Two Led Zeppelin legends, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, took their official Instagram accounts to reflect their sadness on the death of former Led Zeppelin tour manager Richard Cole.
The famous music manager Richard Cole passed away on December 2, 2021, at the age of 75, after his longtime battle with cancer. Cole was a very well-known name in the rock music business as he worked with many recognized musicians and bands. He first stepped into the music industry during the mid-’60s and worked with The Who, The New Vaudeville Band, Vanilla Fudge, and The Yardbirds in those days.
Then Cole became Led Zeppelin’s tour manager in 1968 and worked with them until 1980. Led Zeppelin members were getting ready for their final concert tour of Europe in 1980, but Richard Cole got fired due to his substance abuse problems. Thus, Cole wasn’t with the band as the manager for their final tour, and Phil Carlo replaced him.
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant shared their photos with Richard Cole in their Instagram accounts and paid tribute to him, using some emotional words. Page referred to their longtime collaboration and said that Cole was a like brother to him as they witnessed exceptional times together. Plant also showed his deep sadness and stressed Cole’s braveness during his lengthy battle against cancer.
Here is how Jimmy Page expressed his grief:
“Yesterday, on December 2 at 2.05 am, Richard Cole passed after a brave and lengthy fight against cancer.
Richard and I went back a long way and he had been recruited by Peter Grant to be tour manager with the Yardbirds Keith Relf, Jim McCarty, Chris Dreja, and myself during our American touring schedule of underground venues. He was with me at the time that band folded and when I formed Led Zeppelin.
From the time of the rehearsals at my home at Pangbourne through to the touring of the USA, we witnessed the phenomena that was Led Zeppelin. He was there for the first and last concerts of the band.
He was a brother and a friend to the end. Goodbye, my dear friend. They were special times, and so were you.”
These were Robert Plant’s words on Cole’s death:
“Farewell Ricardo. Sadly no more tall tales… brave to the end.”
You can check out the posted photos below.
