Watching the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors for Led Zeppelin was truly magical. Not only was the honor well-deserved, but the tributes that followed were also iconic. In particular, Heart’s choir-backed rendition of “Stairway to Heaven” had just about everyone in their feels, including the band itself. Fans were quick to spot the tear-filled eyes of both Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, and assumed it was all due to Ann Wilson‘s incredible vocal range and Nancy Wilson‘s fiery guitar licks.
However, another factor wasn’t necessarily being considered: the late John Bonham‘s son, Jason Bonham, was there and killing it on the drums. What’s more, Plant had no idea he was even going to be there. Recently, after Concert Legacy pointed it out, Bonham himself added a bit of color and context to the situation.
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“Well, in fact, I was a surprise to them they didn’t know I was coming but right before I walked on Robert turned to Jimmy and said ‘we really should’ve invited Jason to this event’ as they had all of their children and family there,” Bonham wrote. “He points at me and I pointed back to him as if to say ‘I got you this time you had no idea what I was coming.'”
But that wasn’t the only interesting factoid Bonham dropped about the performance.
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“On the evening in the performance I played in silence,” he confessed. “Nothing worked. I couldn’t hear the band I couldn’t hear anybody and it wasn’t till I watched it back that I felt emotional but I’ve got to perform that with an amazing choir string section. I gotta hear the horn section cause they were right next to me. I actually suggested [Ann] and Nancy be the ones that take part to the musical director. I’ll probably get asked about this performance three times a week and I’m extremely proud that I got to play this this very special arrangement and he brought so much joy to so many.”
Related: Rock Legend, 77, Surprises John Bonham’s Sister on Stage to Perform Iconic Led Zeppelin Song
Robert Plant’s Connection to John Bonham and His Family
The truth is, Plant had an extremely special bond with “Bonzo” beyond that of bandmates. While touring, Plant received the horrific call that his 5-year-old son had taken extremely ill and had sadly died. Years later, Plant recalled just how supportive Bonham was during that devastating time.
“During the absolute darkest times of my life, when I lost my boy and my family was in disarray, it was Bonzo who came to me,” Ultimate Classic Rock reported he had said in a different interview. “The other guys were from the South of England and didn’t have the same type of social etiquette that we have up here in the North that could actually bridge that uncomfortable chasm with all the sensitivities required … to console.”
Losing him three years later was nothing short of a tragedy. After Bonham died, Plant made it clear that the band couldn’t go on without him. And while many have pleaded for them to reunite with Bonham’s extremely talented son, it has remained too much for Plant.
In an interview with Billboard, Jason Bonham explained exactly what the legendary frontman told him regarding joining up:
“He said, ‘I loved your dad way too much. It’s not disrespect to you, you know the stuff better than all of us, and no one else who is alive can play it like you. But it’s not the same. I can’t go out there and fake it. I can’t be a jukebox. I can’t go out there and try to do it that way.”
Plant does, however, occasionally sing a mellowed-out version of a few Led Zeppelin songs while touring with his band, Saving Grace, much to the delight of fans.
Despite being one of the greatest voices and talents in music history, Plant is not interested in capitalizing on his life and experiences. In a 2025 interview with Rolling Stone, Plant was asked if he’d ever consider writing a memoir or signing off on a biopic, to which he said without hesitation, “Not a chance”. When asked why, he simply said:
“I’m going down with the ship, and so is my memory”.