“There’s so few people behind the glamour who really make it as true performers. It’s a very strange thoroughbred condition to be a successful musician and still be able to project it with confidence. Freddie had that, and there’s not many people who have had it,” Robert Plant said.
Plant praised the late singer. “He was a sweet guy, great voice. A tribute and testament to him, which a lot of people won’t click and understand, a lot of people are changing the keys to these songs because they just can’t do it.
“Freddie sang all these songs originally and he sang them better than we are gonna sing them. He sang them in the correct keys, he sang them with confidence, he sang them really, really well. His personality vocally and his whole projection we can’t capture. The real thing about today is that he is not here,” Robert Plant said.
Freddie was spectacular and “had much better chops” than me.”I mean, real great, great singer. I just get into songs and live them out, which is a different thing, I think that’s true.”
“I knew Freddie quite well and he was a wonderful guy. We used to sit and talk about what we would do (when) our voices (would go away).”
Queen had released only four albums in 1975 but were already a very successful group. In a conversation with Circus magazine in that year, Freddie Mercury was asked to give his opinion on Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.
“Jimi Hendrix is very important. He’s my idol. He sort of epitomizes, from his presentation onstage, the whole works of a rock star. There’s no way you can compare him. You either have the magic or you don’t.”
“Led Zeppelin is the greatest band of all time. Robert Plant is one of the most original vocalists of our time and my favorite singer. As a rock band they deserve the kind of success they’re getting,” Freddie Mercury said.
