Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page Takes Trip Down Memory Lane in Tribute to Late Guitar Legend Duane Eddy

Besides helping form the legendary rock band Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page is also a mesmerizing guitar player. While looking at his personal career in the spotlight, Rolling Stone labeled him as “the pontiff of power riffing.” He also landed on the list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He sat behind other greats like Jimi Hendrix. And if that wasn’t enough, Page gained entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not once but twice. Having a rich love for the guitar, the musician recently honored the “Titan of Twang”, Duane Eddy. 

Although having sold over 100 million albums throughout his career, Eddy sadly passed away on April 30 at 86 years old. With Eddy performing on stage since the 1950s, the musician gained not only a loyal fanbase but also a spot in the Musicians Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And wanting to make sure he honored such a historic musician, Page shared a heartfelt message about his time with Eddy. 

Posting a picture of the two together, Page captioned the post, writing, “I am sad to hear of the passing of Duane Eddy. I first saw him perform at the Granada in Kingston in November 1963 and topping the bill that evening was Gene Vincent.” He added, “In 2011, I spoke to Duane on the radio from the BBC Studios as the producers had prepared a link up with him in Nashville. Duane was hosting a tribute programme to Les Paul and we discussed the massive pioneering contribution that Les had presented to the world.”

[RELATED: Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore Honors His “First Guitar Idol” Duane Eddy With Touching Tribute Following His Death]

Jimmy Page Recalls Meeting Duane Eddy In 2018

While meeting Eddy just a few years ago, Page considered the musician to be a “lovely” person. “In 2018, I had the chance to meet Duane and his wife as he performed at the London Palladium alongside Richard Hawley. He was introduced to the stage that night by Whispering Bob Harris and it was a pleasure to get the chance to meet him: he was such a lovely man.” 

With his family mourning his loss and music losing another icon, Page concluded, “Duane Eddy twanged the thang in the late 50s and 60s and you can hear his character sound appearing throughout the decades of popular music. He will be missed and my thoughts are with his family. RIP, Duane.”

(Photo by Mike Coppola/WireImage)