Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson
Since 1978, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts recognizes talent for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts—whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television as Kennedy Center Honorees.
Among the Center’s 200 recipients since they were started in 1978 are such rock and pop music legends as Brian Wilson, Carole King, Billy Joel, Carlos Santana, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Joni Mitchell, and many more. For years, it was strictly a highbrow affair with Honorees like Fred Astaire, Leonard Bernstein, and so on. It wasn’t until 1994 when a more contemporary music icon, Aretha Franklin, was first selected. Since then, the committee has chosen performers from the classic rock era virtually every year.
When Eagles and James Taylor were among the artists selected for 2016, Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said: “The Kennedy Center Honors celebrates the spectacular talents of artists whose brilliance has left a lasting impact on our society. These Honorees represent what is possible when creativity is not just cultivated, but unleashed.”
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On December 2, 2012, the living members of Led Zeppelin – John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant – were among those chosen to be recognized. And doing the honors, as it were, with a phenomenal performance of “Stairway to Heaven” were Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson of Heart, plus John Bonham’s son, Jason, on drums, and a cast of thousands – or at least several dozen.
The emotional rendition moved Plant to tears – literally. It’s our Classic Video…
“When Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham burst onto the musical scene in the late 1960s, the world never saw it coming,” President Barack Obama said in his tribute. “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, a drummer who played like his life depended on it,” he continued.
He added: “It’s been said that a generation of young people survived teenage angst with a pair of headphones and a Zeppelin album… but even now, 32 years after John Bonham’s passing – and we all I think appreciate the fact – the Zeppelin legacy lives on.”
The president then thanked band for behaving themselves at the White House given their history of “hotel rooms being trashed and mayhem all around”.
In our extensive interview, Nancy Wilson told Best Classic Bands that she expected Heart to have another big reunion tour in 2022, but sadly it didn’t happen. However, the sisters hit the road together as Heart in December 2023. The tour continued in 2024 but ended abruptly when it was announced that sister Ann was being treated for cancer. She’s thankfully on the mend and the tour is scheduled to resume in 2025. Tickets are available here.
Led Zeppelin tweeted this photo in 2022, on the 10th anniversary of the event.
Led Zeppelin received the Kennedy Center award from President Barack Obama, for their significant contribution to American culture and the arts on this day in 2012. pic.twitter.com/qjhELrGHE9
— Led Zeppelin (@ledzeppelin) December 2, 2022
Related: The inside story of Led Zeppelin’s U.S. breakthrough
4 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationAnn Wilson, in the top 2 of best female vocalists there ever was.
AND…She was 62 years old when she performed this feat of awesomeness. Rock of ages indeed.
Ok, who is the other one? To me she has the top female voice of all time 🙂
Amazing tribute to Led Zep. Both the instrumentation and vocals were killer.