In a bizarre but well-documented rock’n’roll moment, Jimmy Page once walked up to Kirk Hammett — lead guitarist of Metallica — thinking he was a street person, and handed him $5, telling him to “get something to eat … and a bath.”
The encounter reportedly happened on a street corner in London, when Hammett, a longtime Page fan, approached the Led Zeppelin legend for a photo. Hammett later recalled that Page didn’t seem to recognize him:
“After we took the photo … he crumpled up a $5 bill into my hand … and told me to get something to eat and maybe take a bath.”
Page then turned and climbed into a waiting limousine, leaving Hammett standing there in disbelief.
Hammett said he had met Page many times over the years and even jammed with him, but this time Page genuinely didn’t recognize him:
“We started chatting. It was obvious he did not recognize me.”
Despite the awkwardness, Hammett was touched — after all, it was Page, whom he calls his “guitar god.”
On Page’s side, the mix-up seems to stem from his straightforward, sometimes brusque nature. According to accounts, Page later expressed surprise:
“I never heard of him … I just assumed he was a street person down on his luck … I gave him a five spot to get some food and maybe take a bath.”
While the story might sound humorous at first, it’s layered with emotional complexity. Hammett has said he was “heartbroken” that Page — someone he deeply admires — didn’t recognize him. And despite the indignity of being misidentified, he kept the crumpled $5, calling it a reminder of how weird rock history can be.
