Sean Combs
Combs performing in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Sean John Combs
Also known as	Diddy, P. Diddy, Puff Daddy
Born	(1969-11-04) November 4, 1969 (age 42) New York City
Origin	Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, R&B
Occupations	Rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, singer
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Bad Boy, Interscope
Associated acts	Mary J. Blige, The Notorious B.I.G., Diddy â€“ Dirty Money, Faith Evans, Lil' Kim, Jay-Z
Website	facebook.com/Diddy

Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969^[1]), also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He was originally known as Puff Daddy and then as P. Diddy (Puff and Puffy have been used as nicknames, but never as recording names). In August 2005, he changed his stage name to simply "Diddy", but continues to use the name P. Diddy in the UK as the result of a lawsuit. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He formed and recorded with the group Diddy â€“ Dirty Money.

Combs was born in Harlem and grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. He worked as a talent director at Uptown Records and then founded Bad Boy Records in 1993. His business interests—under the umbrella of Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide—include Bad Boy Records, the clothing lines Sean John and "Sean by Sean Combs", a movie production company, and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, performer, producer of MTV's Making the Band, writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor. In 2011, Forbes estimated his net worth at $500 million, making him the richest figure in hip hop.^[2]

Early life[link]

Sean Combs was born in a public housing project in Harlem, New York City, the son of Janice, a model and teacher, and Melvin Combs.^[3] He grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. When Combs was a child, his father, aged 33, an associate of New York drug dealer Frank Lucas,^[4] was shot to death in his car after attending a party.^[5]

Combs graduated from the Roman Catholic Mount Saint Michael Academy in 1987. He played football for the academy, and his team won a division title in 1986.^[6][7]

Combs said that he was given the nickname "Puff" as a child because he would "huff and puff" when he was angry,^[8] and "Daddy" was another version of "player".^[9]

Career[link]

After dropping out of Howard University in 1989, where he had majored in business, Combs became an intern at New York's Uptown Records.^[10] While talent director at Uptown, he helped develop Jodeci and Mary J. Blige.^[11]

In 1991, Combs promoted an event with Heavy D held at the City College of New York (CCNY) gymnasium, following a charity basketball game. The event was oversold, and a stampede occurred in which nine people died.^[10][12]

Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide headquarters on Broadway near Times Square. A billboard of Combs is in the distance.

In 1993, after being fired from Uptown, Combs established Bad Boy Records, taking then-newcomer The Notorious B.I.G. with him.^[12] Both The Notorious B.I.G. and Craig Mack quickly released hit singles, followed by successful LPs, particularly The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die.^[12] Combs signed more acts to Bad Boy, including Carl Thomas, Faith Evans, Father MC, 112, and Total. The Hitmen, his in-house production team, worked with Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil' Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, SWV, Aretha Franklin, and others. Mase and D-Block (then known as "The L.O.X.") joined Bad Boy just as a widely-publicized rivalry with the West Coast's Death Row Records was beginning. Combs and The Notorious B.I.G. were criticized and parodied by Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight in songs and interviews during the mid-1990s. During 1994–1995, Combs helped produce the songs "If I Was Your Girlfriend" and "Can I Get A Witness" for TLC's CrazySexyCool, which was the decade's best-selling R&B album.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 1997–1998: "Puff Daddy" and No Way Out

In 1997, under the name "Puff Daddy", Combs recorded his first commercial vocal as a rapper. His debut single, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", spent six weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.^{[citation needed]} His debut album, No Way Out, was released on July 1, 1997, through Bad Boy Records. Originally titled Hell Up In Harlem,^[13] the album underwent several changes after The Notorious B.I.G. was killed on March 9, 1997. Several of the label's artists made guest appearances on the album. No Way Out was a significant success, particularly in the United States, where it reached number one on the Billboard 200 in its first week of release, selling 561,000 copies. The album produced five successful singles. "I'll Be Missing You", a tribute to The Notorious B.I.G., was the first rap song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100; it remained at the top of the chart for eleven consecutive weeks and topped several other charts worldwide. Four other singles—"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", "It's All About the Benjamins", "Been Around the World", and "Victory"—were also successful, and all except the latter peaked in the top two positions of the Billboard Hot 100. Combs collaborated with Jimmy Page on the song "Come with Me" for the 1998 film Godzilla. The track sampled the Led Zeppelin song "Kashmir". Producer Tom Morello supplied live guitar parts and played bass. Combs and Page filmed a video for "Come with Me", which reached number 2 in the UK.^{[citation needed]}

The album earned Combs five nominations at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998, winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.^{[14][not in citation given]} On September 7, 2000, the album was certified septuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of 7,000,000+ copies.^[15]

In 1997, Combs was sued for landlord neglect by Inge Bongo. Combs denied the charges.^[16] By the late 1990s, he was being criticized for watering down and overly commercializing hip hop, and for using too many guest appearances, samples, and interpolations of past hits in his new songs.^[17][18]

[edit] 1999–2000: Club New York and Forever

In April 1999, Combs was charged with assault as a result of an incident with Steve Stoute of Interscope Records. Stoute was the manager for Nas, with whom Combs had filmed a video earlier that year for the song "Hate Me Now". Combs was concerned that the video, which featured a shot of Nas and Combs being crucified, was blasphemous. He asked for the video to be pulled, but after it aired on MTV on April 15, Combs visited Stoute's offices and injured Stoute. Combs was charged with second-degree assault and criminal mischief,^[19] and was sentenced to attend an anger managment class.^[20]

On December 27, 1999, Combs and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were at Club New York in Manhattan when gunfire broke out. After a police investigation, Combs and fellow rapper Shyne were arrested for weapons violations and other charges.^[21] Combs was charged with bribing his driver, Wardel Fenderson, to claim ownership of his gun, plus four weapons-related charges.^[22]

With a gag order in place, the highly-publicized trial began.^[22] Combs' attorneys were Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. and Benjamin Brafman.^[23] Combs was found not guilty on all charges; Shyne was convicted on five of his eight charges^[23] and sentenced to ten years in prison. Combs and Lopez split shortly after. A lawsuit filed by Combs's driver, Fenderson, who said he suffered emotional damage after the club shooting, was settled in February 2004. Lawyers for both sides, having agreed to keep the settlement terms secret, said that the matter was "resolved to the satisfaction of all parties".^[24]

