Jimmy Page’s Biggest Regret During the Early Days of Led Zeppelin: “There Ultimately Never Was a Next Time”

Following one’s dream all the way through entails sacrifices. No matter how you go about it, there is something you will have to give up, whether that be time with your friends, time at work, or, really, just time in general. All of the greatest musicians are no strangers to this sacrifice, and this sacrifice led to a regret Jimmy Page has that came about during the early days of Led Zeppelin.

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Founded in 1968, Led Zeppelin worked tirelessly to make sure they cemented themselves as major players in the music industry. They achieved that, but as we just noted, a lot of time and energy were sacrificed. At the start of their career, Led Zeppelin played shows in Scandinavia and launched their first United States tour right before 1969. Additionally, during these early days, Led Zeppelin released the acclaimed albums Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II.

Zeppelin was a busy bunch, and due to the sheer amount of work they were doing, Jimmy Page missed out on one heck of an opportunity. That opportunity was to see Jimi Hendrix live before his passing in 1970.

Jimmy Page Tried and Tried, but Never Got Around To Seeing Jimi Hendrix Live

The late 1960s music scene in London hosted some of the greatest talent of all time. Some major players you could see on any given day in the city included Pink Floyd, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. The figurehead of that scene was Jimi Hendrix, and for a good reason, as he essentially reinvented the guitar for the sake of contemporary rock ‘n’ roll.

Regarding the regrets Page has about never seeing Hendrix live, he stated in the book, Light And Shade: Conversations With Jimmy Page, “In the first two years of any band, you just work solidly.” “If you’re going to make an impact, that’s what you have to do. We were no different. In fact, we probably worked for three years straight.”

“Anyway, every time I came back from tour and Hendrix was playing somewhere, I would always say to myself, ‘Oh, I’m just so exhausted, I’ll see him next time.’ I just put it off and, of course, there ultimately never was a next time.”

“I’m really, really upset with myself for never seeing him. I really wanted to hear him,” concluded Page. Not that missing out on a Jimi Hendrix show is some life-changing mistake, but if I were page, I’d always feel a sense of regret. Though that is just the name of the game, and Page spent his energy in some very valuable places.

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