When I hear the words classic rock music, my mind’s eye always conjures up one particular song. One out of the incredible amount of fabulous songs that have created the soundtracks of our lives over the years. One out of the thousands of remarkable artists who have spent their blood, sweat, and tears pouring over melodies and riffs to find the best one that expresses their musical vision. One out of so many crazy guitar solos by musicians who have dedicated their lives to living creatively.
The amount of fantastic musical is endless, but the one that always sticks out to me (and I know I’m not alone on this one!) is Led Zepplin’s “Stairway To Heaven.”
On December 2, 2012, the remaining members of Led Zeppelin were celebrated at the 35th annual Kennedy Centre Honors in Washington DC. And, for Led Zeppelin’s biggest, most iconic song, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart stepped up to the plate to deliver the classic. Onstage was a massive ensemble that featured a choir plus orchestra, and took the audience on a wild journey through the buildup and climax of the memorable tune.
Between the footage of what’s happening on stage, and how Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones are reacting, it’s a pretty emotional performance. The band is missing the late John Bonham on drums, but as a tribute, his son Jason Bonham was part of the performance that evening.
Robert starts to tear up midway perhaps because John Bonham’s son looks remarkably like his father, or because they’re celebrating 35 years. Regardless, this climactic number will send goosebumps down anyone’s spine. Anne’s vocals are spot on and came as a close second to Robert’s pipes!
Click below to get all the feels with this one. It’s wow. Even Barack and Michelle Obama looked speechless.
