Randy California, co-founder of the band Spirit, and his estate will finally get its day in court for the lawsuit he filed years ago claiming rock group Led Zeppelin stole the famous guitar riff for their hit song “Stairway To Heaven”. Led Zeppelin members, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page are being sued while other surviving band member John Paul Jones has been excluded from the case according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
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Attorney’s representing Randy California will argue in court today that Plant and Page plagiarized “Stairway To Heaven” from a Spirit song titled “Taurus”. Randy California once stated in an interview with Jeff McLaughlin in Listener, “Well, if you listen to the two songs, you can make your own judgment. It’s an exact…I’d say it was a rip-off. And the guys made millions on it and never said ‘Thank you’, never said, ‘Can we pay you some money for it?’”
Plant and Page will neither testify in person, but both are expected to be in attendance at court. Although they will not testify, Plant and Page both taped depositions. The trial will include a testimony by musicologist Lawrence Ferrera, who California’s attorneys believe should be excluded from testifying as Ferrera was once employed by Led Zeppelin’s publisher.
Listen to Led Zeppelin “Stairway To Heaven” here…
Now compare to Spirit’s song “Taurus”…
Do you think these songs are Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” ripped off of Spirit’s “Taurus? Let us know what you think.