Forever, Combs' debut solo studio album, was released by Bad Boy Records on August 24, 1999, in North America, and in the UK on the following day. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, and entered at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it remained for one week before being knocked off by Mary J. Blige's fourth album, Mary. The album has received positive to mixed reviews from music critics and has spawned three singles that have charted on the Billboard charts. In the UK, the album peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart. It opened at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart, becoming Combs' highest-charting album. To date, the album has sold 1.4 million copies worldwide.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2001–2004: "P. Diddy" and The Saga Continues

Combs changed his stage name from "Puff Daddy" to "P. Diddy" in 2001.^[25] The gospel album, Thank You, which had been completed just before the beginning of the weapons trial, was released that March.^[26] He appeared as a drug dealer in the film Made and starred with Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton in Monster's Ball (both in 2001). He was arrested for driving on a suspended license in Florida.^[27] Combs began working with a series of unusual (for him) artists. For a short period of time, he was the manager of Kelis; they have a collaboration titled "Let's Get Ill". A collaboration with David Bowie appeared on the soundtrack to Training Day and he also worked with Britney Spears and 'N Sync. He signed California-based pop girl group Dream to his record label. He was also an opening act for 'N Sync on their Spring 2002 Celebrity Tour.^{[citation needed]}

The Saga Continues... was released by American on July 10, 2001 in North America. The album was eventually certified Platinum. It is the only studio album under the P. Diddy name, and last studio album under Bad Boy Entertainment's joint venture with Arista Records (his We Invented The Remix album was the last overall album with Arista). The Saga Continues is considered by most fans to be the best album to date since the release of No Way Out. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and topping the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. This is the first album by Sean Combs not to feature any guest appearances by Jay-Z or Lil Kim.^{[citation needed]}

Later in 2002, he made his own reality show on MTV called Making the Band 2, a sequel to the first Making the Band, in which contestants competed to be in a new group on Bad Boy Records. Six finalists were to come up with their name, CD and video (see Da Band). The group, maligned by comics and critics and drawing a skit on Chappelle's Show, was dissolved by Combs at the end of the series.^{[citation needed]}

In 2003 Combs ran in the New York City Marathon, raising $2 million for the educational system for the children of New York.^[28] On March 10, 2004, he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the marathon, which he finished in four hours and eighteen minutes. In 2004, Combs headed the campaign "Vote or Die" for the 2004 presidential election. The "Vote or Die" slogan was mocked by The Daily Show and South Park as being too simplistic and encouraging young people to vote without knowing the issues. In a South Park episode entitled "Douche and Turd", Combs and his armed friends were depicted chasing Stan Marsh, one of the show's main characters, threatening to kill him if he didn't vote in his school election.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2005–2009: "Diddy" and Press Play

Combs performing in 2006

On August 16, 2005, Combs announced on Today that he was altering his stage name yet again; he would be calling himself "Diddy". Combs said that fans didn't know how to address him, which led to confusion.^[29] In November 2005, London-based musical artist and DJ Richard Dearlove, who had been performing under the name "Diddy" since 1992 â€“ nine years before Combs started using even "P. Diddy" â€“ sought an injunction in the High Court of Justice in London. He accepted an out-of-court settlement of £10,000 in damages and more than £100,000 in costs. Combs can longer use the name Diddy in the UK, where he is still known as P. Diddy.^[30][31] An assault charge against Combs filed by Michigan television host Rogelio Mills was resolved in Comb's favor in 2005.^[32]

Combs starred in the 2005 film Carlito's Way: Rise to Power. He played Walter Lee Younger in the 2004 Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun^[33] and the television adaptation that aired in February 2008. In 2005 Combs sold half of his record company to the Warner Music Group.^[34] Tensions still existed between him and former Warner CEOs Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles (both formerly of Def Jam) but they arranged for his imprint to be a part of the company.^{[citation needed]} In an interview with AndPOP Combs said that he was developing a line of men's suits. He hosted the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, and was named one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2005 by Time magazine.^[35] He was mentioned in the country song "Play Something Country" by Brooks & Dunn: the lyricist says he "didn't come to hear P. Diddy", which is rhymed with "something thumpin' from the city."^[36]

In 2006, when Combs refused to release musician Mase from his contractual obligations to allow him to join the group G-Unit, 50 Cent recorded a dis song, "Hip-Hop". The lyrics imply that Combs knew the identity of The Notorious B.I.G.'s murderer.^[37] The two later resolved the feud.^[38]

Combs released his first album in four years, Press Play, on October 17, 2006, on the Bad Boy Records label.^[39] The album features guest appearances by Christina Aguilera, Keyshia Cole, Mario Winans (signed to his label), Nas, Will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas), Mary J. Blige, Nicole Scherzinger (of the Pussycat Dolls), Jamie Foxx, Fergie, Big Boi (of Outkast), Ciara, Twista, Just Blaze, Pharrell, and Brandy. The album debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with sales of over 173,009. In the UK, the album debuted at number 11. Its singles "Come to Me" and "Last Night" both reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.^{[citation needed]} The album became available to preview on MTV's The Leak on October 10, 2006, a week before being sold in stores.^[40] Press Play received mixed to positive reviews from critics.^[41] As of November 21, 2008, the album had sold 700,000 copies in the United States.^{[42][not in citation given]}

On September 18, 2007, Combs teamed up with 50 Cent and Jay-Z for the "Forbes I Get Money Billion Dollar Remix".^[43] He also made appearances with Jay-Z on his American Gangster concert tour in 2007.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2008, the Los Angeles Times claimed that The Notorious B.I.G. and Combs orchestrated the 1994 robbery and shooting of Tupac, substantiating the claim with supposed FBI documents; the newspaper later retracted the story, acknowledging that the documents had been fabricated.^[44]

In June 2008, Combs' representative denied rumors of another name change.^[45] Combs ventured into reality television in August 2008 with the premiere of his VH1 series I Want to Work for Diddy.^[46] After the season finale of Making The Band 4, Combs said he would be heading back into the studio to record his next album. In an interview with The Daily Mail, he said: "I had Christina Aguilera on my last album, but its all about Leona Lewis on my next."^[47] He appeared—credited under his real name—in two episodes of Season 7 of CSI: Miami: "Presumed Guilty" and "Sink or Swim" in the role of lawyer Derek Powell.^[48]

2010–present: The Dream Team and Diddy – Dirty Money[link]

