Short Biography

James Patrick Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944) is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, when he co-founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.

Page has been described as "unquestionably one of the all-time most influential, important, and versatile guitarists and songwriters in rock history". In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Page #9 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a member of The Yardbirds (1992) and as a member of Led Zeppelin (1995).
Page was born in the west London suburb of Heston, which today forms part of the London Borough of Hounslow. His father was an industrial personnel manager and his mother was a doctor`s secretary. In 1952 they moved to Miles Road, Epsom. Jimmy Page first picked up the guitar when he was 12 years old and although he took a few lessons in nearby Kingston, was largely self-taught. Among his early influences were rockabilly guitarists Scotty Moore and James Burton, who both played on recordings made by Elvis Presley. The Presley song "Baby Let`s Play House" was an early favourite on one of his first electric guitars, a second hand 1959 Futurama Grazioso.[citation needed] Page`s musical tastes included skiffle and acoustic folk playing, particularly that of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, and the blues sounds of Elmore James, B.B. King, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Freddie King and Hubert Sumlin.[5] At the age of 14, Page appeared on Huw Wheldon`s All Your Own talent quest programme in a skiffle trio, a popular English music genre of the time. One performance was televised[3]. Page said in an interview with Guitar Player magazine, "There was a lot of busking in the early days, but as I say, I had to come to grips with it, and it was a good schooling."[6]

Page would take a guitar to school each day and have it confiscated and handed back to him at 4.00 pm.[7] He was interested in science and had an interview for a job as a Laboratory Assistant, but he chose to leave school to pursue music instead [7] and after brief stints backing Beat poet Royston Ellis and singer Red E. Lewis, Page was asked by singer Neil Christian to join his band The Crusaders. Page toured with Christian for approximately two years and later played on several of his records, including the November 1962 single, "The Road to Love".

During his stint with Christian, Page fell seriously ill with glandular fever and couldn`t continue touring. While recovering, Page decided to put his musical career on the shelf and concentrate on his other love, painting. He enrolled at Sutton Art College in Surrey.
While still a student, Page would often jam on stage at The Marquee with bands such as Cyril Davies` All Stars, Alexis Korner`s Blues Incorporated and with guitarists Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. He was spotted one night by John Gibb of The Silhouettes, who asked him to help record a number of singles for EMI, including "The Worrying Kind". It wasn`t until an offer from Mike Leander of Decca Records that Page was to receive regular studio work. His first session for the label was the recording "Diamonds" by Jet Harris and Tony Meehan which went to Number 1 on the singles chart in early 1963.

After brief stints with Carter-Lewis and the Southerners, Mike Hurst`s group, and Mickey Finn and the B

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