Jimmy Page Receives Honorary Doctorate At Berklee Music College

Led Zepplin guitarist, Jimmy Page, was honoured at a commencement ceremony at the Berklee College of Music on Saturday morning (10th May). Page received an honorary doctorate from the Boston college, the ceremony for which was held at the Agganis Arena.

The 70-year-old musician prepared a short five minute speech in which he thanked the college and congratulated the graduating musicians, as the Boston Globe reports. Page discussed the concert he had attended the previous evening in which the students had honoured his 60 year career. Amongst the songs the students performed were Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock and Roll’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven’.

Of the students’ performance, Page said “The quality of musicianship that was shown last night was really moving.” He continued by thanking the college for his honorary doctorate, stating “This is absolutely so amazing, and it’s such a privilege to be a part of this and feel all the energy coming from you graduates, congratulations.”

The British born musician is best known as the guitarist of Led Zeppelin but he has also worked with a number of other bands throughout the 1960s, both performing and composing.

Page was not the only musician to be honoured at the event as honorary doctorates were also presented to Motown songwriter Valerie Simpson, jazz pianist Geri Allen and American Music Program youth orchestra founder Thara Memory. According to Fox, each gave a short speech thanking the college and congratulating the graduates. Simpson encouraged the students to attend every rehearsal and treat each one like a performance, she added “I am so proud of you, your future is so bright. Carry on, y’all!” Whilst Memory complimented the students on their performance of the previous evening exclaiming “You all know how to party!”

Jimmy Page at an event celebrating Led Zeppelin in New York in 2012.