Combs created a rap supergroup in 2010 known as The Dream Team. The group consists of Combs, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Red Café, and Fabolous.^[49] In June 2010 Combs played a role (credited as Sean Combs) in the comedy film Get Him to the Greek, as Sergio Roma, a record company executive. An Entourage series representative announced that Combs would guest star on an episode during the 2010 season.^[50] Combs made an appearance at comedian Chris Gethard's live show in January 2010 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City.^[51]

Last Train to Paris was released by Combs' group Diddy – Dirty Money on December 13, 2010. During its opening week the album outperformed expectations, debuting eight places higher than predicted, at number seven on the Billboard 200. The release was preceded by four singles "Angels", "Hello Good Morning", "Loving You No More", and "Coming Home", which experienced mixed success on the Billboard Hot 100. "Coming Home" has become the most successful of the four songs, peaking at number twelve on the U.S. Hot 100 and top-five or top-ten in much of Europe.^{[citation needed]} On March 10, 2011 Diddy – Dirty Money performed "Coming Home" live on American Idol.^[52]

On April 18, 2011, Combs appeared in season one of Hawaii Five-0, guest starring as an undercover NYPD detective.^[53]

Business ventures[link]

Fortune magazine listed him at number 12 on their top 40 of entrepreneurs under 40 in 2002.^[54] In 2011 his estimated net worth was $500 million, making him the richest person in the hip hop entertainment business.^[2]

Sean John[link]

In 1998, Combs started a clothing line, Sean John. It was nominated for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) award for Menswear Designer of the Year in 2000,^[55] and won in 2004.^[56]

The clothing line was subject to controversy in 2003 when the National Labor Committee revealed that factories producing the clothing in Honduras were violating Honduran labor laws.^[57] Among the accusations were that workers were subjected to body searches and involuntary pregnancy tests. Bathrooms were locked and access tightly controlled. Employees were forced to work overtime and were paid sweatshop wages.^[58] Charles Kernaghan of the National Labor Committee told The New York Times that "Sean Puff Daddy obviously has a lot of clout, he can literally do a lot overnight to help these workers."^[57]

Combs responded with an extensive investigation, telling reporters "I'm as pro-worker as they get".^[59] On February 14, 2004, Kernaghan announced that improvements had been implemented at the factory, including adding air conditioning and water purification systems, firing the most abusive supervisors, and allowing the formation of a labor union.^[60]

In late 2006, the department store Macy's removed Sean John jackets from their shelves when they discovered that the clothing was made using dog fur (from a species called raccoon dog). Combs had not known the jackets were made with dog fur, but as soon as he was alerted, he had production stopped.^[61] In 2008 he appeared in a Macy's commercial.^{[citation needed]}

In November 2008, Combs added a men's perfume called "I Am King" to the Sean John brand". The fragrance, dedicated to Barack Obama, Muhammad Ali, and Martin Luther King, featured model Bar Refaeli in its advertisements.^{[citation needed]}

Other ventures[link]

In addition to his clothing line, Combs owns an upscale restaurant chain called Justin's, named after his son. The current restaurant is in Atlanta; the original New York location closed in September 2007.^[62] He is the designer of the Dallas Mavericks alternate jersey.^[63] In October 2007, Combs agreed to help develop the Ciroc vodka brand for a share in the profits.^[64] Combs acquired the Enyce clothing line from Liz Claiborne for $20 million on October 21, 2008.^[65]

In February 2010 Combs announced to Wolf Blitzer on CNN that he plans to open a business school in New York. He announced that he wants the school to be "known for building leaders."^[66]

Personal life[link]

Combs with his sons Christian and Justin at the Spider-Man 3 premiere

Family[link]

Combs is the father of five children. He is the informal stepfather of Quincy Jones Brown (born December 1991), son of his on-again, off-again girlfriend Kimberly Porter with 1980s New Jack Swing romantic singer/producer Al B Sure.^[67] Quincy was featured on My Super Sweet 16.^[68]

Combs' first child is Justin Combs (born December 1993), from a relationship with his high-school sweetheart, designer Misa Hylton-Brim. In January 2010 Combs presented Justin with a $360,000 Maybach car, complete with chauffeur, as a sixteenth birthday present.^[69] Justin was also featured on My Super Sweet 16.^[70]

Kim Porter is the mother of Christian Casey Combs (born April 1998) and twin daughters D'Lila Star Combs and Jessie James Combs (born December 2006).^[71] Combs and Porter ended their relationship in July 2007.^[72] In October 2007, Combs took legal responsibility for Chance, his daughter with Sarah Chapman.^[67]

Combs owns a home in Alpine, New Jersey, which he purchased for a reported $7 million.^[73] His winter home in Miami Beach was purchased for $14.5 million in November 2003.^[74]

Charity work and honors[link]

Combs' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

The mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley, gave Combs the key to the city^[75] and a pair of cufflinks.^{[citation needed]} October 13, 2006 was named "Diddy Day" in honor of Combs' charity work.^[76]

In 2008 Combs was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[77]

Wardrobe style[link]

Combs describes his wardrobe style as "swagger, timeless, diverse".^[78] On September 2, 2007, Combs held his ninth annual "White Party", at which guests are limited to an all-white dress code. The White Party, which has also been held in St. Tropez, was held in his home in East Hampton, Long Island. Combs stated, "This party is up there with the top three that I've thrown. It's a party that has legendary status. It's hard to throw a party that lives up to its legend."^[79]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• 1997: No Way Out
• 1999: Forever
• 2001: The Saga Continues...
• 2002: We Invented the Remix
• 2006: Press Play
• 2010: Last Train to Paris

Accolades[link]

• 84th Academy Awards
  • 2012, Best Documentary Feature, Undefeated (executive producer)
• NAACP Image Awards
  • 2009, Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special, A Raisin in the Sun (Winner)
• MOBO Awards
  • 2007, Best International Act (Nominated)
• BET Awards
  • 2007, Best Male Hip Hop Artist (Nominated)
• MTV Video Music Awards
  • 1997, Best R&B Video: "I'll Be Missing You" (Winner)
  • 1998, Viewers Choice: "It's All About The Benjamins (Rock Remix)" (Winner)
• Grammy Awards^{[80][81][82][83][84]}

• Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (Albums Executive Produced by Sean Combs)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sean Combs

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Sean Combs

• Official website
• Sean Combs at MTV
• Sean Combs at Allmusic
• Sean Combs at the Internet Movie Database

