Swan Song

Led Zeppelin in the White House

On Saturday, Led Zeppelin were honored at the White House by Obama partly on the account of the release of Celebration Day. While there, the remaining three members were awarded the Kennedy Center Honors ("“lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts"). To Led Zeppelin, Obama had this to say:

“When Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham burst on the musical scene in the late ’60s, the world never saw it coming. There was this singer with a mane like a lion and a voice like a banshee, a guitar prodigy who left people’s jaws on the floor, a versatile bassist who was equally at home on the keyboards, and a drummer who played like his life depended on it. When the Brits initially kept their distance, Led Zeppelin grabbed America from the opening chord. We were ready for what Jimmy called ‘songs with a lot of light and shade.’... It’s been said that a generation of people survived teenage angst with a pair of headphones and a Zeppelin album, and a generation of parents wondered what all that noise was about. Even now, 32 years after John Bonham’s passing, we all, I think, appreciate the fact that the Led Zeppelin legacy lives on...

"More than 20 million fans from around the world applied for tickets [to Celebration Day]. What they saw was vintage Zeppelin: No frills, no theatrics, just a few guys who can still make the ladies week at the knees. Huddled together, following the music.Of course, these guys also redefined the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. We do not have video of this, but there were some hotel rooms trashed and mayhem all around, so it’s fitting that we’re doing this in a room with windows that are about three inches thick and Secret Service all around. So guys, settle down — these paintings are valuable! Tonight, we honor Led Zeppelin for making us all feel young, and showing us that some guys who are not completely youthful can still rock."