July 18, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” Lawsuit Continues

(L-R) John Paul Jones, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin in 2012 (Thinkstock: Danny Martindale/Getty Images).
(L-R) John Paul Jones, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin in 2012 (Thinkstock: Danny Martindale/Getty Images).

A downtown Los Angeles jury will continue hearing testimony today involving the contested origins of the introduction to Led Zeppelin’s rock anthem “Stairway to Heaven,” which plaintiffs in the closely watched lawsuit allege was lifted from an obscure 1968 instrumental that never dented the music charts.

The federal civil lawsuit contends that the descending guitar arpeggio opening of “Stairway,” released 45 years ago, was plagiarized from the instrumental “Taurus,” recorded by the long-defunct Los Angeles band Spirit.

The suit was lodged on behalf of Michael Skidmore, administrator of the trust of Spirit’s late guitarist-songwriter Randy Craig Wolfe, known as Randy California. Wolfe drowned in 1997 off the coast of Hawaii.

Defendants include Led Zeppelin band members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, who are attending the trial, and three companies involved in the Led Zeppelin catalog.

Surviving members of Spirit are expected to testify today as the plaintiffs’ case continues.

In his opening statement Tuesday, Francis Malofiy, an attorney for the Wolfe trust, said the case “can be summarized in six words: Give credit where credit is due.”

During his 30-minute opening statement in front of a packed courtroom, Malofiy said the jury can look at the lawsuit “almost like a taste test. Do these things taste the same? Do these things sound the same?”

Malofiy played for the eight-member panel a video recording of the introduction to “Stairway” played on guitar by a musicologist, saying the notes were not original, but a “lifted composition.”

The Wolfe trust contends that Page first heard key musical elements later used in “Stairway” when Spirit performed “Taurus” when the band shared the bill with Zeppelin on the British band’s first United States date, in Denver in 1968, and at three pop festivals the following year.

However, in his opening statement, defense attorney Peter Anderson told jurors that Page and Plant were not familiar with the band Spirit or its output, and Page — Led Zeppelin’s guitarist — had no recollection of ever hearing the song “Taurus.”

Anderson played for the jury the famous recording of the first two minutes and 14 seconds of “Stairway.”

The 72-year-old Page, sitting in court with Plant, 67, nodded his head along with the music.

“‘Stairway to Heaven,’ was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant and them alone, period,” Anderson said.

The attorney said that although Page has acknowledged owning the 1968 Spirit album that contained the instrumental at the center of the case, “There’s no evidence that because he has an album now, it doesn’t mean he had it 45 years ago.”

The defense attorney also played for jurors a recording of a pianist playing “Taurus,” which sounded like a Baroque composition and appeared to have little in common with the rock-radio classic.

In an unusual argument, Anderson said that whatever similarities might be perceived in the two pieces were actually “basic commonplace musical devices” — or cliches.

In other words, he suggested, the descending chromatic scale used for the plucked guitar intro to “Stairway” is actually an unremarkable musical device used in countless songs, including the Beatles’ “Michelle.”

U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled in April that the jury trial would last less than a week and attorneys would have no more than 10 hours per side to present evidence.

The suit alleges that Led Zeppelin has “a deep-rooted history of lifting compositions from blues artists and other songwriters who they have repeatedly failed to credit.”

In the 1970s, the band made settlement agreements and granted writing co- credits to other artists for several songs originally credited to Page, including “Whole Lotta Love,” “The Lemon Song” and “Dazed and Confused.”

“Attribution is the most important thing,” Malofiy recently told City News Service. “What we want is for credit to be given where it’s due. I’m a fan of Led Zeppelin, but in this situation, we want credit for Randy.”

In the liner notes to a 1996 reissue of Spirit’s first album, Wolfe stated that “people always ask me why ‘Stairway to Heaven’ sounds exactly like ‘Taurus,’ which was released two years earlier. … They opened up for us on their first American tour.”

In a six-page declaration filed with the court, Page said he didn’t hear, or had even heard of the 2-minute, 37-second “Taurus” until two years ago.

in Crime, News
Related Posts

Man Arrested in Brentwood for Impersonating Firefighter During Palisades Fire

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

The suspect faces at least 28 criminal counts—including 23 felonies—spanning incidents from 2023 to May 2025 Federal and local law...

Study Highlights Economic Impact of Cap-and-Trade Extension in Los Angeles

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are pushing to reauthorize the program this year, citing its role in generating 287,000...

Nearly $1B Secured for Refinancing of Westfield Century City Mall

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

The proceeds will replace a $925 million commercial mortgage-backed securities loan, originally issued by Morgan Stanley in 2023 and due...

West Coast Premiere of ‘The Opposite of Love’ Opens at Hudson Backstage Theatre

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

Produced by Neil Gooding Productions, behind shows like Back to the Future: The Musical, the play runs Thursdays through Saturdays...

Tesla Seen Nearly Crashing into West LA Home After Collision

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

Footage depicted a blue Prius on the road with significant front-end damage A crash involving injuries was reported around 12:30...

DUI Checkpoints to be Conducted Across LA This Weekend

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The LAPD selects checkpoint sites based on data indicating high incidents of impaired driving-related crashes and arrests The Los Angeles...

Mayor Bass Hails National Guard Withdrawal as Victory for Unity

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The Pentagon’s decision to reduce the troop presence follows weeks of legal challenges and public demonstrations Mayor Karen Bass celebrated...

(Video) Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The outpost is a first for the popular influencer Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?...

Dodgers to Host Back to School Bash for Fire-Affected Families

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The free event will offer free groceries, school supplies, outfits, haircuts, medical screenings, and carnival rides The Los Angeles Dodgers...

Hundreds of Red-Legged Frog Tadpoles Released in Santa Monica Mountains

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

Once widespread in California, red-legged frogs vanished from the Santa Monica Mountains by the 1970s Nearly 600 California red-legged frog...

LA Sees Second Straight Year of Homelessness Decline, Leaders Celebrate Progress

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The survey, designed by the University of Southern California, reported a 17.5% drop—the largest two-year decrease on record The Los...

Westwood Village Board to Discuss Public Art Initiative

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The initiative aims to enhance community pride, boost local business revenue, and address urban blight through public art corridors and...

Beverly Hills Plans Major Apartment Development Near Civic Center

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The site, currently holding 13 residential units, is slated for demolition to make way for the new development A proposal...

Federal Judge Sides with Santa Monica, Other Local Governments Against Immigration Raids

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete praised the ruling, saying it reaffirmed the city’s commitment to protecting residents from unjust detention...

California Hits Two-Thirds Clean Energy Milestone

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

This year, clean energy has powered the state for an average of seven hours daily, with over 90% of days...