Faith Evans
Evans performing in April 2005
Background information
Birth name	Faith Renee Evans
Born	(1973-06-10) June 10, 1973 (age 39) Lakeland, Florida
Origin	Newark, New Jersey, United States
Genres	R&B, soul, hip hop soul, hip hop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Bad Boy (1994–2004) Capitol (2004–2007) Prolific/E1 Music (2009–present)
Associated acts	Sean Combs, Keyshia Cole, Mary J. Blige, 112, Lil' Mo, The Notorious B.I.G.,
Website	FaithEvansOnline.com

Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B. Sure and Christopher Williams, she became the first female artist to be contracted with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment recording company during 1994, for which she released three platinum-certified studio albums between the years 1995 and 2001.^[1] During 2003, she ended her relationship with the company to contract with Capitol Records.^[2]

Other than her recording career, Evans is known as the widow of New York rapper Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, whom she married on August 4, 1994, a few weeks after meeting at a Bad Boy photoshoot.^[3] The turbulent marriage resulted in Evans' involvement in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the rap music news at the time, and ended with Wallace's murder in a yet-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997.^[4] A 1997 tribute single featuring Puff Daddy and the band 112, named "I'll Be Missing You", became Evans' best-selling song to date and won her a Grammy Award during 1998.^[2]

Also an avocational actress and writer, Evans made her screen debut in the 2000 musical drama Turn It Up by Robert Adetuyi. Her autobiography Keep the Faith: A Memoir was released by Grand Central Publishing during 2008 and won a 2009 African American Literary Award for the Best Biography/Memoir category.

Biography[link]

Early life and career beginnings[link]

Lakeland, Florida where Evans was born.

Evans was born in Lakeland, Florida to an African-American mother, Helene Evans, a professional singer.^[2] Her father, Richard Swain, was a musician who left before Evans was born (Evans has said "I've heard people mumble something about him being Italian, but I don't know for sure").^[5] A half year later, 19-year-old Helene returned to Newark, New Jersey and left Faith with her cousin Johnnie Mae and husband Orvelt Kennedy, the foster parents of more than a hundred children they raised in the time that Faith lived with them.^[2][4] It was not until a couple of years later that Helene's career floundered and she tried to take Evans back home. Faith, however, was afraid to leave what she'd "been used to", and instead, Helene relocated next door.^[2]

Raised in a Christian home, Evans began singing at church at age two. At age four, she caught the attention of the congregation of the Emmanuel Baptist Church (in Newark) when she sang The 5th Dimension's song "Let the Sunshine In".^[6] While attending University High School in Newark, she sang with several jazz bands and, encouraged by Helene, entered outside pageants, festivals and contests, where her voice would be noticed and praised. After graduating from high school during 1991, Evans attended Fordham University in New York City to study marketing but left a year later to have daughter Chyna with music producer Kiyamma Griffin.^[1] A couple of months later^[when?], she relocated to Los Angeles, where she worked as a backup vocalist for singer Al B. Sure, when she was noticed by musician Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs. Impressed with her persona, Combs contracted her as the company's first female artist to his Bad Boy Entertainment during 1994.^[1]

[edit] 1994-01: Faith, Keep The Faith, Biggie, motherhood and marriage

Newly contracted to Bad Boy Records, Evans was consulted by executive producer Combs to contribute backing vocals and writing skills to Mary J. Blige's My Life (1994) and Usher's self-titled debut album (1994) prior to starting work on her debut record album Faith.^[7] Released on August 29, 1995 in North America, the album was a collaboration with Bad Boy's main producers "The Hitmen", including Chucky Thompson and Combs, but it resulted in recordings with Poke & Tone and Herb Middleton. Faith became a success based on the singles "You Used to Love Me" and "Soon as I Get Home". The album was certified Platinum with 1,500,000 copies sold, according to RIAA.^[8]

On August 4, 1994, Evans married rapper and label mate The Notorious B.I.G., after having met him at a Bad Boy photoshoot.^[3] The couple had one child together, Christopher Wallace, Jr. (born October 29, 1996), but the marriage was turbulent as Wallace reportedly had several affairs during their union, including relationships with fellow rappers Lil' Kim and Charli Baltimore.^[9] Additionally, it led to Evans' involvement in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the rap music news at the time, which ended with Wallace's murder in a yet-to-be-solved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California in March 1997,^[4] and made Evans "Rap's most famous widow".^[3] During early 1997, after her separation from Wallace, but before his death, Evans was introduced to record company executive Todd Russaw. Faith began dating Russaw during her and Wallace's separation and eventually, after Wallace died, Evans became pregnant by Russaw. The couple had their first son Joshua on June 8, 1998.^[3] During the summer of 1998, Evans and Russaw were married, and on March 22, 2007, they had their second son Ryder Evan Russaw.^[3] After Biggie's murder during March 1997, Combs helped Evans produce her tribute song named "I'll Be Missing You", based on the melody of The Police's 1983 single "Every Breath You Take". The song, which featured Combs, Evans, and all-male group 112, became a worldwide number-one success and debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart during 1997, scoring that for eleven weeks. It eventually won Puffy and Evans the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.^[2] The next year, she received another two Grammy nominations for "Heartbreak Hotel", a collaboration with singers Whitney Houston and Kelly Price, that scored number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[10] Prior to Evans meeting and having a relationship with The Notorious B.I.G., she was involved in a relationship with Kiyamma Griffin. She and Griffin had a daughter named Chyna (born April 1, 1993).

Two years in the making, Evans' second solo effort, Keep the Faith, was released during October 1998. Almost entirely written and produced by her, Evans considered the album difficult to complete as she had initially felt discouraged about the progress at first.^[3] Upon its release, however, the album garnered generally positive reviews by music critics, with Allmusic noting it "without a doubt a highlight of 1990s soul-pop music".^[11] Also enjoying commercial success, it eventually went platinum and produced the top ten singles "Love Like This" and "All Night Long" (released March 30, 1999) prompting Evans to start an 18-city theater tour with Dru Hill and Total the following year.^[3]

[edit] 2001-07: Faithfully, legal issues, Capitol Records and The First Lady

Evans police mug shot

Evans' third album on the Bad Boy imprint, named Faithfully (2001), involved her working with a wider range of producers, including The Neptunes, Mario Winans, Buckwild, Vada Nobles, Cory Rooney, and others.^[12] Her first project with husband Todd Russaw as executive producer and creative partner, the album scored number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, eventually being certified platinum, but yielded moderately successful singles, with the Jennifer Lopez-written "I Love You" becoming the only top twenty entry.^[13] Released amid Bad Boy Records' transition from distributor Arista Records to Universal, Evans felt Faithfully received minimum assistance by the company, and during 2004, she finally decided to end her business with Bad Boy as she was convinced Combs couldn't improve her career any more due to his other commitments.^[14] During January 2004, Evans and Russaw were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine and an improper tag violation during a traffic stop in Hapeville, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia.

