John Bonham
Encyclopedia
John Henry Bonham was an English
musician
and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin
. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove
. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music by many drummers, other musicians, and commentators in the industry. Over 30 years after his death, Bonham continues to garner awards and praise, including a Rolling Stone
readers' pick in 2011 placing him in first place of the magazine's "best drummers of all time".
, Worcestershire
, England, to Joan and Jack Bonham. He began learning to play drums at the age of five, making a drum kit out of containers and coffee tins, imitating his idols Gene Krupa
and Buddy Rich
. His mother gave him a snare drum at the age of ten. He received his first proper drum kit from his father at fifteen, a Premier Percussion
set. Bonham never took any formal drum lessons, though as a teen he would get advice from other Redditch
drummers. Between 1962–63, while still at school, Bonham joined the Blue Star Trio, and Gerry Levene & the Avengers.
Bonham attended Lodge Farm Secondary Modern School, where his headmaster once wrote in his school report card that "He will either end up a dustman or a millionaire". After leaving school in 1964, he worked for his father as an apprentice carpenter in between drumming for different local bands. In 1964, Bonham joined his first semi-professional band, Terry Webb and the Spiders, and met his future wife Pat Phillips around the same time. He also played in other Birmingham
bands such as The Nicky James Movement and The Senators, who released a moderately successful single "She's a Mod," in 1964. Bonham then took up drumming full-time. Two years later, he joined A Way of Life, but the band soon became inactive. Desperate for a regular income, he joined a blues
group called Crawling King Snakes, whose lead singer was a young Robert Plant
.
In 1967, A Way of Life asked Bonham to return to the group, and he agreed—though throughout this period, Plant kept in contact with Bonham. When Plant decided to form Band of Joy
, Bonham was first choice as drummer. The band recorded a number of demos but no album. In 1968 American singer Tim Rose
toured Britain
and invited Band of Joy
to open his concerts. When Rose returned for another tour months later, Bonham was formally invited by the singer to drum for his band, which gave him a regular income.
, guitarist Jimmy Page
was forming a new band when he recruited Robert Plant
, who in turn suggested Bonham. Page's choices for drummer included Procol Harum
's B.J. Wilson
, and session drummers Clem Cattini
and Aynsley Dunbar
. Ginger Baker
was also rumoured to be on Page's list. However, upon seeing Bonham drum for Tim Rose
at a club in Hampstead
, north London, in July 1968, Page and manager Peter Grant were instantly convinced that he was the perfect fit for the new project, first known as the New Yardbirds and later as Led Zeppelin.
Despite an intensive campaign to snare the drummer, Bonham was initially reluctant to join the band. Plant sent eight telegrams to Bonham's pub, the "Three Men in a Boat", in Walsall
, which were followed by 40 telegrams from Grant. However, at the same time he was also receiving lucrative offers from established artists Joe Cocker
and Chris Farlowe
. Eventually, Bonham accepted Grant's offer. He later recalled, "I decided I liked their music better than Cocker's or Farlowe's."
During Led Zeppelin's first tour of the United States
in December 1968, Bonham became friends with Vanilla Fudge's
drummer Carmine Appice
. Appice introduced him to Ludwig Drums, which he then used for the rest of his career. Bonham used the longest and heaviest sticks available, which he referred to as "trees." His hard hitting style was displayed to great effect on many Led Zeppelin songs, including "Immigrant Song
" (Led Zeppelin III
), "When the Levee Breaks
" (Led Zeppelin IV
/
), "Kashmir
" (Physical Graffiti
), "The Ocean" (Houses of the Holy
), and "Achilles Last Stand
" (Presence). In fact, Page once admitted to letting Bonham use a double bass drum in an early demo of "Communication Breakdown
" but claimed he scratched the track because of Bonham's "over-use" of it. The double bass style of drumming didn't become popular for another twenty years. The studio
recording of "Misty Mountain Hop
" perfectly captures his keen sense of dynamics
, and this is similarly exhibited by his precise drumming on "No Quarter
". On several cuts from later albums, Bonham rather adeptly handled funk
and Latin
-influenced drumming. Songs like "Royal Orleans
" and "Fool in the Rain
" are good examples, respectively displaying great skill with a New Orleans shuffle and a samba rhythm.
