Billionaire Richard Branson has slammed reports that he offered Led Zeppelin a $800M reunion contract.
He says the Mirror story-which claimed that frontman Robert Plant tore up the paperwork after the rest of the band had signed– is “completely untrue” and “fabricated.”
Branson writes on his blog:
“I spoke to Robert about the story, which he also confirmed is complete rubbish from his side too. Robert told me he’s very proud of his history and the band’s past, and has always had great respect and love for his work. However, he really believes he must move on with his life and career today. Making up this story is very disrespectful to how wonderful his career with the Sensational Shape Shifters is going.”
The Virgin tycoon says Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones also have “many exciting projects” in their futures, and insists each member of Led Zeppelin should be “respected in their own right.”
He finishes, “As Robert told me: ‘Look, Richard, I just do things because I love them and I want to do more new things that I love.’ I couldn’t agree more.”
In May Plant said he had no interest in returning to be part of the “circus” that Led Zep had become. Page recently appeared to accept there was no chance of a reunion, saying of his former colleague’s career: “It’s his journey, isn’t it?”
Led Zep are midway through the release of their remaster series. Plant launched latest solo album Lullaby And… The Ceaseless Roar earlier this year, while Page says he’s planning to record and tour in 2015.
additional source: classicrock.teamrock.com
36 Responses
Okay Robert then drop the heavy Zeppelin ’14 set list and do the ’84 set in pajamas again. Snore.
Well stated Lee. Love it.
Kind of have to agree. I’ve seen Robert on three of his tours since he ended the Page/Plant deal and there is always a good amount of Zeppelin in the show. If he truly doesn’t want anything to do with the band then just play your solo stuff for christsake. Having said that, I did love the versions of the Zep stuff he performs, always with damn good players.
Whhhooooaaahhhhhh how y’all feel? Alllllllll right. You know I was talking to somebody backstage and they said a lot of you people love the REAL PAUL STANLEY awww hey! How many, I said how many of you people love the taste of being realistical??? Owwwwwlll!!! You know, there’s been a few of you who call me a fool, that say I’m not cool……. I know, I just know ewww ohhh that the REAL KISS ARMY loves the REAL PAUL STANLEY LEMME HEAR YA!!!!! A long long time ago, when Ace & Peter started to live the rock n roll lifestyle and Gene started collecting crabs, I started to steer the mighty battleship called KISS. KISS NAVY LEMME HEAR YA!!!!!! You people, you people fell for all of our gimmicks woooo! Recently Sir Richard Branson approached yours truly and inquired about a KISS reunion with Ace & Peter. Now you know, Gene and I have always been about the money make some noise!!!! I said Sir, I don’t call anybody Sir not even Paul McCartney let me hear ya!!!!!! Not only, not only did I turn down his contract offer of $18 trillion and. 59 cents, I gave Branson one of my marvelous paintings for all of that money and I took his title of Sir and have now become SIR REAL PAUL STANLEY M A K E S O M E N O I S E!!!! And I told him YOU listen to Emerson, Lake & Palmer not me whoooooo!!!! I’m like a runaway, crazy train I’m outta control, if you try to put the brakes on I’m still gonna roll!!! Now many of you, many of you often inquire about the whereabouts of one Vinnie Vincent Cusano via my new best friend Eddie Trunk. Vinnie is locked up in the Kiss vault in a straight jacket so he can’t hang himself as he’s being handed the keys to the kingdom lemme hear ya!!!!! LOUDER!!!! All right!!! Speaking of, speaking of Vinnie, this next one, this next one comes off of Lick It UUUUUPPPPP!!!!!! WOOOO!!! KISS has always been known to create all things from Van Halen to Bon Jovi, both of which we took out on their very first too-orrs make some noise!!!! But there was just one thing that we didn’t create besides the world itself, which is debatable in the eyes of many in and of itself. It was on the 8th day, And On The 8th Day you sing it!!!!!
Eddie,
If you’re reading this, please give Real Paul Stanley some space on your website for a daily column. I absolutely LOVE his editorials!
I feel sadness for all the other real paul Stanley fans who won’t stumble across this post, as did I….another masterpiece!!! any chance we can get the real paul stanley as a guest on tms?
Now that one was funny.
About The Real Paul guy, to be said in the voice of Foghorn Leghorn: “Loooooove that post!”
This guy cracks me up!
You people are easily entertained to like this crap!
It’s called “sense of humor.” People at this site get SO worked up over all things KISS. It’s cool to read someone who pokes fun at the whole situation – KISS, their fans in general, and people who comment on this site. Besides, how do we know that Real Paul Stanley isn’t really Paul Stanley?……
KISS is fun to joke about today. That is why everyone does it.,,,,,,But nobody has ever made fun of “KISS”.
He really has a rather large head, doesn’t he? He must truly be Scottish…”looks like an orange on a tootpick..”
And what the f does that ” real paul stanley” diatribe have to do with the Zeppelin story anyway?
Other than complete nonsense….another one of many people with lots of words and absolutely nothing to contribute!
Well I’m glad Richard Branson set the record straight and that there was no offer. It may have been a rumor started by a Zeppelin fan (or hater). Somehow it got into a British tabloid. In the end it not only misrepresented Branson but the surviving members of Led Zeppelin bringing an unnecessary news story and pit the surviving members on different sides.
I remember a few years back when ABBA (yes ABBA) was offered $1 billion from a Sweedish billionaire to reunite and perform together and they collectively turned it down. For bands that long since disbanded it’s best to reunite on their terms and no one else’s.
methinks rick deserves a response/sermon from the real paul Stanley! all right!