Robert Plant has collaborated with some of music’s greatest talents, from his iconic Led Zeppelin bandmates to renowned artists like Alison Krauss, T-Bone Burnett, and Jeff Beck. Plant’s eagerness to expand his musical horizons by working with a variety of musicians is a defining feature of his career. Yet, among the legends he admired, there was one figure he felt too “intimidated” to collaborate with: the inimitable Prince.
As comedian Joe Pera once joked, Prince’s otherworldly talent could make one question the existence of a patient deity, given how exceptional he was. Prince’s uniqueness was apparent from his very first album, where he famously played every instrument himself, all 27 of them. For Plant, Prince’s unparalleled artistic drive and singularity were nothing short of inspiring.
In a 1990 televised interview, Plant revealed his admiration. “I’m not really intimidated by too many people,” he said, “but I’m very impressed by people.” Of all artists, he found Prince particularly impressive, noting how he “used a lot of old…coming from all sorts of areas from the past,” yet somehow reimagined it into something wholly his own.
This approach resonated with Plant, as Led Zeppelin had a similar style, blending influences from blues to folk into a potent, genre-defining force.
Plant continued, describing Prince’s music as a mix of “honey, sex…not at all sexist but sexual,” adding, “I don’t know whether I’d like to work with him because he is so powerful that he’d probably intimidate me a bit—I don’t know.”
For someone as revered as Plant to feel outmatched highlights the reverence he held for Prince. Many musicians might have felt the same about Plant, yet here he was, in awe of Prince’s magnetic presence.
Despite the mutual admiration, the collaboration between Plant and Prince never materialized. However, their mutual respect is evident, particularly in Prince’s own recognition of Led Zeppelin’s influence. He once said, “Led Zeppelin, for example, would make you feel differently on each song.”
Like Zeppelin, Prince was unafraid to let each track dictate its own path, creating music that resonated deeply with listeners. Plant’s praise stands as a testament to Prince’s impact, marking him as a peer at the highest level of musical genius.
