Peter Grant: The Man Who Led Zeppelin
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In the aftermath of Peter’s death there were problems with his estate. Explains Warren. “There was no will. What happened was ironic. A couple of weeks before dad died he had fallen out with somebody he had put into his will. So he went to the solicitors and said, ‘Cancel that. I want to rewrite it.’ And he never got around to rewriting his will, so it went to probate. So while the estate came to Helen and myself, it took a time to value the income stream from the publishing royalties from Led Zeppelin. We had it valued and then the Inland Revenue said it was worth ten times that amount. We had a lot of people working on that and it cost us a fortune. In the end they met us half way. We get a percentage of the royalties and although it won’t make us millionaires, it’s quite nice to have an income and that keeps us going.”
Peter Grant’s funeral was held on a dark, cold morning on Monday, December 4, 1995. The service was at 10.30 a.m. at St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Hellingly, the East Sussex village where Peter used to live. As the mourners gathered, the narrow lane leading to the small church was packed with long black limousines and standing in the churchyard were sombre looking security men. Alongside Warren and Helen were old friends and colleagues. Alan Callan was asked to give an address and he paid a fulsome tribute to Peter. “His greatness was that he was a man of many parts. He was as adept at the ominous glance as he was at the disarming remark. He could engage you in the greatest conspiratorial friendship and you would know that through thick and thin he would fight with you all the way, unless of course he thought you might appreciate the humour of a sudden change of plan. If you were his friend he would give you his all. His own success, that which he treasured most, was his family, Warren, Helen, Caroline, Amy, Lucy and Tiffany were his greatest joys. There was no role he enjoyed more than being a devoted father and doting grandfather. Wherever Peter is going now, I hope they’ve got their act together.”
Added Lord John Gould: “He was proud of what he’d achieved in helping to revolutionise the music business. Some thought he had a reputation for being rude. Not really! He was just totally honest. With Peter there was no front, just an honest opinion.”
Organising the star-studded funeral hadn’t been an easy task. “In the week prior to the funeral I was getting all these phone calls,” says Alan Callan. “I was called by Jeff Beck, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, Jimmy and Robert. I was trying to help Warren about making sure the people he wanted to know could attend. I wanted to make sure others who couldn’t attend would know about the arrangements, like Ahmet.”
Among those who specially wanted to go was Peter’s old pal Mickie Most but there was some confusion about his invitation. “I didn’t go to the funeral. I asked for the details and I was told that the funeral was ‘only family’. I was due to go the next day to America but I would have cancelled the trip and gone to the funeral. So when they said it was only family, I thought ‘fair enough’ and re-booked the flights and appointments for the American trip.
“Then I got a phone call from Peter’s office, saying that Warren had phoned and said, ‘Of course, you must come to the funeral.’ So I said: ‘I can’t now, I’ve committed myself, because you told me yesterday I couldn’t come.’ Then they told me there would be a memorial service, to which I would be invited. Well that never took place so I thought it was very disorganised.”
As the mourners filed out, the packed church was filled not with the sound of Led Zeppelin or any of the artists he had been associated with over the years. Instead Peter had chosen a sentimental record that harked back to the Second World War and his childhood. Even in the midst of sorrow the lilting theme raised a smile amongst those in the know. Said Alan Callan: “I thought it was so funny that he chose Vera Lynn singing ‘We’ll Meet Again’ for his funeral music. I just loved the guy for that.”
A wake was held at Worth Farm, Little Horsted that entailed a long drive through the winding roads of the Sussex countryside to a small low ceilinged barn, which housed Peter’s collection of vintage cars. Most of the mourners seemed deep in thought and avoided speaking to each other, as they gathered around a buffet table set up in front of the famed ‘Al Capone’ car. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Phil Carson, Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke, Boz Burrell and Denny Laine stared bleakly into space, as if contemplating their past lives and wondering where it had all gone and what would they do next. When Jimmy abruptly left the proceedings the door slammed loudly behind him, and a gust of cold wind blew through the barn. Only Jeff Beck seemed outgoing, relaxed and friendly. He enjoyed chatting to his old Yardbirds colleagues Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty, sharing their memories of G with Jason, Debbie and Zoe Bonham and Phil May of the Pretty Things.