After ending with Bad Boy Entertainment Evans contracted with Capitol Records company, becoming the first contemporary R&B artist to do so, and started work on her fourth studio album The First Lady, named after her nickname on her former label.^[14] As opposed to having an in-house team of producers who supplied most of the previous material, she and Russaw were able to gain more creative control of the album and consulted producers such as Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Mike Caren, Pharrell Williams, and Chucky Thompson to contribute to it.^[15] Upon its release in April 2005, The First Lady scored at number two on the Billboard 200 and #1 of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Evans' best-charting album to date. It was eventually certified gold by the RIAA.^[16] At the end of the year, Evans released A Faithful Christmas, a holiday album of traditional Christmas songs and original tracks. The effort would become her last release on Capitol Records as the company was bought during 2007.^[17]

[edit] 2008-present: Hiatus, arrest, second child, divorce and Something About Faith

Following a longer hiatus, Evans signed a deal with E1 Entertainment - the largest independent record label in the United States - in 2010. Her sixth studio album Something About Faith was released on October 5, 2010 in the United States and December 6, 2010 in the UK.^[18] In the US, the album debuted and peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard 200, number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number one on the Independent Albums chart, failing however to chart oustide the US - making it Evans' only album since her debut Faith to chart in the US only.^[19] Something About Faith has spawned the single and music video "Gone Already"; which spent over thirty-three weeks on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it peaked at number twenty-two.^[20] On February 14, 2011, a high definition music video for "Right Here" was released on Evans' official YouTube account, suggesting that it is the second single from the album, though this is yet to be confirmed.^[21]

In August 2010, she was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor drunken driving, after being stopped at a checkpoint in Marina del Rey, California. In 2011, Evans filed for divorce against Russaw.^[22][23] The couple agreed to spend 13 weeks in a drug-treatment program in exchange for halting any further prosecution of their drug-possession case.^[24]

On March 22, 2007, they had their second son Ryder Evan Russaw.^[3] In May 2011, Evans and Russaw announced they were getting a divorce, and stated they would like to keep it quiet for the children's sakes.^[25]

Other ventures[link]

Acting[link]

Having previously appeared in stage plays as a teenager, Evans began acting with a supporting role in director Robert Adetuyi's 2000 music drama Turn It Up, featuring Pras Michel from the The Fugees, Jason Statham and Ja Rule. Released to generally negative reviews from critics,^[26] who noted it "patently absurd in both the details and larger aspects",^[27] the indie film had a short play and became a financial disappointment, gaining US$1.24 million during its U.S. run only.^[28]

During 2003, Evans acted in the MTV-produced romantic comedy The Fighting Temptations in which she appeared in a brief but major role portraying a single mother and night club singer.^[29] Filmed in Columbus, Georgia and headed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. (her character is his mother) and Beyoncé Knowles, the film garnered mixed reviews by critcs,^[30] but scored top three of the U.S. box office, resulting in a domestic gross of US$30.2 million.^[31] In addition, Evans recorded a contemporary cover version of Donna Summer's 1978 success "Heaven Knows" for the film which her characters performs during one of the first in sequence in the film. The accompanying soundtrack scored the top twenty of the U.S. Billboard 200.^[32]

During 2004, Evans earned a brief guest stint on the UPN situation comedy Half & Half.^[33] Evans announced that she had been working on a synopsis for her own situation comedy that would be based largely on her life but with a more comedic aspect. It is unknown whether she has officially pitched the sitcom to any television networks at this time^[when?].^[34]

Writing[link]

Evans released her autobiographic book called Keep the Faith: A Memoir on August 29, 2008. It detailed the singer's life, but also discussed Evans' controversial relationship with her late husband, the Notorious B.I.G.:

"I want people to understand that although he was a large part of my life, my story doesn't actually begin or end with Big's death. My journey has been complicated on many levels. And since I am always linked to Big, there are a lot of misconceptions about who I really am. It's not easy putting your life out there for the masses. But I've decided I'll tell my own story. For Big. For my children. And for myself."^[35]

In its initial release, "Keep the Faith: A Memoir" landed in the Top 20 on New York's Best Seller's List two consecutive weeks in a row. During 2009, the book received The 2009 African American Literary Award for Best Biography/Memoir.^[36]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• 1995: Faith
• 1998: Keep the Faith
• 2001: Faithfully
• 2005: The First Lady
• 2010: Something About Faith

Other albums

• 2005: A Faithful Christmas

Tours[link]

• The First Lady Tour (2005)

Filmography[link]

• 2000: Turn It Up
• 2003: The Fighting Temptations
• 2009: Notorious

Awards and nominations[link]

• African American Literary Award
  • 2009: African American Literary Award: Keep the Faith (A Memoir) (won)
• BET Awards
  • 2002: Best Female R&B Artist (nominated)
• Grammy Awards
  • 2011: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Gone Already" (nominated)
  • 2003: Best Contemporary R&B Album: Faithfully (nominated)
  • 2001: Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: "Can't Believe" w/ Carl Thomas (nominated)
  • 2000: Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: "Heartbreak Hotel" w/ Whitney Houston & Kelly Price (nominated)
  • 1999: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Love Like This" (nominated)
  • 1998: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "I'll Be Missing You" w/ Diddy (won)
• Lady of Soul Awards
  • 2000: Outstanding Music Video: "Love Is Blind" (by Eve ft. Faith Evans) (nominated)
  • 1996: Best Female R&B/Soul Album: Faith (won)
  • 1996: Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist: "You Used to Love Me" (nominated)
• MTV Video Music Awards
  • 2000: Best Rap Video: "Love Is Blind" (by Eve ft. Faith Evans) (nominated)
  • 1999: Best R&B Video: "Heartbreak Hotel" (nominated)
  • 1997: Best R&B Video: "I'll Be Missing You" (won)
  • 1997: Viewer's Choice: "I'll Be Missing You" (nominated)
• Soul Train Awards
  • 2006: Best Female R&B/Soul Album: The First Lady (nominated)
  • 1998: Outstanding Music Video: "I'll Be Missing You" (won)

References[link]

External links[link]

