As rock fans, discovering Led Zeppelin feels as natural as taking your very first steps, but for some, especially those far removed from the world of heavy music, it might take a friendly nudge in the right direction.
For Beyoncé – yes, Queen of Pop, Beyoncé – it took Mike Myers (the actor/comedian behind iconic starring roles in Shrek and Wayne's World), to introduce her to the Rock Gods, while the pair were on set together during the making of the 2002 comedy spy smash Austin Powers in Goldmember.
In a new video feature with Vanity Fair, Myers (who played leading man Austin Powers) re-visits some of the best films of his career. When reflecting on his time working on the spy spoof franchise, which he also wrote and co-produced, he recalls introducing co-star Beyoncé (who gave a spectacularly fabulous performance as Foxy Cleopatra) to Zeppelin.
This life-changing moment came when, during the making of the film, Beyoncé took an interest in the music he was listening to.
“Beyoncé was a dream. She was the loveliest person in the world and just knocked it out of the park," recalls Myers. "She would always listen to music and she said to me, ‘Mike, what are you listening to right now?’
"And I said, “Oh, I’m just listening to Led Zeppelin at the moment.’ And she said, ‘I think I’ll listen to that Led Zeppelin.’ She had never heard of it. She was so young, and the crew was all, ‘Awww!'”
He adds, “And then the next day, she was doing this [miming holding onto headphones], and I said, ‘What are you listening to?’ She went, ‘Led Zeppelin! They’re great!'".
Thanks to Myers, Queen Bey's affinity for Led Zep grew far beyond a mere appreciation; she even went on to sample When the Levee Breaks for her song Don't Hurt Yourself from 2016's Lemonade album, also featuring Jack White.
Watch the full interview below:
