Jimmy Page made a rocking surprise appearance at the Experience Music Project Founders Award tribute last night. While the guitarist’s management insisted that he would not be attending the event, which was built to honor him, the room was shocked to see Page step onto the stage at the end of the night for a scorching version of the Led Zeppelin classic “Rock And Roll”. The legend spent the night quietly observing as the room honored decades of his music and legacy, until finally he did the most Rock & Roll thing ever and surprised the entire EMP Awards ceremony.
With vocals from Paul Rodgers, who played in the Firm with Page, Alice in Chains’ William Duvall, and John Hogg, and eight other guitarists on stage, including Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil and Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, Page added his edgy existence to an already stacked crew.
The house band was beaming with talent, featuring guitarist Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes, Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and former Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin, and Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic, among several others.