In 1966 the world came to know Jimmy Page!
In 64, Page was approached to replace Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds, one of England's hottest blues bands at the height of the British Invasion. Page declined out of loyalty to Clapton and because as a studio musician Page was making far money there than he would be as part of the group. He did keep himself in the good graces of the band, however when he advised them to take a look at another friend of his, Jeff Beck. The Yardbirds would take Beck as their new guitarist and so it remained until, Paul Samwell-Smith announced that he was leaving the group, two years later and Page offered to replace Samwell-Smith on bass. Page would accept and the Yardbirds debuted their new bassist. Eventually it seemed foolish that one of the best guitarists in England was playing bass, so Chris Dreja took the spot and The Yardbirds had a twin axe attack.
The line-up was short lived, however as the band released one single, "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago". Beck was run down by the band by this time, and his antics would get him fired, making The Yardbirds a four piece again. They recorded one album with Page on lead guitar, Little Games, which was not a commercial success, but the band's live performances became the stuff of legend. It's around this time that bands played longer sets and jammed, as the commercial success of Cream doing so began to spread to other bands. With Page the Yardbirds would catch fire live with their performance of the Jack Holmes song "Dazed and Confused". Page's use of a violin bow on his electric guitar in the song's solo would make The Yardbirds a hot attraction. Page would bring in his manager Peter Grant to take over the position in The Yardbirds, as their prior management ran them into the ground for sub-par pay at the time. It was a move that netted the group their most financial success, but it came a bit too late to save the band.
Keith Relf and Jim McCarty would leave the band in 1968, but left Page the unfinished tour dates to perform with a band of his choosing. Page recruited Robert Plant and John Bonham, and contacted fellow studio musician John Paul Jones on bass, and formed The New Yardbirds for the Scandinavian tour. The use of the name did not sit well the his old bandmates who order a cease and desist on the use of The Yardbirds name, which caused Page to pivot and rename his new band Led Zeppelin.
It's pretty well chronicled that everything worked out for both sides on that one.