Judge Asked to Force Jimmy Page, Robert Plant to Attend ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Trial
BABE I’M GONNA SUE YOU
Attorney Francis Alexander Malofiy brought a motion Tuesday to compel Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant to attend a June 14 trial in a California courtroom. The classic-rock icons are sought to defend themselves against allegations that they ripped off the 1968 Randy California song “Taurus” for their 1971 hit “Stairway to Heaven.”
The band’s lawyers have previously stated that “Page and Plant will attend the trial, but with them coming from England we cannot guarantee the day they will arrive.” Malofiy claims that Page and Plant’s “refusal to specify if they will appear is causing havoc.” (Malofiy, a Pennsylvania-based lawyer, represents the trustee who oversees the estate of Randy Wolfe, who took the stage name of Randy California when he performed with the band Spirit.)
Malofiy, who was recently been dubbed the “bar-brawling lawyer [who] might just take down Led Zeppelin,” previously threw shade at the rock ’n’ roll legends, calling them “the greatest cover band of all history.” He was unavailable for further comment Wednesday due to being “in the middle of a deposition,” he told The Daily Beast.
—Asawin Suebsaeng