“I suppose I didn’t really want to be in a band”: The late Terry Reid explains why he turned down Jimmy Page’s offer to front Led Zeppelin in final interview – but reveals the other guitar icon he nearly said yes to
While the classic Led Zeppelin lineup we all know is Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones, another musician was once in the running to front the band: the late Terry Reid.
Though fans often disagree as to why Reid ultimately passed on the opportunity – with some saying he outright turned it down and others saying it was due to his prior commitments with the Rolling Stones, Reid – who passed away in August 2025 – sets the record straight in his final interview with MOJO.
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“I didn’t turn Jimmy down,” he insists. “I told him, I’ve got to go do this tour with the Stones. When I get back, let’s have a go.”
While Reid ultimately never joined Led Zeppelin, the story goes that he suggested to Page who would become the band’s singer and drummer, Robert Plant and John Bonham.
“In Birmingham I’d played with The Band Of Joy a couple of times – bunch of fucking hooligans,” Reid continues.
“When Peter [Grant, Led Zeppelin manager] and Jimmy were talking about getting people for the band, I said, ‘Whatever you do, you’ve got to try these guys out.’ I contributed half the band. That’s enough on my part!”
That he was in the running to join Led Zeppelin wasn’t the first time Terry Reid found himself with the opportunity to join bands, including Deep Purple and the Spencer Davis Group.
“I suppose I didn’t really want to be part of a band,” he says. “The only time I really considered it was with Jeff Beck. He had a sensitivity that was totally different [from] any other guitar player. But he was always going down his own path, too, so it never happened.”
“I’ve lived my life the way I wanted,” Reid concludes. “Running around, chasing your tail, chasing after this, chasing after that, it’ll do one of two things: it’ll either drive you crazy, or it’ll get you in a whole load of trouble.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
