Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert
Led Zeppelin's final full reunion concert, held in memory of Ahmet Ertegun.
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On 10 December 2007, London’s O2 Arena hosted a benefit concert honoring music executive Ahmet Ertegun. The main attraction was Led Zeppelin, the English rock band that had not played a full show since drummer John Bonham died in 1980. For this one-off reunion, Bonham’s son Jason handled the drums and added backing vocals on two tracks. It remains the last occasion the band’s three surviving members have performed together.
The event set a Guinness World Record for the “Highest Demand for Tickets for One Music Concert,” with 20 million online requests. A concert film, *Celebration Day*, came out in October 2012, earning high praise for both the movie and the performance. The BBC broadcast a shortened version in the UK on 8 December 2012.
The reunion was announced on 12 September 2007 by promoter Harvey Goldsmith, with Jason Bonham confirmed on drums. Originally set for 26 November 2007, the show aimed to raise money for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, which provides university scholarships in the UK, US, and Turkey. Tickets cost £125 ($250) and were sold through a lottery on Ahmettribute.com. The site crashed almost immediately after the announcement, and the promoter predicted it would generate “the largest demand for one show in history.” About one million people registered for fewer than 20,000 tickets. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page later said he knew demand would be high but was stunned by the “tidal wave of euphoria.” The show was postponed to 10 December after Page fractured his left little finger in a fall on 1 November.
The concert opened with a band featuring Keith Emerson, Chris Squire, Alan White, and Simon Kirke, plus the brass section from Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings. They played Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” incorporating sections of Yes’s “The Fish” and Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” Originally, Rick Wakeman was to join Squire and White, but he had prior commitments for the rescheduled date, so Emerson stepped in. Supporting acts included Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, Paul Rodgers, Paolo Nutini, and Foreigner. Most of the support set came from the Rhythm Kings, with Nutini and Rodgers each performing two songs. The “Foreigner” slot was actually just Mick Jones playing “I Want to Know What Love Is” with a school choir and former Foreigner drummer Brian Tichy backing him.
- Date
- 10 December 2007
- Location
- O2 Arena, London
- Headline act
- Led Zeppelin
- Drummer
- Jason Bonham
- Record
- Highest Demand for Tickets for One Music Concert (Guinness World Records 2009)
- Ticket requests
- 20 million online
- Tickets available
- Fewer than 20,000
Lore & Background
The concert was announced on 12 September 2007 by promoter Harvey Goldsmith, confirming that the surviving members of Led Zeppelin would reunite with Jason Bonham on drums. Originally scheduled for 26 November 2007, it was postponed to 10 December 2007 after guitarist Jimmy Page fractured the little finger on his left hand. Tickets were made available via a lottery system through the website Ahmettribute.com, costing £125 / $250, with all proceeds going to the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, which pays for university scholarships in the UK, US and Turkey. The website crashed almost immediately following the announcement, and the promoter predicted the gig would cause the 'largest demand for one show in history.' One million people registered for fewer than 20,000 available tickets.
The show opened with a band featuring Keith Emerson, Chris Squire, Alan White and Simon Kirke, followed by Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Paul Rodgers, Paolo Nutini, and Foreigner (Mick Jones with a choir). Pete Townshend was scheduled but pulled out. Led Zeppelin performed 16 songs, including two encores, from across their career, excluding their final studio album In Through the Out Door. Two numbers—'Ramble On' and 'For Your Life'—were played live in their entirety for the first time ever by Led Zeppelin. The concert sound was mixed by Metallica's FOH engineer Big Mick.
Reader's Guide
The Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert holds significance as the last performance by the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin together, marking the band's only full-length concert since the death of John Bonham in 1980. It set a Guinness World Record for the 'Highest Demand for Tickets for One Music Concert,' with 20 million online requests. The concert raised funds for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, providing university scholarships. In October 2012, the concert film Celebration Day was released, documenting the event, and a shortened version was broadcast by the BBC on 8 December 2012. Both the film and performance have been highly acclaimed. The concert demonstrated the enduring legacy of Led Zeppelin's music and the global demand for their reunion, while also showcasing Jason Bonham's role in continuing his father's legacy.
Did You Know?
- Jason Bonham played drums and sang backing vocals on two songs during the set.
- The concert was originally scheduled for 26 November 2007 but was postponed after Jimmy Page fractured his little finger.
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