For years he's been hailed as a genius and a rock god, but now Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page can be called something else: doctor.
On June 20, the University of Surrey conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of the University to Jimmy Page for services to the music industry. The guitarist attended the ceremony at Guildford Cathedral. Afterwards, Page signed a guitar which will be given away in a competition at the upcoming GuilFest festival. Surrey's involvement with GuilFest this year celebrates its innovative music programmes that reflect the diversity of contemporary musical practice.
This was not Page's first trip to the famed institution - on October 25, 1968, Led Zeppelin played their first gig under that name (having ditched the moniker The New Yardbirds) at the University of Surrey.
Although Page is certainly no stranger to picking up platinum albums and music awards, lately he's been the recipient of honors of a different stripe: In 2005 he was awarded an OBE for his charity work with the children of Brazil's slums, and was also made an honorary citizen of Rio De Janeiro.
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Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.