"As a guitar instrumental the attitude of it was totally unique in its mystery, imagination and execution": Jimmy Page pays tribute to Link Wray's Rumble and shares footage of surprise Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame performance

Jimmy Page has paid tribute to one of his musical heroes in a new year posting reflecting back on his surprise appearance at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame on November 3 last year.

Posting on his Instagram account, the former Led Zeppelin guitarist writes, "This November I was asked to induct Link Wray into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame; a guitarist, instrumentalist and songwriter that I’d admired from the very first taste of the Rumble.

"I first heard it when I was 14, roaring from a jukebox in my hometown of Epsom," Page continues. "As a guitar instrumental the attitude of it was totally unique in its mystery, imagination and execution — it had a profound effect on me.

"Link Wray and Rumble stand alone at the pinnacle in the world of instrumentals and I was thrilled to stand on stage in New York with drummer Anton Fig and bassist Tim Givens at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame to induct one of my heroes."

At the ceremony, held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on November 4 last year, Page appeared in a video tribute to the American guitarist, who died in 2005, alongside Iggy Pop, the late Jeff Beck and The Band's Robbie Robertson, who passed away earlier in 2023.

After the video finished, Page appeared onstage holding his iconic double-necked Gibson to play Rumble.

Page’s last appearance onstage was in 2011, when he made a guest appearance with Roy Harper at London’s Royal Festival Hall, duetting on the song The Same Old Rock. 

The 2023 Rock and Rock Hall Of Fame ceremony will be available to stream on Hulu from today, January 2.