In a recent issue of Rolling Stone, Robert wrote an article about Elvis, who was deemed the #3 best singer in that Magazine’s poll (Robert came in at #15). Here is Robert’s article which originally appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine:

article by Robert Plant

There is a difference between people who sing and those who take that voice to another, otherworldly place, who create a euphoria within themselves. It’s transfiguration. I know about that. And having met Elvis, I know he was a transformer. ||Continue reading||

Fri, November 21 at 9:00pm ET on RAVE HD
Soundstage
A rebroadcast of Robert Plant and Strange Sensation on PBS’s Soundstage

Sat, November 22 at 12:00am ET on RAVE HD
Soundstage
A rebroadcast of Robert Plant and Strange Sensation on PBS’s Soundstage

For the first time in any awards show, the Grammy Nominations will be announced as part of a televised special including concert performances. The broadcast is part of a fund raiser for the new Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.

The nomination concert will take place on December 3, 2008 and the awards ceremony is on February 8, 2009.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are touted as likely nominees for Raising Sand. Variety writes:

An increasing number of acts are releasing singles in September, the last month in the eligibility period for the Grammys. For some, it is an advance of an album, a strategy that delivered Grammy wins to [Alicia] Keys and the duo of [Alison] Krauss and Robert Plant.

Keys, who nabbed two R&B awards for “No One” last year, will have other singles and her album in contention this year, as will the Plant-Krauss album “Raising Sand.” Last year the duo won the pop collaboration with vocals trophy, the 20th win for her but only the second for him. Their collaboration plays to Grammy voting tendencies: It involves an overlooked legend and a Recording Academy fave.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss still hang on in the Billboard Top 200 with Raising Sand. This week: #185, Last week: #175, Two weeks ago: 122, Weeks on the chart: 53

Greig Dymond, writing for cbc.ca interviewed Burton Cummings who has released his first solo album in 20 years, “Above the Ground”.

Robert Plant’s name came up and Burton admitted that he was “Trying to be Robert Plant” when he recorded “American Woman”, a major hit for his band The Guess Who. Dymond writes:

Q: Robert Plant once called you that “lead singer with one hell of a voice.” Do you have a favourite vocal performance of yours?

A: Wow. In my solo career, I always thought I’m Scared was a pretty good vocal. And Break It to Them Gently. As far as Guess Who stuff goes, I still cringe when I hear American Woman, because I never quite nailed the notes. I was trying to be Robert Plant and I never quite had the power.

Starting November 15, 2008, a group of “15 Below Jackets” signed by various celebrities, including Robert Plant, will be auctioned on Ebay. Proceeds from the sale of the jackets will go to the Salvation Army. In the auction for the Robert Plant signed jacket, the winner will also receive a signed copy of Robert Plant with Alison Krauss Raising Sand Tour book, a Raising Sand Tour T-shirt and an Alison Krauss and Robert Plant after-show pass from their July 14th, 2008, Toronto show.

The 15 Below Jacket is designed to help the homeless survive the winter. The jackets can be stuffed with newspapers to produce varied levels of protection from the cold–even as low as 15 below 0.

The Robert Plant signed jacket will be auctioned from November 15 to November 25, along with jackets signed by Rush, Kids in the Hall, R.E.M., Michael Caine and others.

Jackets signed by Kid Rock, Yo-Yo Ma, Jon Stewart and others will be on auction from November 20 to November 30.

The Ebay auction.

15 Below Project website

The Wolverhampton Civic Hall has turned the basement of the facility into a new entertainment venue at a cost of £84,000. It took six weeks to complete and is the first new venue since the Civic Hall opened 70 years ago.

The venue has been named the Plant Room in honor of Robert Plant, who used to park his car outside the door when appearing at the Civic Hall.

More about the venue

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss won a CMA award for “Musical Event of the Year”. Their category was awarded during pre-show ceremonies.

Lunch Is Fun travels all over Nashville rating lunches. Extra points are given for celebrity sightings. A few weeks ago the Lunch is Fun crew were invited to a VIP luncheon catered by Riverwalk Catering Company. They say:

Apparently the people at the PR company Kaleidoscope Media are fans of our blog and they represent this catering company therefore they invited us to this exclusive luncheon. This place was packed with stars. We sat next to Grammy award winner Robert Plant, Allison Krauss was not eating with him though.

Rolling Stone will issue their list of 100 best singers of the Rock era on Friday. The Magazine will hit the newsstands with four different covers.

Robert Plant came in #15 on the list. Robert commented on Elvis Presley’s voice, calling it “confident, insinuating and taking no prisoners.” Presley is #3 on the list behind Aretha Franklin (#1) and Ray Charles (#2).

Voters on the list included James Hetfield, David Crosby, Yusuf Islam, Keith Richards, Iggy Pop and James Blunt. Each submitted their top 20 list and the results were tabulated by an accounting firm.

Reuters article