The band’s individualistic style draws from many sources and transcends any one genre.

The band did not release the popular songs from their albums as singles in the UK, as they preferred to develop the concept of album-oriented rock.

Led Zeppelin are ranked #1 on VH1′s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

Rolling Stone magazine has described Led Zeppelin as "the heaviest band of all time" and "the biggest band of the ’70s".

The beginning of Led Zeppelin can be traced back to the English blues-influenced rock band The Yardbirds.

Jimmy Page joined The Yardbirds in 1966 to play rhythm guitar after the original bassist, Paul Samwell-Smith, left the group. Shortly after, Page switched from rhythm to lead guitar, creating a dual-lead guitar line up with Jeff Beck.

The group never formed, although Page, Beck and Moon did record a song together in 1966, "Beck’s Bolero", which is featured on Beck’s 1968 album, Truth.

The Yardbirds played their final gig in July 1968. However, they were still committed to performing several concerts in Scandinavia, so drummer Jim McCarty and vocalist Keith Relf authorized Page and bassist Chris Dreja to use the Yardbirds name to fulfill the band’s obligations.

With their first album not yet released, the band made their live debut under the name "Led Zeppelin" at the University of Surrey, Guildford on 25 October 1968.

Led Zeppelin’s eponymous debut album was released on 12 January 1969, during their first US tour.

However, Plant has commented that it is unfair for people to typecast the band as heavy metal, since about a third of their music was acoustic.

In their first year, Led Zeppelin managed to complete four US and four UK concert tours, and also released their second album, entitled Led Zeppelin II.

Recorded almost entirely on the road at various North American recording studios, the second album was an even greater success than the first and reached the number one chart position in the US and the UK.

Here the band further developed ideas established on their debut album, creating a work which became even more widely acclaimed and arguably more influential.

It has been suggested that Led Zeppelin II largely wrote the blueprint for 1970s hard rock.

In 1977, Led Zeppelin embarked on another major concert tour of North America. Here the band set another attendance record, with 76,229 people attending their Pontiac Silverdome concert on 30 April.

It was, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest attendance to date for a single act show.

On 10 December 2007 the surviving members of Led Zeppelin reunited for a one-off benefit concert held in memory of music executive Ahmet Ertegon, with Jason Bonham taking up his late father’s place on drums. It was announced on 12 September 2007 by promoter Harvey Goldsmith in a press conference. The concert was to help raise money for the Ahmet Ertegon Education Fund, which pays for university scholarships in the UK, US and Turkey. Music critics praised the band’s performance. Hamish MacBain of NME proclaimed, "What they have done here tonight is proof they can still perform to the level that originally earned them their legendary reputation. We can only hope this isn’t the last we see of them."

On January 7, 2009, MusicRadar reported that Jimmy Page’s manager Robert Mensch said that the band had "tried out a few singers, but no one worked out, that was it.

But that is not the end of it.

Kashmir was started in 2002 by lead singer, Jean Violet. Jean decided early on that if he was going to form a tribute band, he was going to go all out. His goal was to recreate the music of Led Zeppelin, as well as have the audiences relive the visual experience.

It wasn’t easy finding the right people but, after playing steadily through personnel changes for more than two years, Jean feels he finally has the perfect combination of talented musicians. With Andy Urban on guitars, Dr. Robert Kipp on bass, keyboards and mandolin, and Paul Cooper on drums, Kashmir has evolved into the "well-oiled machine" that Violet was hoping to create.

Led Zeppelin would have been proud of Kashmir. Kashmir is the Nation’s No 1 tribute to Led Zeppelin! No wigs. No BS. Just a killer salute to the greatest rock band ever! For over 5 years Kashmir has been paying tribute to Led Zeppelin. Fans all over the world agree that Kashmir is the greatest tribute to Led Zeppelin ever!

And guess what? You can see them Friday night, April 10, 2009 giving a repeat, sellout performance at the famous Break Away II Sports Lounge in Hagerstown, Maryland. If you never got the chance to witness the awe of Led Zeppelin, then come join us for the experience of a life time. Their sound is so pure, so dynamic, so explosive you will believe Led Zeppelin has returned! Kashmir
Rocks!

Tags: Kashmir, led Zeppelin, tribute