Led Zeppelin
| Name(s): | Led Zeppelin, Page/Plant, Tris/Alex, Allyn Sterling/Derek Quinn |
| Scope/Focus: | |
| Date(s): | 1970s-1990s |
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Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (best known as the guitarist and singer in the huge 70's band Led Zeppelin ("Stairway to Heaven," "Whole Lotta Love")) are the real-life inspiration for RPS slash originally written in the late 1970s. Page and Plant both went on to relatively successful solo careers, punctuated by brief, but seemingly emotional reunions that supported a rich fannish interpretation. For example, even 'regular' (i.e., non-slashfans) Led Zep fans tended to believe that Jimmy used David Coverdale[1] to get Robert to come back to him professionally; slashfans believe he was trying to get Robert back personally, as well.
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Initial fandom
At the time that fans were beginning to slash Plant and Page, RPS was both uncommon and strongly stigmatized. RPS in Star Trek and The Professionals was never published, merely passed hand to hand. The writers in this fandom, to show respect for the real people, changed the names of the real Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.
One pair of writers, Nancy Arena and Pam Rose, named them Tris and Alex in their short stories and their novel For All the Gods Departed. For the most part, these names caught on, and other people in the small fandom used those names as well.
Another fanwork written in 1978, Bird of Paradise, used the names Derek Quinn and Allyn Sterling for Jimmy and Robert. (This novel-length story is a crossover with Starsky & Hutch).
Interestingly, there were Led Zeppelin fan videos made throughout this period, and they, of course, used footage of Led Zeppelin and solo footage of Page and Plant without qualms.
Later Page/Plant reunion era
When Page and Plant briefly recorded and toured together in the mid-90s, fans worked the entire get together/tour/breakup into an existing fannish narrative of their lives. A small amount of fic was published (this time using their real names), and more fan vids incorporating the new source video appeared (some by the Media Cannibals, on Tape2 and Tape5).
At this time (2008) Robert is still "will I/won't I" to Jimmy about touring.
the Eroica connection
The original author of the Eroica manga was a huge Led Zeppelin fan, and there are endless references to the band in the manga. See Eroica for more information.
