About Frank Reddon... and Led Zeppelin

"Frank Reddon, you should write a book based on this essay."

That’s what my prof said when he handed back my paper for his popular music course at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada). The essay was called The Musical Evolution of Led Zeppelin: 1968-1980.

Like the band’s founding member, Jimmy Page, I’d always been fascinated by how Led Zeppelin’s music evolved from concert to concert. The group was phenomenal at improvisation.

I decided to analyze Zeppelin’s music from one performance to the next, based on the band’s official and unofficial (also called “live concert” or “bootleg”) recordings that I’d been collecting since high school. Two decades and one divorce later, I had a manuscript!

Going To London

In 2005, my sister (and now editor), Lou Anne and I hauled all 80 pounds of it to London, England. Someone there had expressed interest in possibly publishing it. At the time, it was called Sonic Hologram because it was like seeing and hearing Led Zeppelin’s music in 3D.

The man was totally amazed. He said it was of museum quality and simply had to be published. But how? It was too massive. If he didn’t know how, what chance did Lou Anne and Frank Reddon have?

With the 40th anniversary of Led Zeppelin’s formation looming in September 2008, Lou and I decided to break the manuscript up into several smaller pieces and publish them ourselves. I had the raw material. She had the background in print production and editorial.

We established our company, Enzepplopedia Publishing, Inc. in 2007. The first publication is a book called Sonic Boom: The Impact of Led Zeppelin.

Music Is My Passion

Writing is a part-time pursuit for me. My “real” job is being a gardener for the City of Welland Department of Parks and Cemeteries. I have an Honours BA from the University of Guelph and a diploma from the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

But music has always been my passion. I play piano, guitar, trombone and cello. My interest in Zeppelin has led me to contribute to the works of other authors and publishers. Look for a mention of Frank Reddon in the books of Luis Rey and Bob Walker.

Now, I’m really excited to be sharing what I’ve discovered with you. MUCH of it is absolutely brand-new info, which is amazing after 40 years! The research trail has been totally fascinating. Let me know if you think so, too!

Learn more about the Led Zeppelin book written by Frank Reddon