Grammy Award-winning Arthur's Theme singer Christopher Cross has a secret heavy metal background - he once stood in for Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore and toured with Led Zeppelin.
The singer/songwriter is best known for easy listening hits like Sailing and Ride Like The Wind, but he has revealed he once rubbed shoulders with the icons of hard rock.
He tells Spinner.com, "In Texas, where I grew up, I played in a band called Flash. When Deep Purple first came over, like 1970, Ritchie Blackmore got ill. A promoter friend told them I could play guitar and I did the gig.
"They offered people their money back, but about 80 per cent stayed.
"And Flash had some fun moments. We toured Texas on a bill with Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin in about 1969.
"I even bought an amp from Jimmy Page, which he remembered years later. Robert Plant saw me at the shows and thought I was a fan following the tour. When I told him my band was opening, that next night I saw him in the wings, watching us. It was awesome."