The Detail Behind Robert Plant’s Tears When Ann Wilson Sang “Stairway to Heaven”
Robert Plant watched from the balcony as Ann Wilson began “Stairway to Heaven” at the Kennedy Center Honors. It takes only a few bars for the camera to make clear that the people being honored are listening as closely as anyone in the room.
The performance took place on December 2, 2012. Nancy Wilson played guitar, while Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones sat alongside Plant. Ann carried the quiet opening before the arrangement gathered voices and instruments around her.
At the drum kit was Jason Bonham, the son of the drummer who recorded the song with Led Zeppelin. Jason wore a bowler hat in tribute to his father, and the choir wore them as well. The detail is visible even in the wide shot.
Fans still point to those hats and the cut back to the balcony when they describe the performance. A viewer on one widely shared YouTube upload singled out the sight of the original performers moved to tears. Another drew attention to Jason’s place on the stage.
There is enough room in the arrangement to notice each of those moments as it happens. Nancy establishes the song on guitar, Jason builds the back half from the drum kit, and the choir comes into view behind him.
The broadcast keeps returning to the balcony as the music reaches its peak. You can see Page react and Plant wipe his eyes. For another view of the sisters’ approach to Led Zeppelin, there’s also their acoustic performance of “Going to California.”