His famous drum solo, first entitled "Pat's Delight," later renamed "Moby Dick", would often last for 30 minutes and regularly featured his use of bare hands to achieve different sound effects. Bonham's action sequence for the film, The Song Remains the Same
, featured him in a drag race at Santa Pod Raceway
to the sound of his signature drum solo, "Moby Dick". In Led Zeppelin concert tours after 1969, Bonham would expand his basic kit to include conga
s, orchestral timpani
, and a symphonic gong
. Bonham is also credited (by the Dallas
Times Herald
) with the first in-concert use of electronic
timpani drum synthesizers (most likely made by Syndrum) during a performance of the song "Kashmir
" in Dallas
, Texas in 1977. Many modern rappers
would later heavily sample
his drumming and incorporate it into their compositions, such as Beastie Boys
, who sampled "Moby Dick," "The Ocean," and "When the Levee Breaks."
During his time with Led Zeppelin, Bonham was also an avid collector of antique sports cars and motorcycles, which he kept on his family's farm called The Old Hyde. He bought The Plough pub in the nearby village of Shenstone
, which shows signs of conversion work to allow him to drive his bikes or cars right behind the bar. This was not the pub featured in the film The Song Remains the Same
. It was the New Inn, which is currently boarded up, the only clue to its famous past being a picture hanging close to the bar.
, with Page and Jones. Bonham also sessioned for Screaming Lord Sutch
on his album Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends
in 1970. He played drums on Lulu
's 1971 song "Everybody Clap," originally written by Maurice Gibb
and Billy Lawrie. In 1972 he played drums on a Maurice Gibb produced album by Jimmy Stevens called Don't Freak Me Out in the UK and Paid My Dues in the US, credited as Gemini (given his star sign). Later in his career, Bonham drummed for his Birmingham
friend, Roy Wood
, on his 1979 album, On the Road Again, and on Wings
' album Back to the Egg
on the tracks "Rockestra Theme
" and "So Glad to See You Here". Bonham was the best man of Black Sabbath's
Tony Iommi
at his wedding ceremony.
In 1974, Bonham appeared in the film Son of Dracula
, playing drums in Count Downe's (Harry Nilsson
) backing band. This was an Apple
film directed by Freddie Francis
. Bonham appeared in an overcrowded drum line-up including Keith Moon
and Ringo Starr
on the soundtrack
album.
for an upcoming tour of the United States—the band's first since 1977. During the journey, Bonham asked to stop for breakfast, where he drank four quadruple vodka
s (sixteen shots, between 400–560 ml). He then continued to drink heavily after arriving at the rehearsals. A halt was called to the rehearsals late in the evening and the band retired to Page's house, the Old Mill House in Clewer
, Windsor
. After midnight on the 25th, Bonham fell asleep and was taken to bed and placed on his side. Benji LeFevre (who had replaced Richard Cole
as Led Zeppelin's tour manager) and John Paul Jones found him dead the next afternoon. Bonham was 32 years old.
Weeks later at the coroner's inquest, it emerged that in the twenty-four hours before he died, John Bonham had consumed forty shots of vodka which resulted in him vomiting and subsequently inhaling his vomit causing asphyxiation. A verdict of accidental death was returned at an inquest held on 27 October 1980. An autopsy
found no other drugs in Bonham's body. John Bonham's body was cremated and his ashes were interred on 12 October 1980, at Rushock
Parish Church, Worcestershire
. His headstone reads:
Despite media rumours that drummers including Cozy Powell
, Phil Collins
, Carmine Appice
, Barriemore Barlow
, Roger Taylor
, Simon Kirke
or Bev Bevan
, among others, would join the group as his replacement, the remaining members decided to disband Led Zeppelin after Bonham's death. They issued a press statement on 4 December 1980, confirming that the band would not continue without their drummer. "We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend and the deep respect we have for his family, together with the sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were." It was simply signed "Led Zeppelin".
(born in 1962) is a singer-songwriter.
Bonham was married to Pat Phillips, and the couple had two children; his daughter Zoë Bonham (born July 1975), who is a singer-songwriter and also appears regularly at Led Zeppelin conventions and awards, and his son Jason Bonham
(born 1966), a rock drummer who has gained success with various bands including UFO
, Foreigner
, and Bonham
. He currently plays in a band called Black Country Communion
which includes Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian
, and Joe Bonamassa
. They recorded an album called Black Country
in 2010. On 10 December 2007, he played with Led Zeppelin
on the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert
, as well as their previous reunion at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary
show on 15 May 1988. A 1970 film clip of a four-year-old Jason playing drums appears in the Led Zeppelin
film The Song Remains the Same
. Zoë and Jason appeared at the induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 1995 along with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin.
John's mother, Joan Bonham, died aged 81 on 10 February 2011. She was one of the lead vocalists for The Zimmers
, a 40-member band set up as a result of a BBC documentary on the treatment of the elderly.
Bonham's cousin Billy Bonham (born 1950), also played keyboards for Terry Reid
and Ace Kefford
.
history. In 2007, Stylus
magazine rated Bonham number 1 on its list of the 50 greatest rock drummers, as did the online music magazine Gigwise.com
in 2008, and a Rolling Stone
reader's poll where he "led the list by a significant margin" in 2011. Bonham was ranked at no. 1 on Classic Rock's
2005 list of "50 Greatest Drummers in Rock", and Modern Drummer
magazine describes him as "the greatest rock 'n' roll drummer in history." In September 2008, Bonham topped the Blabbermouth.net
s list of "Rockers fans want brought back to life", ahead of Elvis Presley
and Freddie Mercury
. Rhythm magazine voted him the greatest drummer ever, topping their reader's poll to determine the "50 greatest drummers of all time" for its October 2009 issue. At the end of the BBC Two
series I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band!
on 5 June 2010, John Bonham was named the best drummer of all time.
John Bonham has been described by Allmusic as one of the most important, well-known and influential drummers in rock. Adam Budofsky, managing editor
of Modern Drummer magazine, writes "If the king of rock 'n' roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was certainly John Bonham."
, Dave Grohl
, Tommy Lee
, Peter Criss
, Stewart Copeland
, and Chad Smith
.
Several of these drummers have testified to Bonham's influence, such as Roger Taylor
of Queen
, who stated:
Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters
, Nirvana
and Them Crooked Vultures
has said:
Similarly, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers
has remarked:
Charlie Watts
of The Rolling Stones
told Guitar Player
's Jas Obrecht:
Musicians other than drummers have also paid tribute to Bonham. John Paul Jones, who formed a very tight musical partnership with him as Led Zeppelin's power rhythm section, stated that Bonham was a "bass player's dream". Jimmy Page has also commented:
A major tribute for John Bonham entitled "Bonzo: The Groove Remains the Same—A Night In Honor of John Henry Bonham" was performed on 25 September 2010—the anniversary of his death. Notable drummers that appeared at the tribute included Steven Adler
, Vinny Appice
, Kenny Aronoff
, Frankie Banali
, Jason Bonham, Fred Coury
, Jimmy D'Anda
, James Kottak
, Chris Slade
, Chad Smith, Brian Tichy
, Joe Travers
and Simon Wright
, while Carmine Appice
performed via video.
of Vanilla Fudge
. Throughout the remainder of his career, Bonham was a major endorser of Ludwig Drums. In concert, he used a wide range of different drum kits, but mostly of the same sizes. From 1970 onwards, he used a 14×26ʺ bass drum
, which was the most identifiable part of his setup. He used 16×16ʺ, 16×18ʺ and (on certain live performances) a 18×20ʺ floor tom
, while occasionally changing his tom sizes, which included sizes 12×14ʺ, 10×14ʺ, and 12×15ʺ.
Studio and touring kit (1969–1970)
(Bonham did have a second bass drum that can be seen in the "Communication Breakdown" promo; however, it was never used in any recordings. This double bass drum set-up was once used live during a tour with Vanilla Fudge. Also included a 20ʺ floor tom which were rarely used due to their size.)
Studio and touring kit (1970–1973)
"The Song Remains the Same" kit (1973–1975)
Touring kit (1977–1980)
exclusively. His cymbal setup included Paiste Giant Beat cymbals until 1970. The Paiste Endorsement Agreement shows he experimented with cymbals including the 602 series before changing to a complete set of what is now the 2002 series in '71, which he used for the rest of his career.
His Paiste "Giant Beat" series cymbal setup (1969-1970):
His Paiste "2002" series cymbal setup (1970-1980):
drum heads throughout his career. For his wood drums, he always used Remo
Coated Emperors (or Ludwig equivalent) on his batter sides, while using coated ambassadors on the resonant side of his toms, and a Diplomat or clear Ambassador on the resonant side of his snare drum. The bass drums front head was always a medium weight head, for instance a Remo Coated Ambassador. The batter head was always tuned medium-tight, (almost jazz-like) and the resonant head was always tuned way up, for a full, round sound. He never put anything inside his bass drum (although his band members have said that he would sometimes fill it with crumpled tin foil, so that it would project). He only used a felt strip on the batter side occasionally. The bass drum heads were also tuned a lot higher than normal.
On the Vistalites he used Remo CS black dots on the batter side of the toms and the bass drum and clear Ambassadors on the resonate side. The snare always had a coated Emperor on the batter side and an Ambassador or a Diplomat on the snare side. He sometimes used a Gretsch 42-strand snare wires to fatten the snare sound.
(with tight spring tension) throughout his career. His trademark bass drum "triplets",—played interchangeably with doubles and singles—which are most notable in "Good Times Bad Times
", were played on a single bass pedal, and not a double bass pedal. Unlike some contemporary drummers, Bonham did not use a double-bass drum kit. He did once own one (it was featured in the demo "Communication Breakdown"), but it was removed from his kit by the rest of the band. John Bonham did play double bass drums while the band was touring with the band Vanilla Fudge
.
It is possible to hear the squeak of the pedal in several recordings, including "Since I've Been Loving You
", "The Ocean", "The Rain Song
", "Houses of the Holy"
, "Ten Years Gone
", "Bonzo's Montreux
" and the live version of "I Can't Quit You Baby
" on Coda
and "All My Love"
on In Through The Out Door
. Jimmy Page later commented:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove
Groove (popular music)
Groove is the sense of propulsive rhythmic "feel" or sense of "swing" created by the interaction of the music played by a band's rhythm section . Groove is a consideration in genres such as salsa, funk, rock, fusion, and soul...
. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music by many drummers, other musicians, and commentators in the industry. Over 30 years after his death, Bonham continues to garner awards and praise, including a Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
readers' pick in 2011 placing him in first place of the magazine's "best drummers of all time".
Early years
Bonham was born on 31 May 1948, in RedditchRedditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England, to Joan and Jack Bonham. He began learning to play drums at the age of five, making a drum kit out of containers and coffee tins, imitating his idols Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
and Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
. His mother gave him a snare drum at the age of ten. He received his first proper drum kit from his father at fifteen, a Premier Percussion
Premier Percussion
Premier Percussion Limited is an English manufacturer of drums and percussion instruments.The company was founded in 1922 as the Premier Drum Company by London drummer Albert Della Porta and drum builder George Smith...
set. Bonham never took any formal drum lessons, though as a teen he would get advice from other Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
drummers. Between 1962–63, while still at school, Bonham joined the Blue Star Trio, and Gerry Levene & the Avengers.
Bonham attended Lodge Farm Secondary Modern School, where his headmaster once wrote in his school report card that "He will either end up a dustman or a millionaire". After leaving school in 1964, he worked for his father as an apprentice carpenter in between drumming for different local bands. In 1964, Bonham joined his first semi-professional band, Terry Webb and the Spiders, and met his future wife Pat Phillips around the same time. He also played in other Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
bands such as The Nicky James Movement and The Senators, who released a moderately successful single "She's a Mod," in 1964. Bonham then took up drumming full-time. Two years later, he joined A Way of Life, but the band soon became inactive. Desperate for a regular income, he joined a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
group called Crawling King Snakes, whose lead singer was a young Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
.
In 1967, A Way of Life asked Bonham to return to the group, and he agreed—though throughout this period, Plant kept in contact with Bonham. When Plant decided to form Band of Joy
Band of Joy
The Band of Joy are a rock band from England. Various lineups of the group performed from 1965 to 1968 and from 1977 to 1983...
, Bonham was first choice as drummer. The band recorded a number of demos but no album. In 1968 American singer Tim Rose
Tim Rose
Timothy Alan Patrick Rose , best known professionally as Tim Rose, was an American singer-songwriter, who spent much of his life in London, England and had more success in Europe than in his native country...
toured Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and invited Band of Joy
Band of Joy
The Band of Joy are a rock band from England. Various lineups of the group performed from 1965 to 1968 and from 1977 to 1983...
to open his concerts. When Rose returned for another tour months later, Bonham was formally invited by the singer to drum for his band, which gave him a regular income.
Led Zeppelin
After the break-up of The YardbirdsThe Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
, guitarist Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
was forming a new band when he recruited Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, who in turn suggested Bonham. Page's choices for drummer included Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
's B.J. Wilson
B.J. Wilson
Barrie James "B.J." Wilson was an English rock drummer.-Career:Born in Edmonton, London, England, Wilson was the drummer for Procol Harum. He did not play on their first hit "A Whiter Shade of Pale" , but joined the group soon afterwards...
, and session drummers Clem Cattini
Clem Cattini
Clem Cattini , is an English rock and roll drummer who was a member of The Tornados before becoming well known for his work as a session musician...
and Aynsley Dunbar
Aynsley Dunbar
Aynsley Thomas Dunbar is an English drummer. He has worked with some of the top names in rock, including Eric Burdon, John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, UFO, and Journey...
. Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker is an English drummer, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. He is also known for his numerous associations with World music, mainly the use of African influences...
was also rumoured to be on Page's list. However, upon seeing Bonham drum for Tim Rose
Tim Rose
Timothy Alan Patrick Rose , best known professionally as Tim Rose, was an American singer-songwriter, who spent much of his life in London, England and had more success in Europe than in his native country...
at a club in Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, north London, in July 1968, Page and manager Peter Grant were instantly convinced that he was the perfect fit for the new project, first known as the New Yardbirds and later as Led Zeppelin.
Despite an intensive campaign to snare the drummer, Bonham was initially reluctant to join the band. Plant sent eight telegrams to Bonham's pub, the "Three Men in a Boat", in Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, which were followed by 40 telegrams from Grant. However, at the same time he was also receiving lucrative offers from established artists Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
and Chris Farlowe
Chris Farlowe
Chris Farlowe is an English rock, blues and soul singer. He is best known for his hit single "Out of Time", which rose to #1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1966, and his association with Colosseum and the Thunderbirds.Outside his music career, Farlowe collects war memorabilia.-Career:Inspired by Lonnie...
. Eventually, Bonham accepted Grant's offer. He later recalled, "I decided I liked their music better than Cocker's or Farlowe's."
During Led Zeppelin's first tour of the United States
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1968/1969
Led Zeppelin's 1968/1969 tour of North America was the first concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour commenced on December 26, 1968 and concluded on February 15, 1969.-Overview:...
in December 1968, Bonham became friends with Vanilla Fudge's
Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band. The band's original lineup – vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice – recorded five albums during the years 1966–69, before disbanding in 1970...
drummer Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice is an American rock drummer of Italian background and is the older brother of drummer Vinny Appice by 12 years. He received a classical music training and was influenced by the jazz drumming of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa early on...
. Appice introduced him to Ludwig Drums, which he then used for the rest of his career. Bonham used the longest and heaviest sticks available, which he referred to as "trees." His hard hitting style was displayed to great effect on many Led Zeppelin songs, including "Immigrant Song
Immigrant Song
"Immigrant Song" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released as a single from their third album, Led Zeppelin III, in 1970.-Overview:...
" (Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin III is the third studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded between January and July 1970 and released on 5 October 1970 by Atlantic Records. Composed largely at a remote cottage in Wales known as Bron-Yr-Aur, this work represented a maturing of the band's...
), "When the Levee Breaks
When the Levee Breaks
"When the Levee Breaks" is a blues song written and first recorded by husband and wife Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929. The song is in reaction to the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927....
" (Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin IV
The fourth album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin was released on 8 November 1971. No title is printed on the album, so it is generally referred to as Led Zeppelin IV, following the naming standard used by the band's first three studio albums...
/
), "KashmirKashmir (song)
"Kashmir" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their sixth album Physical Graffiti, released in 1975. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant over a period of three years, with the lyrics dating back to 1973.-Overview:The song centres around a signature chord progression...
" (Physical Graffiti
Physical Graffiti
Physical Graffiti is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 24 February 1975 as a double album. Recording sessions for the album were initially disrupted when bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones considered leaving the band...
), "The Ocean" (Houses of the Holy
Houses of the Holy
Houses of the Holy is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released by Atlantic Records on 28 March 1973. The album title is a dedication by the band to their fans who appeared at venues they dubbed "Houses of the Holy". It was the second Led Zeppelin album to not...
), and "Achilles Last Stand
Achilles Last Stand
"Achilles Last Stand" is a song by the English rock group Led Zeppelin, featured as the opening track on their 1976 album Presence. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant at Page's house in Malibu, California where they stayed for a month while Plant recovered from a serious car accident he...
" (Presence). In fact, Page once admitted to letting Bonham use a double bass drum in an early demo of "Communication Breakdown
Communication Breakdown
"Communication Breakdown" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, from their 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin.- Structure :The pounding guitar riff was played by Page through a small, miked Supro amplifier throughout; and ran his Fender Telecaster through a fully closed Vox wah pedal to...
" but claimed he scratched the track because of Bonham's "over-use" of it. The double bass style of drumming didn't become popular for another twenty years. The studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
recording of "Misty Mountain Hop
Misty Mountain Hop
"Misty Mountain Hop" is a song from English rock band Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album, released in 1971. In the United States and Australia it was the B-side of the "Black Dog" single, but still received considerable FM radio airplay...
" perfectly captures his keen sense of dynamics
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
, and this is similarly exhibited by his precise drumming on "No Quarter
No Quarter (song)
"No Quarter" is a song by Led Zeppelin that appears on their album, Houses of the Holy, released in 1973. It was written by bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, guitarist Jimmy Page and singer Robert Plant.- Overview :...
". On several cuts from later albums, Bonham rather adeptly handled funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and Latin
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
-influenced drumming. Songs like "Royal Orleans
Royal Orleans
"Royal Orleans" is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin, from their 1976 album Presence.When in New Orleans on concert tours, members of the group would stay at the Royal Orleans Hotel, and the song is reportedly based on an incident that occurred there...
" and "Fool in the Rain
Fool in the Rain
"Fool in the Rain" is a song on English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1979 album, In Through the Out Door. It was the final U.S. single released during the band's tenure, reaching number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1980.-Overview:...
" are good examples, respectively displaying great skill with a New Orleans shuffle and a samba rhythm.
His famous drum solo, first entitled "Pat's Delight," later renamed "Moby Dick", would often last for 30 minutes and regularly featured his use of bare hands to achieve different sound effects. Bonham's action sequence for the film, The Song Remains the Same
The Song Remains the Same (film)
The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
, featured him in a drag race at Santa Pod Raceway
Santa Pod Raceway
Santa Pod Raceway, in Northamptonshire, England, opened at Easter in 1966, is Europe's first permanent drag racing venue. It was built on a disused World War II American air base, RAF Podington, once used by the 92nd Bomber Group. It is now the home of European drag racing and has grown...
to the sound of his signature drum solo, "Moby Dick". In Led Zeppelin concert tours after 1969, Bonham would expand his basic kit to include conga
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
s, orchestral timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, and a symphonic gong
Gong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
. Bonham is also credited (by the Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
Times Herald
Dallas Times Herald
The Dallas Times Herald, founded in 1888 by a merger of the Dallas Times and the Dallas Herald, was once one of two major daily newspapers serving the Dallas, Texas area. It won three Pulitzer Prizes, all for photography, and two George Polk Awards, for local and regional reporting...
) with the first in-concert use of electronic
Electronic musical instrument
An electronic musical instrument is a musical instrument that produces its sounds using electronics. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical audio signal that ultimately drives a loudspeaker....
timpani drum synthesizers (most likely made by Syndrum) during a performance of the song "Kashmir
Kashmir (song)
"Kashmir" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their sixth album Physical Graffiti, released in 1975. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant over a period of three years, with the lyrics dating back to 1973.-Overview:The song centres around a signature chord progression...
" in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas in 1977. Many modern rappers
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
would later heavily sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
his drumming and incorporate it into their compositions, such as Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, who sampled "Moby Dick," "The Ocean," and "When the Levee Breaks."
During his time with Led Zeppelin, Bonham was also an avid collector of antique sports cars and motorcycles, which he kept on his family's farm called The Old Hyde. He bought The Plough pub in the nearby village of Shenstone
Shenstone, Worcestershire
Shenstone is a village in Worcestershire, England, located near Kidderminster....
, which shows signs of conversion work to allow him to drive his bikes or cars right behind the bar. This was not the pub featured in the film The Song Remains the Same
The Song Remains the Same (film)
The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
. It was the New Inn, which is currently boarded up, the only clue to its famous past being a picture hanging close to the bar.
Work outside Led Zeppelin
As well as recording with Led Zeppelin, Bonham also found time to play on sessions for other artists. In 1969 Bonham appeared on The Family Dogg's A Way of LifeA Way of Life (album)
A Way of Life is the début album by British vocal harmony and folk-rock group The Family Dogg. It features singer-songwriter Albert Hammond, and a session group includes Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and John Bonham. Elton John may have played piano on the title track...
, with Page and Jones. Bonham also sessioned for Screaming Lord Sutch
Screaming Lord Sutch
David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...
on his album Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends
Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends
Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends is the debut album of English rock singer Screaming Lord Sutch. It was recorded in September 1969 at Mystic Studios in Hollywood and released on Cotillion Records in 1970...
in 1970. He played drums on Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
's 1971 song "Everybody Clap," originally written by Maurice Gibb
Maurice Gibb
Maurice Ernest Gibb, CBE was a musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born on the Isle of Man, the twin brother of Robin Gibb, and younger brother to Barry. He is best known as a member of the singing/songwriting trio the Bee Gees, formed with his brothers...
and Billy Lawrie. In 1972 he played drums on a Maurice Gibb produced album by Jimmy Stevens called Don't Freak Me Out in the UK and Paid My Dues in the US, credited as Gemini (given his star sign). Later in his career, Bonham drummed for his Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
friend, Roy Wood
Roy Wood
Roy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood...
, on his 1979 album, On the Road Again, and on Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
' album Back to the Egg
Back to the Egg
Back to the Egg is the seventh and final studio album by Wings, released in 1979. It is also Wings' first album for Columbia Records after leaving long-time United States distributor Capitol Records in 1978...
on the tracks "Rockestra Theme
Rockestra Theme
"Rockestra Theme", one of Paul McCartney's harder-rocking songs, was recorded on October 3, 1978, at Abbey Road Studios by an all-star collection of musicians dubbed "Rockestra", although the song is technically credited to Wings...
