Robert Plant turns down $800 million Led Zeppelin reunion, makes billionaire sad
Although the surviving members of Led Zeppelin—particularly Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, it seems—aren’t immune to the affluent charms of the reunion gig, singer Robert Plant has apparently yet again shut down plans for a new Led Zeppelin tour. According to The Hollywood Reporter (via the tabloid The Daily Mirror, so keep that in mind), Plant recently turned down an offer from mega-kajillionaire and longtime Zeppelin fan Richard Branson for a three-city, 35-date Zeppelin tour that would have netted Plant, Page, and Jones just over $300 million apiece before taxes. This would have been the most lucrative tour for any band in the history of live music.
Page, Jones, and John Bonham’s son Jason Bonham, who would have received an unspecified “wage” for his services, reportedly signed on for the tour without hesitation because holy shit that’s a lot of zeroes. However, Plant “ripped up” his contract after asking for 48 hours to think about the deal, a movie that left promoters “shocked.” “They have tried to talk him round, but there is no chance…His mind is made up, and that’s that,” a source tells The Daily Mirror, presumably adding that they don’t understand how someone could put concern for legacy and respect for a dead friend over money either.
Plant’s refusal derails Branson’s reportedly-quite-ambitious plans for the tour, which included rebranding one of his jets as “The Starship” in order to fly the band from gig to gig. Branson was presumably last seen on his private island, wiping his tears on a 24-carat-gold-coated handkerchief and strumming “Stairway To Heaven” on his acoustic guitar.