	Book: Faith Evans
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Official site
• Faith Evans at the Internet Movie Database
• Faith Evans interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' November 2010
• The Observer interview, 2005
• Vibe interview, 2005

v t e Faith Evans Studio albums Faith (1995) Keep the Faith (1998) Faithfully (2001) The First Lady (2005) A Faithful Christmas (2005) Something About Faith (2010) Singles "You Used to Love Me" "Soon as I Get Home" "Ain't Nobody" "Kissing You" "Come Over" "Love Like This" "All Night Long" "Never Gonna Let You Go" "Lately I" "Can't Believe" "You Get's No Long" "I Love You" "Burnin' Up" "Alone In this World" "Again" "Mesmerized" "Tru Love "Gone Already" Tours The First Lady Tour (2005) Related topics Discography The Notorious B.I.G. Book:Faith Evans

Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page onstage in Chicago in 1977
Background information
Birth name	James Patrick Page
Born	(1944-01-09) 9 January 1944 (age 68) Heston, Middlesex, England
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock, rock and roll, folk rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, theremin, bass guitar, banjo, harmonica, dobro, sitar, keyboards, tambourine, tambura, hurdy gurdy, pedal steel guitar, synthesizer, vocals, guitar synthesizer, lap steel guitar, slide guitar
Years active	1957–present
Labels	Swan Song, Atlantic, Geffen, Fontana, Mercury
Associated acts	The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, The Honeydrippers, The Firm, Coverdale and Page, Page and Plant, Herman's Hermits, XYZ, Joe Cocker, The Edge, Jack White, Donovan, The Black Crowes
Website	Official website
Notable instruments
Jimmy Page Signature Les Paul Gibson EDS-1275 Fender Telecaster Danelectro 59DC Custom Manson guitars [1] Jolana Resonet[2]

James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944) is an English guitarist, songwriter, 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, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.

Jimmy Page is viewed by critics, fans and fellow musicians alike as one of the most influential and important guitarists and songwriters in rock music.^[3][4][5] Rolling Stone magazine has described him as "the pontiff of power riffing & probably the most digitally sampled artist in pop today after James Brown."^[6] In 2010, Jimmy Page was ranked No.2 in Gibson's list of "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time"^[7] and, in 2007, No.4 on Classic Rock Magazine's "100 Wildest Guitar Heroes".^[8] Page was ranked third in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" in 2011.^[9] He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; once as a member of The Yardbirds (1992),^[10] and once as a member of Led Zeppelin (1995).^[11]

Early years[link]

Jimmy Page was born to James Patrick Page and Patricia Elizabeth Page (née Gaffikin)^[12][13] 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 Feltham, and later again to Miles Road, Epsom in Surrey, which is where Page came across his first guitar. "I don't know whether [the guitar] was left behind by the people [in the house] before [us], or whether it was a friend of the family's â€” nobody seemed to know why it was there."^[14] First playing the instrument at the age of twelve years,^[15] he took a few lessons in nearby Kingston, but was largely self-taught:

When I grew up there weren't many other guitarists ... There was one other guitarist in my school who actually showed me the first chords that I learned, and I went on from there. I was bored so I taught myself the guitar from listening to records. So obviously it was a very personal thing.^[16]

Among Page's early influences were rockabilly guitarists Scotty Moore and James Burton, who both played on recordings made by Elvis Presley. Hearing the Elvis Presley song "Baby Let's Play House" is cited by Page as being his inspiration to take up playing the guitar.^[17] Although he appears on BBC1 in 1957 with another guitar, Page states that his first guitar was a second-hand 1959 Futurama Grazioso, which was later replaced by a Telecaster.^[17][18]

Page's musical tastes included skiffle (a popular English music genre of the time) and acoustic folk playing, particularly that of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, and the blues sounds of Elmore James, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Freddie King and Hubert Sumlin.^[19] "Basically, that was the start: a mixture between rock and blues."^[17]

At the age of 13, Page appeared on Huw Wheldon's All Your Own talent quest programme in a skiffle quartet, one performance of which aired on BBC TV in 1957. The group played "Mama Don't Want To Skiffle Anymore" and another very American-flavoured song, "In Them Ol' Cottonfields Back Home". When asked by Wheldon what he wanted to do after schooling, Page said, "I want to do biological research" to find a cure for "cancer, if it isn't discovered by then".

In an interview with Guitar Player magazine, Page stated that "there was a lot of busking in the early days, but as they say, I had to come to grips with it, and it was a good schooling."^[17] Page would take a guitar to school each day and have it confiscated and handed back to him at 4:00 pm^[20] Although he had an interview for a job as a laboratory assistant, he ultimately chose to leave Danetree Secondary School, West Ewell, to pursue music instead.^[20]

Initially, Page had difficulty finding other musicians with whom he could play on a regular basis. "It wasn't as though there was an abundance. I used to play in many groups... anyone who could get a gig together, really."^[18] Following stints backing recitals by Beat poet Royston Ellis at the Mermaid Theatre between 1960–61,^[21] and singer Red E. Lewis, he was asked by singer Neil Christian to join his band, The Crusaders, after Christian had seen a fifteen-year-old Page playing in a local hall.^[18] 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 (infectious mononucleosis) and couldn't continue touring.^[18] While recovering, he decided to put his musical career on hold and concentrate on his other love, painting, and enrolled at Sutton Art College in Surrey.^[5] As he explained in 1975:

[I was] travelling around all the time in a bus. I did that for two years after I left school, to the point where I was starting to get really good bread. But I was getting ill. So I went back to art college. And that was a total change in direction. That's why I say it's possible to do. As dedicated as I was to playing the guitar, I knew doing it that way was doing me in forever. Every two months I had glandular fever. So for the next 18 months I was living on ten dollars a week and getting my strength up. But I was still playing.^[15]

Session musician[link]

While still a student, Page would often perform 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 Brian Howard & The Silhouettes, who asked him to help record a number of singles for Columbia Graphophone Company, including "The Worrying Kind". Mike Leander of Decca Records first offered Page 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.^[18]

After brief stints with Carter-Lewis and the Southerners, Mike Hurst and the Method, and Mickey Finn and the Blue Men, Page committed himself to full-time session work. As a session guitarist he was known as 'Little Jim' so there was no confusion with other noted British session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan. Page was mainly called in to sessions as "insurance" in instances when a replacement or second guitarist was required by the recording artist. "It was usually myself and a drummer", he explained, "though they never mention the drummer these days, just me ... Anyone needing a guitarist either went to Big Jim [Sullivan] or myself."^[18] He has also stated that "In the initial stages they just said, play what you want, cos at that time I couldn't read music or anything."^[22]

