Peter Grant

At six-foot-two and 300 pounds, former professional wrestler and Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant made a powerful impression — and he was just as good at creating a mystique for his clients. Grant refused all TV offers so anyone wanting to see Led Zeppelin had to buy a ticket. Learning his trade as a tour manager, Grant worked and butted heads with Don Arden, the thuggish manager and agent (and father of Sharon Osborne). Having visited America as tour manager for The Animals and The Yardbirds, Grant came to appreciate the size of the U.S. rock market and launched Led Zeppelin’s career by keeping the group on the road in the United States for most of its first year. Grant soon got the band a 90/10 split of concert proceeds — which was unheard of at the time.