Ann Wilson recounted performing “Stairway to Heaven” with her sister Nancy at a Led Zeppelin tribute at the Kennedy Center in 2012, and said afterward that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant expressed approval of their version, told Guitar World.
Wilson was part of the tribute concert where she and Nancy performed the classic song. After the show, she met the Led Zeppelin members.
“Nancy and I played ‘Stairway To Heaven’ for the Led Zeppelin tribute [at the Kennedy Center in 2012] and after the show, they sat us all down and gave us, y’know, a rubber chicken dinner,” Ann Wilson said. “We met Page and Plant, and they were very happy and said they really liked our performance. That was a big deal because so many bands have tried to cover Zeppelin, and they don’t enjoy being covered by people that don’t feel it.”
Wilson emphasized that the musicians’ positive reaction was meaningful because Led Zeppelin is selective about which cover versions they appreciate.
Heart’s connection to Led Zeppelin goes back many years. Ann and Nancy Wilson have long admired the band and its influence on their music. The sisters have covered several Led Zeppelin songs over the years, including “Black Dog,” “Rock and Roll,” and “The Battle of Evermore,” and they made it a point to include Zeppelin material in their live shows regularly.
The Kennedy Center Honors tribute took place on December 2, 2012. The performance by Heart brought the audience to its feet and moved the Led Zeppelin members who watched from the stage. Jason Bonham, son of original drummer John Bonham, played drums for the Heart performance.
Ann and Nancy Wilson had just one rehearsal before playing the song in front of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. Robert Plant told the sisters that he usually disliked people’s covers of “Stairway to Heaven,” but he liked theirs. Jimmy Page also praised their performance, telling them they had nailed the guitar part.