Page was the favoured session guitarist of producer Shel Talmy. As a result, he secured session work on songs for The Who and The Kinks.^[23] Page is credited with playing acoustic twelve string guitar on two tracks on The Kinks' debut album "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" and "I've Been Driving On Bald Mountain"^[24] and possibly on the b-side "I Gotta Move".^[25] He played six-string rhythm guitar on the sessions for The Who's first single "I Can't Explain"^[22] (although Pete Townshend was reluctant to allow Page's contribution on the final recording, Page also played lead guitar on the B-side "Bald Headed Woman").^[26] Page's studio output in 1964 included Marianne Faithfull's "As Tears Go By", The Nashville Teens' "Tobacco Road", The Rolling Stones' "Heart of Stone" (released on Metamorphosis), Van Morrison & Them's "Baby Please Don't Go" and "Here Comes the Night", Dave Berry's "The Crying Game" and "My Baby Left Me", Brenda Lee's "Is It True," and Petula Clark's "Downtown".

In 1965 Page was hired by Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham to act as house producer and A&R man for the newly formed Immediate Records label, which also allowed him to play on and/or produce tracks by John Mayall, Nico, Chris Farlowe, Twice as Much and Eric Clapton. Page also formed a brief songwriting partnership with then romantic interest, Jackie DeShannon. He also composed and recorded songs for the John Williams^[27] album The Maureeny Wishful Album with Big Jim Sullivan. Page worked as session musician on Donovan Leitch's Sunshine Superman (1966) and the Johnny Hallyday albums Jeune Homme (1968) and Je Suis Né Dans La Rue (1969), the Al Stewart album Love Chronicles (1969), and played guitar on five tracks of Joe Cocker's debut album, With a Little Help from My Friends. Over the years since 1970 Page has played lead guitar on 10 Roy Harper tracks, comprising 81 minutes of music.

When questioned about which songs he played on, especially ones where there exists some controversy as to what his exact role was, Page often points out that it is hard to remember exactly what he did given the enormous number of sessions he was playing at the time.^[22][23] In a radio interview he explained that "I was doing three sessions a day, fifteen sessions a week. Sometimes I would be playing with a group, sometimes I could be doing film music, it could be a folk session ... I was able to fit all these different roles."^[16]

Although Page recorded with many notable musicians, many of these early tracks are only available as bootleg recordings, several of which were released by the Led Zeppelin fan club in the late 1970s. One of the rarest of these is the early jam session featuring Jimmy Page and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards covering Robert Johnson's "Little Queen of Spades". Several early tracks with Page were compiled on the twin album release, Jimmy Page: Session Man.

Page decided to leave studio work when the increasing influence of Stax Records on popular music led to the greater incorporation of brass and orchestral arrangements into recordings at the expense of guitars.^[17] However, he has stated that his time as a session player served as extremely good schooling for his development as a musician:

My session work was invaluable. At one point I was playing at least three sessions a day, six days a week! And I rarely ever knew in advance what I was going to be playing. But I learned things even on my worst sessions – and believe me, I played on some horrendous things. I finally called it quits after I started getting calls to do Muzak. I decided I couldn't live that life any more; it was getting too silly. I guess it was destiny that a week after I quit doing sessions Paul Samwell-Smith left The Yardbirds, and I was able to take his place. But being a session musician was good fun in the beginning – the studio discipline was great. They'd just count the song off, and you couldn't make any mistakes.^[19]

The Yardbirds[link]

In late 1964, Page was approached about the possibility of replacing Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds, but he declined the offer out of loyalty to his friend.^[18] In February 1965 Clapton quit the Yardbirds, and Page was formally offered Clapton's spot, but because he was unwilling to give up his lucrative career as a session musician, and because he was still worried about his health under touring conditions, he suggested his friend, Jeff Beck.^[28] On 16 May 1966, drummer Keith Moon, bass player John Paul Jones, keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, Jeff Beck and Page recorded "Beck's Bolero" in London's IBC Studios. The experience gave Page an idea to form a new supergroup featuring Beck, along with The Who's John Entwistle on bass and Keith Moon on drums.^[18] However, the lack of a quality vocalist and contractual problems prevented the project from getting off the ground. During this time, Moon suggested the name "Lead Zeppelin" for the first time, after Entwistle commented that the proceedings would take to the air like a lead balloon.

Within weeks, Page attended a Yardbirds concert at Oxford. After the show he went backstage where Paul Samwell-Smith announced that he was leaving the group.^[17] Page offered to replace Samwell-Smith and this was accepted by the group. He initially played electric bass with the Yardbirds before finally switching to twin lead guitar with Beck when Chris Dreja moved to bass. The musical potential of the line-up was scuttled, however, by interpersonal conflicts caused by constant touring and a lack of commercial success, although they released one single, "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago". (While Page and Jeff Beck played together in The Yardbirds, the trio of Page, Beck and Clapton never played in the original group at the same time. The three guitarists did appear on stage together at the ARMS charity concerts in 1983.)

After Beck's departure, the Yardbirds remained a quartet. They recorded one album with Page on lead guitar, Little Games. The album received indifferent reviews and was not a commercial success, peaking at only number 80 on the Billboard Music Charts. Though their studio sound was fairly commercial at the time, the band's live performances were just the opposite, becoming heavier and more experimental. These concerts featured musical aspects that Page would later perfect with Led Zeppelin, most notably performances of "Dazed and Confused".

