While the term “rock n’ roll god” is thrown around somewhat liberally these days, if there’s one person who truly lives up to the title it would have to be Robert Plant. As the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, he set the standard for hard rock vocals for generations to come — and while he’s still making music nearly five decades since the start of his career, the legendary musician is also taking time out to bring attention to an important cause.
In a video shared to his official Instagram account this week, Plant, 76, spoke to the BBC about river pollution in the UK while holding a plastic bottle filled with dirty river water.
“Once upon a time, kids used to have a great time in the river,” Plant said, adding, “Now I think that parents, everybody’s really cautious about getting anywhere near it.”
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“I’m very aware of it because I live very close to this river and it’s been a part of my life,” Plant continued.
“It’s a beautiful — was once a beautiful thing but what are you going to do?” he asked. “You sit on the riverbank and I challenge you to see a fish jumping, feeding. We can’t stand by and watch this happen. So there will be implications and we have to do something radical about it and people have to be forced into realizing it’s another one of those things that can’t be ignored.”
Fans in the comments were thrilled to see Plant using his influence to do something good for the environment.
“The greatest singer of all time using his mediatic power to change the world for the better. That’s what being a true artist is all about❤️🙌🏻☀️🤘🏼,” one person declared, with another adding, “@robertplantofficial always doing good things as one of the best human being, not only the Best Voice on Earth! Love you always!!!”
“Dude even has an amazing normal speaking voice,” another fan pointed out. “Love the cause, get behind this 👍.”
“This is so amazing Robert,” raved someone else. “I hope people are listening we have to make our world a better place for our children and everyone thank you so much for being you — you have a big heart.”
While not everybody associates Plant with activism, he’ll forever be linked to one of the most popular hard rock songs in history — “Stairway to Heaven” — even if, as he explained in a 2024 interview, he doesn’t feel the same connection to the hit as he once did.
“Lyrically, now, I can’t relate to it, because it was so long ago,” he admitted, per Far Out Magazine. “I would have no intention ever to write along those abstract lines anymore. I look at it and I tip my hat to it, and I think there are parts of it that are incredible.”
“The way that Jimmy [Page] took the music through, and the way that the drums reached almost climaxed and then continued… It’s a very beautiful piece,” he continued. “But lyrically, now, and even vocally, I go, ‘I’m not sure about that’.”