Guitar legend Jimmy Page will apparently hit the stage with British superstar Leona Lewis to perform the Led Zeppelin classic “Whole Lotta Love” during the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
According to numerous news reports, the pair will appear live from London along with England native David Beckham in an eight-minute segment set to occur during the handover ceremony when the Olympic torch is passed to London at the end of the Beijing games. London is the host city for the 2012 Olympics.
The news was apparently leaked by noted session bassist Guy Pratt in an entry in his blog. Pratt wrote, “You may also be interested to know that when Jimmy Page and Leona Lewis perform ‘Whole Lotta Love’ at the end of the Olympics, that’s me playing bass on it.”
The much-anticipated closing ceremonies will be produced by filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who also produced the spectacular opening ceremonies on Aug. 8. Other notables set to appear during the closing ceremonies include international opera star Placido Domingo, who will be the lead performer at the National Stadium in Beijing, and USA Olympic star and winner of eight gold medals Michael Phelps, who will appear with Beckham from a location in London. Page and Lewis are also scheduled to appear from London, where they will perform live from the Mall, the road that runs from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square.
London mayor Boris Johnson will receive the Olympic flag personally in Beijing, while pop singer Will Young and indie rockers the Feeling will perform live from London during the closing ceremonies.—Gabriel J. Hernandez