world as an artist, composer, and producer. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his time with The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin.