The Time Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant Was the Backup Singer for Dee Snider

Led Zeppelin will likely never regroup. Robert Plant started his lengthy and successful solo career soon after the band broke up. His solo songs did what Zep never could — win Grammy awards — and he’s not too keen on revisiting the past. Except for when Plant sang backup to Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider on Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” after tricking Snider into singing at a wedding.

Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant was Dee Snider’s backup singer at a wedding

Plant called into Snider’s radio show in 2014 (available on SoundCloud) amid a move. He promoted his new music with the Sensational Shape Shifters and their world tour but finished his call by saying he liked the songs Snider “sang at that wedding.”

Snider filled in the details of how Plant ended up as his backup singer when the call ended.

The Twisted Sister frontman said he and the Led Zeppelin singer attended the wedding of the son of Phil Carson. He was an Atlantic Records executive in Europe who worked closely with Led Zeppelin, and he later managed Snider. 

To avoid singing at the wedding reception, Plant and Snider agreed to make a brief appearance at the ceremony and cocktail reception before slipping away for a private dinner. 

The way Snider tells it, Plant grabbed the microphone almost as soon as the festivities started and ran through a few rock ‘n’ roll standards. Carson then asked Snider if he planned to sing, and he could hardly refuse after Plant broke their pact. Plant was the backup singer to Snider for a fleeting moment once he took the mic:

“Robert mentioned to me one time that he hates hearing his own songs. So I said (to the band), ‘Hey, anybody know “Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin?’ And I said ‘Plant, you son of a b****, you said we wouldn’t sing. This one’s for you.’

“As I’m singing “Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin, I see Robert Plant coming through the crowd to the stage, he sits at the edge of the stage watching me, bopping his head and tapping his toes, and he sings the last word — ‘Time.’”

Dee Snider

So not only was Plant Snider’s backup singer — for one word — on a classic song, but the Led Zeppelin frontman was also the opening act for the Twisted Sister singer. At least for one night.

Snider called out Plant for not being a great frontman despite their friendship

Plant and Snider were clearly close acquaintances. Close enough to prank each other at a wedding for Plant to call Snider’s radio show. That didn’t stop the face of Twisted Sister from saying Plant was not a great frontman with Led Zeppelin. It might be one of the biggest misfires we’ve seen. 

Plant strutted, danced, and dressed to grab attention as any good frontman would, even if he wasn’t as flamboyantly spotlight-grabbing as Freddie Mercury or David Lee Roth. 

Also, each Led Zeppelin member was as important to the overall performances as the others. They all agreed to that approach early in their career — no one bigger than the other three. Plant risked upsetting the equilibrium if he detoured into being an over-the-top performer.

Plus, Led Zeppelin’s music always spoke for itself, especially in concert. They didn’t need a hype man/frontman to get the crowds interested. The tunes did that on their own.

In that context, Dee Snider should be thrilled Robert Plant was his backup singer after being his opening act. It’s not every day you get to share the stage with a rock legend.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.