The obituaries were fulsome. Robin Denselow, writing in The Guardian, said: “Peter Grant was the most colourful and influential manager in the history of rock. He may never have become a household name like Elvis Presley’s manager Colonel Parker, or The Beatles’ Brian Epstein, but within the industry itself the man who guided the career of Led Zeppelin was regarded with awe and admiration.”
The band members issued official statements. Said Robert Plant: “Peter Grant changed the rules. He rewrote the rulebook. He did so much for us that in 1975 he had to turn around and say, ‘Look, there’s nothing else I can do. We’ve had performing pigs and high wire acts. We’ve had mud sharks and all that – there’s no more I can do because you really now can go to Saturn.’ I owe so much of my confidence to the way he calmed and nurtured and cajoled all of us to be what we were. He was larger than life. A giant who turned the game upside down. Fierce, uncompromising with great humour.”
Jimmy Page confined himself to saying: “Peter was a tower of strength as a business partner and a friend. I will miss him and my heart goes out to his family.”
Peter Grant had devoted his life to rock’n’roll and to those artists who now struggled for adequate words to thank him. When friends asked, ‘Why?’ his answer was simple. “I did it for the adventures.”
* * *
* Grant later revealed that Robert Plant had discussed making a solo album in the mid-Seventies, at the height of Led Zeppelin’s career. “Robert asked if I would support him if he wanted to do a solo album. I said, ‘Of course,’ and then went on to ask who he imagined would play guitar. ‘Umm,’ he said, ‘I suppose I’d have to have Jimmy.’ ‘What about bass?’ ‘Well again,’ says Robert. ‘It would have to be Jonesy.’ ‘And drums?’ ‘Gotta be Bonzo I guess.’ ‘Why do you want to do a solo album Robert?’ He never mentioned it again!”
* When Bicknell told Peter Grant about this exchange later, Grant replied: “I wouldn’t have let you drop Ed. You have my assurance on that.”
* Grant: “Kingdom Come? The worst load of crap I ever heard. Not that I heard that much. It was hard for the ears to take.”
* Former NME writer and PR guru to Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Acknowledgements
My own experiences of spending time with Peter Grant and his clients, including The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, have informed this text throughout. As far as Zep was concerned, I was there at the beginning, during the good times. Perhaps I was fortunate not to be around during the bad times.
The book has benefited from an extensive and largely unpublished interview with Peter that was carried out by Dave Lewis for his Led Zep fanzine Tight But Loose. I am grateful to Dave for allowing me access to this valuable material.
I would like to thank the following for their help and co-operation in writing this book: Keith Altham, Maggie Bell, Bev Bevan, Simon Napier-Bell, Ed Bicknell, Alan Callan, Chris Charlesworth, Peter Clifton, Richard Cole, Chris Dreja, Warren Grant, Helen Grant, Bill Harry, Steve Joule, John Paul Jones, Dave Lewis, Mickie Most, Howard Mylett and Michael Watts.
Table of Contents
Information Page
1 – THE GODFATHER OF ROCK
2 – THE ROCK’N’ROLL YEARS
3 – STAIRWAY TO ZEPPELIN
4 – A WHOLE LOTTA PETER
5 – “HELLO.
IT’S PETER GRANT CALLING”
6 – MR GRANT GOES TO WAR
7 – THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME: “WHO WAS THE GUY ON THE HORSE?”
8 – SWAN SONG
9 – “DID YOU ENJOY THE SHOW?”
10 – THE WRONG GOODBYE
11 – THE LAST HURRAH
12 – WE’LL MEET AGAIN
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS