“Plant let us know he usually hated people’s covers of Stairway, but he liked that one. Jimmy Page goes, ‘You nailed the guitar part!’” That time Heart performed Stairway to Heaven in front of Led Zeppelin – and reduced Robert Plant to tears
When Led Zeppelin were awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012, they were treated to an emotional rendition of their 1971 classic, performed by Ann and Nancy Wilson with the help of John Bonham's son
(Image credit: Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS via Getty Images)
In December 2012, Ann and Nancy Wilson took to the stage at the Kennedy Center in front of Led Zeppelin themselves to perform one of the most famous covers of Stairway To Heaven.
The evening was a special occasion: Zeppelin were receiving the Kennedy Center Honor – the prestigious award given to those who have had a significant impact on the world of American culture – from President Barack Obama.
Previous recipients include Ella Fitzgerald, Leonard Bernstein, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and many more, with each awards season culminating in a mammoth event at the Kennedy Center every December.
At this particular show, the Heart sisters treated the surviving members of Led Zeppelin – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones – to an emotionally charged cover of their iconic 1971 track, complete with a fully fledged choir, orchestra and the son of their late bandmate, John Bonham, on drums.
The Wilson sisters were also backed up by guitarist Shane Fontayne – a seasoned session guitarist whose credits include Graham Nash, Mick Ronson, John Waite, Joe Cocker and a live stint with Bruce Springsteen in the early ‘90s.
While Fontayne was given the unenviable task of playing the iconic guitar solo in front of the guitarist who penned it, Nancy ushered in the performance by dealing with the track’s timeless riff.
The onstage assembly knocked it out the park. Highlights include Wilson’s soft solo opening, Fontayne’s admirable solo effort, and the goosebump-inducing outro section that merits a visible “Wow” from the onlooking Page. In fact, the performance was so powerful, it reduced Robert Plant to tears.
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Despite the polished performance, the pressures of the occasion were (understandably) sky high. Speaking to Howard Stern in April 2024, the Wilson sisters revealed they’d only had the chance for one rehearsal, plus a soundcheck, before the live show.
As for the band members’ reactions – and Plant’s in particular – Ann was quick to theorize it was the occasion, rather than the cover, that so visibly moved them.
“[Robert Plant] wells up a little bit. He’s emotional, but my theory is he gets emotional for a bunch of reasons,” she observed. “Like, he looks down and sees Jason Bonham playing drums, who was probably just a little kid running around at their band practice when they were writing Stairway to Heaven.”
That’s not to say the cover didn’t blow them away, though. At the after-ceremony dinner, Heart shared a table with Led Zeppelin, who let their feelings be known.
“Plant let us know he usually hated people’s covers of Stairway,” Ann continued in her Stern interview, “but he liked that one.” As for the guitar playing, Nancy added: “Jimmy Page goes, ‘You nailed the guitar part!’”
Plant has spoken about the cover on numerous occasions. In fact, just last year the vocalist revisited the cover, which had been earmarked as one of the highlights of his career during an interview with Vulture.
“Look at the company I was keeping that night,” Plant said. “Who was I sitting next to? What was going on? I didn’t even know the people anymore. How did we move across from being a British blues band to this ridiculous achievement?
“We’re talking here about one song from 50-plus years ago. It’s just a magnificent performance to watch and it kills me every time. It kills me in two or three different ways. It’s just like, Oh my God.”
In a previous interview with LA Weekly, Plant had dubbed the entire experience “humbling” and “mind-altering”.
You can’t play Stairway to Heaven with cold fingers in front of Jimmy Page!
Nancy Wilson
The Wilson sisters have also discussed the famed performance in the past, with Nancy once telling Classic Rock: “Before we went out there, I had to get my fingers really warmed up. It was winter, and it was cold and drafty backstage. You can’t play Stairway to Heaven with cold fingers in front of Jimmy Page!
“It was really well put together. If anybody deserved a tribute like that, it’s Led Zeppelin.”
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
