The Story Of The Man Who Became Jimmy Page

We've all had moments in our lives when we wanted to be like Jimmy Page. Akio “Mr. Jimmy” Sakurai, however, has dedicated his entire life to paying tribute to Jimmy Page.
For three decades, he meticulously recreated vintage Led Zeppelin concerts in intimate Tokyo venues, faithfully replicating every note.
Then, one evening the real Jimmy Page himself made an appearance, forever changing Akio's life.
While working as a kimono salesman in Tokyo during the day, Akio transformed into 'Mr. Jimmy' by night, embodying Jimmy Page's guitar prowess and persona

During an evening in Tokyo, when promoting the Celebration Day film, Jimmy Page surprised everyone by visiting the Gigabar Club to witness Akio's performance.
Sakurai changed his usual set list that night, choosing to perform Led Zeppelin tracks from the 1973 era.
“I thought he would want to hear his best era. All the Zeppelin core fans know his playing style changed with each era and each year. Sometimes very good, sometimes magical, sometimes not as good, but still fans love to hear those differences.” Said Akio.
Watching intently, Page gave Sakurai a standing ovation after his performance.
“He said to me after the show, ‘You take me back to that time. You remind me what I did on the stage,’” Akio told the South China Morning Post in 2019.
Page's enthusiasm encouraged Akio to quit his job and join a Led Zeppelin tribute band in Los Angeles. Later, he became part of Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening, a band led by John Bonham's son.
Now, a documentary titled "Mr. Jimmy" has been released, chronicling Akio "Mr. Jimmy" Sakurai's lifelong dedication to emulating Jimmy Page's guitar playing.
The documentary features several Led Zeppelin songs performed by Sakurai. Plus, the film includes Page's pre-Led Zeppelin songwriting with the Yardbirds' "White Summer" and post-Led Zeppelin work with The Firm's "Midnight Moonlight," interpreted by Sakurai.
The documentary also showcases a repertoire of blues and rock songs by artists like Elvis Presley, John Lee Hooker, Otis Rush, and others, surrounding the Page and Zeppelin compositions.
Read more: Exploring Jimmy Page’s Lucifer Rising
Comments
Tony Dale —
It just proves that the world is starved of the magic that Zeppelin gave us, and we will take the next best thing if it looks and sounds the same. Its a pity the world didn’t catch on to how special, different, and ground breaking Zeppelin was. All the cameras are out to capture these other events, now, now its too late to capture the real thing. Keep the Zep flag flying Akio. It sounds great.