- Music
- 25 May 16
Plant and former bandmate Jimmy Page are to appear in a copyright trial in Los Angeles.
Robert Plant has cancelled his upcoming appearance at the Meltdown Festival in London in order to attend a court case over claims about the Led Zeppelin track 'Stairway To Heaven".
Plant and ex Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page are due to go on trial in Los Angeles over claims that 'Stairway To Heaven' copies the opening chords from the 1967 Spirit track 'Taurus". The claims were brought forward by Michael Skidmore, an estate trustee of the late songwriter and guitarist for Spirit, Randy California.
A judge ruled in April that the songs were enough alike for the claim to go to trial. Spirit and Led Zeppelin performed at the same shows in 1968 and 1969 and Skidmore claims this is where Page may have been inspired by the 'Taurus' track.
According to Led Zeppelin's lawyer all three surviving members of the band will attend the court date. This will be the first time that Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones will be seen together in public since a 2012 press conference in London.
Plant had been due to perform at a benefit show for the British Red Cross's refugee awareness campaign entitled, 'The Ship We're In'. The show was part of Meltdown festival and is being curated by Elbow's Guy Garvey. The benefit show has now been cancelled.