On December 2nd, surviving LED ZEPPELIN members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were awarded the US's highest award for those who influenced American culture through the arts, the Kennedy Honor, at a dinner event at the White House. HEART's Ann and Nancy Wilson performed the Led Zeppelin classic, 'Stairway To Heaven' for the show's finale, and were joined by late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, on drums.

The song (7:58) is now available on iTunes at this location.

Footage of the performance can be seen below:

Ann Wilson issued the following statement with regards to the performance:

"I am so happy you all liked our performance of Stairway to Heaven at The Kennedy Center Honors event. It was our honor to be asked to do it before an audience like that. My main goal though was to please Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones...especially Plant, since all these many years he has taught me so much about singing from the soul and has given me such pleasure in his lyrics. What a high that night was. Never to be forgotten!"

In his tribute to Led Zeppelin, President Barack Obama said: "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.

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.

And 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 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.

We honour Led Zeppelin for making us all feel young, and for showing us that some guys who are not completely youthful can still rock!"