Fairmont Hotel - San Francisco, California - September 14th, 1998 12:00 pm

After meeting Robert, I kind of wandered around in a daze for awhile when I noticed four ladies who looked quite hung over. I realized I had met one of them in Concord on Friday. I asked if they were at Concord and they said yes. She said she did reports to the net, from the road. They said "We have been to nineteen shows". I explained I wasn't going to anymore shows, one was enough. Once I get Jimmy to sign this will be my pinnicle. This picture was one of the first shots I took and was a picture of the band during "Stairway To Heaven" the last time they ever played it as a band on American soil. I told them that I first started my photographic carreer shooting photos off the movie screen at the Fox - Parkside when the "Song Remains the Same" played there. I also, told them I had traveled and photographed nine Stones shows in America and Europe, photographed Skynyrd in three venues and met all of them, photographed Eric Clapton twice in the last three months, not to mention the 32 years of shooting rock bands, so I was pretty much ready to hang it up and write my book. The ladies informed me that Jimmy was a recluse and that they hadn't seen him around since Portland. They said "Good Luck". I thought that I was either going to wait for a long time or not see Jimmy at all. All of a sudden Micheal Lee walks up and started chatting with the girls and giving one of them the business about having to many Long Island Ice Teas the night before. They asked him what he was doing today and he said "I'm supposed to meet Jimmy here at 12:15". I looked at my watch and it was 12:20. Micheal laughing said "He is always fashionable late". Sitting there minding my own business when Micheal said "There he is". I looked and saw a very clean shaven and extremely happy Jimmy Page walking towards us. Dressed in black and still smiling he said "hello" to all of us. I stood and knodded and said "Hello". Jimmy knodded back and said "Hello there". His bodygurad seeing me open a envelope of photographs, walked up and said he isn't signing anything. Not paying any attention to him I walked around and said "Jimmy would you please sign this for me". Jimmy walked up and looked. I couldn't find the one I wanted him to sign so I started showing him the rest of the photographs I had taken.

One

Two

Three

Micheal came over and looked over our shoulders and pointed to a pic of Jimmy with him in the background and said "Who's that". Jimmy laughed and then I found the one I wanted him to sign. Standing shoulder to shoulder with me holding the picture on the cardboard that protected them he signed it. I was going to ask for a photo with him but I heard he doesn't like to have his picture taken. I also, didn't want to get shot down either. He said nice pictures and then looked to the bodyguard and said "Shall we"? I thanked Jimmy and he replied "Your welcome, Take care!"

Jimmy's bodyguard walked up to me after Jimmy Walked away, and said "I don't want to see you when I come back". I wanted to tell him "No one tells me what the f#@* to do in my neighborhood". I had no intention of staying. I got what I came for and was very grateful that Jimmy gave me the time of day. I said "Excuse me" and walked around him and grabbed my bag and headed for the door. I wanted so bad to use the words of Peter Grant when he said to one of the roadies in "The Song Remains The Same" "You silly c*@#".

As I walked outside I saw look over and knodd at me as he got into a limo. After they drove off my friend the bellmen said "Crow consider yourself lucky", "Yesterday Jimmy pretty much told three guys to "f*%# off". I walked down California street like I was floating in the clouds. I just met two members of one of the greatest, if not the greatest rock bands of all time. As I walked down to Montgomery St one of the homeless brothers in a wheelchair lifted up a sign that said "Smile". I in passing said, "Brother, I have been smiling since I left the Fairmont. The brother smiled back and said "Yeah, I also smile when I go to the Fairmont". I then went about my business.

Jim's Led Zeppelin Site

Meeting Robert Plant




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