- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJohn Henry Bonham
- Nickname
- Bonzo
- Height1.79 m
- John Bonham is still regularly voted in polls as the greatest and most influential rock drummer of all time, an opinion which has also been expressed by the likes of Roger Taylor of Queen, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
He started playing drums at the age of five using a makeshift kit and later progressed to real drums. His influences included great American jazz drummers such as Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. He played in a series of bands and formed an association with Robert Plant through Band of Joy, who combined blues, psychedelics and extended musical workouts. According to Plant: "Bonzo was totally and absolutely devoted to getting it right. Everything that he listened to he could go beyond, not only could he recreate it but he could take it somewhere new. He knew that he was a powerhouse among drummers... we seemed to have a great affinity for each other."
Although Bonham and Plant went their separate ways after Band of Joy, they reunited in The Yardbirds, which already featured Jimmy Page. John Paul Jones joined and this led to the formation of Led Zeppelin, who released their first album in 1969. They went on to become the biggest rock band of the 1970s, achieving extraordinary success in the United States in particular.
Bonham died aged 32 in 1980. He had a reputation as a heavy drinker and had consumed too much vodka in the 24 hours before his death, which caused vomiting and asphyxiation. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. Led Zeppelin announced they were finished as a band. According to Page, the band could not have continued without him, he was so integral to their sound. They didn't play again as Led Zeppelin until Live Aid (1985), which included Plant's solo drummer Phil Collins and The Power Station's Tony Thompson replacing him in a performance which has been disowned by the band. Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, has become a successful drummer himself and a member of Led Zeppelin for subsequent reunion performances.- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous
- SpousePatricia Bonham(February 19, 1966 - September 25, 1980) (his death, 2 children)
- Children
- ParentsJoan Bonham
- RelativesMick Bonham(Sibling)Bill Bonham(Cousin)Deborah Bonham(Sibling)
- Powerful and energetic drum work
- His beard
- Enormous drum sound
- Fast bass-drumming
- Learnt to play drums with his bare hands while as a member of the Blue Star Trio in 1963. He replaced Bill Harvey, a jazz drummer, who taught him techniques on how to do it without injuring his fists.
- Father of Jason Bonham and Zoe Bonham.
- As a rule, John Bonham strenuously avoided granting interviews, valuing his own privacy. However, the drummer relented on just the one occasion when he agreed to be interviewed by Billy Connolly.
- Rock musician, drummer for Led Zeppelin.
- Died from asphyxiation on his own vomit at the home of guitarist Jimmy Page in Windsor, England while preparing for 1980 U.S. tour.
- People who don't take care of their drums really annoy me.
- I'm a simple, straightforward drummer and I don't pretend to be anything better than I am.
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