by Mary J. Blige has long been one of the most revered and influential R&B singers of our time. Throughout her illustrious career spanning over 25 years, she has cemented herself as the “Queen of Hip Hop Soul” with her powerful vocals, raw emotion, and honest lyrics reflecting her personal struggles and triumphs. Though she has cited many artists as inspirations, Blige has named the legendary rock band Led Zeppelin as the group that truly “holds the key to her soul.”
In a revealing interview with Rolling Stone magazine last year, Blige opened up about her lifelong devotion to Led Zeppelin and the immense influence their music has had on her artistry. She revealed that her love for the band began in early childhood, when her older siblings would play Led Zeppelin records at home. Blige was instantly drawn to the band’s “raw, gut-wrenching emotion” and the “power and command” of frontman Robert Plant’s voice. “The first time I heard Robert Plant sing, I was done. I was absolutely done from that point on,” she said.
As she grew older, Blige began studying Led Zeppelin’s discography and live recordings, enthralled by their energy and charisma on stage. She was especially moved by their ability to channel pain and longing into their songwriting. “A lot of the emotion that you hear in my music is inspired by what I learned from Zeppelin,” Blige stated. “They helped me discover my own pain, my own longing, and how to sing about those things in an honest way. They gave me permission to be totally free as an artist.”
Led Zeppelin’s influence permeates much of Blige’s work, as she frequently weaves samples and interpolations of their songs into her own music. Her songs like “Family Affair” cleverly sample the riff from “Dancing Days,” while “All That I Can Say” lifts a portion of the hook from “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You.” She also recorded an emotive cover of “All My Love” for a Led Zeppelin tribute album in 2014. “I feel like their music is part of my DNA at this point,” Blige remarked. “It’s running through my blood.”
Beyond their musical inspiration, Blige also credits Led Zeppelin with helping her gain confidence and develop her stage presence earlier in her career. Though she was cripplingly shy as a young artist, seeing footage of Led Zeppelin’s brazen, sexual, and unbridled live performances made her realize she needed to channel that fearless energy. “I learned so much from the way Plant moved and sang on stage,” she explained. “He gave zero f—s, and that attitude was everything I needed to adopt.”
Blige has undoubtedly carried the torch of Led Zeppelin’s powerful showmanship, mesmerizing crowds for over two decades with her passionate, gutsy performances. She frequently pays homage to Plant’s raw vocal style and flamboyant delivery, making each song her own while retaining his influence. “I want people to feel what I’m feeling when I’m singing,” Blige said. “Led Zeppelin taught me how to do that.”
Though some may see the connection between the two artists as odd or unexpected, Blige argues that at their core, the two acts share many similarities. “We’re both making music that comes from a very real, very vulnerable place,” she stated. “We’re singing about love, pain, life, all of it. At the end of the day, we just want to move people and help them feel something.”
Now at 47, an age Plant and Jimmy Page were still rocking stadiums at, Blige shows no signs of slowing down, still garnering critical acclaim for her latest soulful offerings. And Led Zeppelin continues to be her guiding light, as she confirmed that she listens to them before every performance to get hyped up. “They pump me up, remind me what I’m capable of, and give me strength,” she revealed.
Blige remains eternally grateful for the lessons Led Zeppelin have taught her, stating, “I wouldn’t be half the artist I am without them.” Perhaps she best summarized the immense impact the band has had on her career during her Rolling Stone interview:
“Led Zeppelin absolutely holds the key to my soul. They helped me find my voice. They showed me how to share my truth. Their music is part of the fabric of who I am. No other band has had that kind of influence on me. They gave me courage, passion, and inspiration. I wouldn’t be Mary J. Blige without Led Zeppelin. Plain and simple.”
As she continues crafting her timeless catalog of albums, there’s no question traces of Led Zeppelin will live on through Blige’s music. Though genres apart, the two acts will forever be intertwined through Blige’s enduring adoration and homage to the group that shaped her artistry. For that, fans of both will be forever grateful.