After the departure of Keith Relf and Jim McCarty in 1968, Page reconfigured the group with a new line-up to fulfil unfinished tour dates in Scandinavia. As he said:

Once [the other Yardbirds] decided not to continue, then I was going to continue. And shift the whole thing up a notch ... The whole thing was putting a group together and actually being able to play together. There were a lot of virtuoso musicians around at the time who didn't gel as a band. That was the key: to find a band that was going to fire on all cylinders.^[29]

To this end, Page recruited vocalist Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham, and he was also contacted by John Paul Jones who asked to join.^[30] During the Scandinavian tour the new group appeared as "The New Yardbirds", but soon recalled the old joke by Keith Moon and John Entwistle. Page stuck with that name to use for his new band. Peter Grant changed it to "Led Zeppelin", to avoid a mispronunciation of "Leed Zeppelin."^[31]

Led Zeppelin[link]

Page has explained that he had a very specific idea in mind as to what he wanted Led Zeppelin to be, from the very beginning:

I had a lot of ideas from my days with The Yardbirds. The Yardbirds allowed me to improvise a lot in live performance and I started building a textbook of ideas that I eventually used in Zeppelin. In addition to those ideas, I wanted to add acoustic textures. Ultimately, I wanted Zeppelin to be a marriage of blues, hard rock and acoustic music topped with heavy choruses – a combination that had never been done before. Lots of light and shade in the music.^[19]

Post-Led Zeppelin career[link]

Page at the Cow Palace, San Francisco, 2 December 1983

Led Zeppelin broke up in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham at Page's home, The Old Mill House at Clewer in Berkshire. Page refused to touch a guitar out of sadness for the loss of his friend Bonham,^[22][32] but made a return to the stage at a Jeff Beck show in March 1981 at the Hammersmith Odeon.^[33] Also in 1981 Page joined with Yes bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White to form a supergroup called XYZ (for ex-Yes-Zeppelin). They rehearsed several times, but the project was shelved. Demos of these sessions have turned up on bootleg and they reveal that some of the material emerged on later projects, notably The Firm's "Fortune Hunter" and Yes songs "Mind Drive" and "Can You Imagine?". Page would later join Yes on stage in 1984 at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany, playing "I'm Down".

In 1982 Page collaborated with director Michael Winner to record the Death Wish II soundtrack. This, and several subsequent Page recordings including Death Wish III soundtrack (1985), were recorded and produced at his own recording studio, The Sol in Cookham, which he had purchased from Gus Dudgeon in the early 1980s.

In 1983 Page appeared with the A.R.M.S. (Action Research for Multiple Sclerosis) charity series of concerts which honoured Small Faces bass player Ronnie Lane, who suffered from the disease. For the first shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Page's set consisted of songs from the Death Wish II soundtrack (with Steve Winwood on vocals) and an instrumental version of "Stairway to Heaven". A four-city tour of the United States followed, with Paul Rodgers of Bad Company replacing Winwood as vocalist. During the US tour, Page and Rodgers also performed "Midnight Moonlight" which would later be recorded for The Firm's first album. All of the shows featured an on stage jam of "Layla" that reunited Page with Yardbirds guitarists Beck and Eric Clapton. According to the book Hammer of the Gods, it was reportedly around this time that Page told friends that he'd just given up heroin after seven years of use. On 13 December 1983, Page joined Robert Plant on-stage for one encore at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

Page next linked up with Roy Harper for the 1984 album (Whatever Happened to Jugula?) and occasional concerts, performing a predominantly acoustic set at folk festivals under various guises such as the MacGregors, and Themselves. Also in 1984 Page recorded with former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant as The Honeydrippers on the albumThe Honeydrippers: Volume 1, and with John Paul Jones on the film soundtrack Scream for Help.

Page subsequently collaborated with Paul Rodgers to record two albums under the name The Firm. The first album, released in 1985, was the self-titled The Firm. Popular songs included "Radioactive" and "Satisfaction Guaranteed". The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard pop albums chart and went gold in the US. It was followed by Mean Business in 1986. The band toured in support of both albums, but soon split up.

Various other projects followed, such as session work for Graham Nash, Stephen Stills and The Rolling Stones (on their 1986 single "One Hit (to the Body)"). In 1986, Page reunited temporarily with his ex-Yardbirds band members to play on several tracks of the Box of Frogs album Strange Land.^[34] Page released a solo album entitled Outrider in 1988 which featured contributions from Robert Plant, with Page contributing in turn to Plant's solo album Now and Zen, which was released the same year. Page also embarked on a collaboration with David Coverdale in 1993 entitled Coverdale Page.

Throughout these years Page also reunited with the other former members of Led Zeppelin to perform live on a few occasions, most notably in 1985 for the Live Aid concert with both Phil Collins and Tony Thompson filling drum duties. However, the band members considered this performance to be sub-standard, with Page having been let down by a poorly tuned Les Paul.^[35] Page, Plant and Jones, as well as John Bonham's son Jason, performed at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary show on 14 May 1988, closing the 12-hour show.^[35] In 1990, a Knebworth concert to aid the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre and the British School for Performing Arts and Technology saw Plant unexpectedly joined by Page to perform "Misty Mountain Hop", "Wearing and Tearing" and "Rock and Roll". Page also performed with the band's former members at various private family functions.

In 1994, Page reunited with Plant for the penultimate performance in MTV's "Unplugged" series. The 90-minute special, dubbed Unledded, premiered to the highest ratings in MTV's history. In October of the same year, the session was released as the CD No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded, and in 2004 as the DVD No Quarter Unledded. Following a highly successful mid-90s tour to support No Quarter, Page and Plant recorded 1998's Walking into Clarksdale.

Since 1990, Page has been heavily involved in remastering the entire Led Zeppelin back catalogue and is currently participating in various charity concerts and charity work, particularly the Action for Brazil's Children Trust (ABC Trust), founded by his wife Jimena Gomez-Paratcha in 1998. In the same year, Page played guitar for rap singer/producer Puff Daddy's song "Come with Me", which heavily samples Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" and was included in the soundtrack of Godzilla. The two later performed the song on Saturday Night Live.

In October 1999, Page teamed up with The Black Crowes for a two-night performance of material from the Led Zeppelin catalogue and old blues and rock standards. The concert was recorded and released as a double live album, Live at the Greek in 2000. In 2001 he made an appearance on stage with Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst and Wes Scantlin of Puddle of Mudd at the MTV Europe Video Music Awards in Frankfurt, where they performed a version of Led Zeppelin's "Thank You".^[36]

Jimmy Page performing at the Led Zeppelin reunion concert (2007)

In 2005, Page was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his Brazilian charity work for Task Brazil and Action For Brazil's Children's Trust,^[37] made an honorary citizen of Rio de Janeiro later that year, and was awarded a Grammy award.^[38]

In November 2006, Led Zeppelin was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. The television broadcasting of the event consisted of an introduction to the band by various famous admirers (including Roger Taylor, Slash, Joe Perry, Steven Tyler, Jack White and Tony Iommi), a presentation of an award to Jimmy Page, and then a short speech by the guitarist. After this, rock group Wolfmother played a tribute to Led Zeppelin, playing the song "Communication Breakdown".^[39][40]