The Strange Story Of Robert Plant’s Drug Bust

In the 1970s, the hard-partying antics of Robert Plant and the rest of Led Zeppelin were the stuff of legends. The band’s wild behavior and unforgettable parties are now a significant part of rock history—ranging from bizarre moments like Jimmy Page, the band’s guitarist, covered in whipped cream, to a Halloween bash in 1974 that a BBC DJ likened to “a medieval orgy,” complete with naked jelly wrestling. Given that lifestyle, it might not be surprising to learn that, long before Led Zeppelin rose to stardom, a young Plant was already making waves with a clever PR stunt that would set the stage for his rockstar future.

A Bizarre Start to His Career

Before becoming a member of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant was just a teenager trying to make a name for himself. Born on August 20, 1948, in West Bromwich, England, Plant left school and home at 16 to chase his music dreams. He worked a construction job while living with friends and honing his skills as a singer. To stand out in the competitive music scene, he tried several tactics, including performing under the name “Rob3ert Lee” — with the figure “3” being silent, as he jokingly explained in an interview.

By the summer of 1967, at the age of 18, Plant had already released a single, “Our Song,” and was making moves with his band, Band of Joy, which also included drummer John Bonham—who would later become a key member of Led Zeppelin.

It was during this time that Plant’s first run-in with the law would unknowingly turn into an opportunity for attention. One day, while driving his Ford van through West Bromwich, Plant was involved in a minor car accident. He had pulled off a side street and collided with another vehicle before crashing into a tree. While it wasn’t a serious crash, police charged Plant with “driving a van without due care and attention,” to which he pleaded not guilty.

The PR Stunt That Backfired (Sort of)

Plant’s manager, Mike Dolan, saw this as a chance to get some free publicity. The idea was simple: turn this minor incident into a media spectacle, all while drawing attention to Plant and his band. The plan was to make the court appearance on August 10, 1967, in Wednesbury a huge event—complete with a pro-marijuana rally. Dolan hoped the hippie crowd would show up in full force, boosting the band’s profile.

However, things didn’t go quite as planned. While the media showed up, the massive crowd they expected didn’t materialize. Instead, only seven of Plant’s friends and bandmates showed up dressed in full hippie attire, holding signs like “Don’t Plant it, Smoke it” and “Happiness is Pot Shaped.” It wasn’t the wild protest they had hoped for, but it did generate some headlines. Plant, dressed in an “Oriental costume” and “Indian bridegroom chestpiece,” made quite the appearance in court, though the case was quickly dismissed for lack of evidence. The local papers picked up the story, but unfortunately, they mostly referred to Plant as just “a pop singer,” ignoring Band of Joy entirely.

One unexpected consequence of the rally was that a nurse-in-training named Dorette Thompson was fired for attending, but despite the awkward outcome, the stunt did put Plant in the newspapers, at least.

From PR Stunt to Rock Royalty

The stunt was, at best, a mixed success. But for Plant and Bonham, the story didn’t end there. Band of Joy broke up in the spring of 1968, and just a few months later, Plant and Bonham joined forces with guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones to form the legendary Led Zeppelin. In January 1969, they released their debut album, complete with the iconic Hindenburg Zeppelin cover, and the world of rock music was never the same again.

In just two years, Robert Plant had gone from participating in a small-time publicity stunt to fronting one of the most influential rock bands in history. From a quirky PR stunt in a courtroom to becoming the voice of Led Zeppelin, Plant’s journey shows how a little creativity and a lot of perseverance can turn into a rock ‘n’ roll legend.