" and "So Glad to See You Here". Bonham was the best man of Black Sabbath's
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
at his wedding ceremony.
In 1974, Bonham appeared in the film Son of Dracula
Son of Dracula (1974 film)
Son of Dracula is a British musical comedy film released in 1974 by Apple Films, starring Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr. It is also the title of a Harry Nilsson album released in conjunction with the film. It includes Nilsson songs that were showcased in the film as well as portions of dialogue,...
, playing drums in Count Downe's (Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
) backing band. This was an Apple
Apple Corps
Apple Corps Ltd. is a multi-armed multimedia corporation founded in January 1968 by the members of The Beatles to replace their earlier company and to form a conglomerate. Its name is a pun. Its chief division is Apple Records, which was launched in the same year...
film directed by Freddie Francis
Freddie Francis
Frederick William Francis BSC was an English cinematographer and film director.He achieved his greatest successes as a cinematographer, including winning two Academy Awards, for Sons and Lovers and Glory...
. Bonham appeared in an overcrowded drum line-up including Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
and Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
album.
Death
On 24 September 1980, Bonham was picked up by Led Zeppelin assistant Rex King to attend rehearsals at Bray StudiosBray Studios (UK)
Bray Studios is a film and television facility at Bray, near Windsor, Berkshire, England. The films Alien and The Rocky Horror Picture Show were shot there...
for an upcoming tour of the United States—the band's first since 1977. During the journey, Bonham asked to stop for breakfast, where he drank four quadruple vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
s (sixteen shots, between 400–560 ml). He then continued to drink heavily after arriving at the rehearsals. A halt was called to the rehearsals late in the evening and the band retired to Page's house, the Old Mill House in Clewer
Clewer
Clewer is an ecclesiastical parish and region of Windsor making up three wards of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire.-History:...
, Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
. After midnight on the 25th, Bonham fell asleep and was taken to bed and placed on his side. Benji LeFevre (who had replaced Richard Cole
Richard Cole
Richard Cole was heavily involved in the rock music business from the mid-1960s to 2003, and is most famous for being the tour manager of English rock band Led Zeppelin from 1968 to 1980.-Early career:...
as Led Zeppelin's tour manager) and John Paul Jones found him dead the next afternoon. Bonham was 32 years old.
Weeks later at the coroner's inquest, it emerged that in the twenty-four hours before he died, John Bonham had consumed forty shots of vodka which resulted in him vomiting and subsequently inhaling his vomit causing asphyxiation. A verdict of accidental death was returned at an inquest held on 27 October 1980. An autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
found no other drugs in Bonham's body. John Bonham's body was cremated and his ashes were interred on 12 October 1980, at Rushock
Rushock
Rushock is a village and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 138. The gravestone of John Bonham, the drummer of rock band Led Zeppelin, can be found at the parish church....
Parish Church, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. His headstone reads:
Despite media rumours that drummers including Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell
Colin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice is an American rock drummer of Italian background and is the older brother of drummer Vinny Appice by 12 years. He received a classical music training and was influenced by the jazz drumming of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa early on...
, Barriemore Barlow
Barriemore Barlow
Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow is an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist for the rock band Jethro Tull, from May 1971 to June 1980....
, Roger Taylor
Roger Meddows-Taylor
Roger Meddows Taylor , known as Roger Taylor, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of...
, Simon Kirke
Simon Kirke
Simon Kirke is an English rock drummer best known as a member of Free and Bad Company.-Biography:...
or Bev Bevan
Bev Bevan
Bev Bevan is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra...
, among others, would join the group as his replacement, the remaining members decided to disband Led Zeppelin after Bonham's death. They issued a press statement on 4 December 1980, confirming that the band would not continue without their drummer. "We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend and the deep respect we have for his family, together with the sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were." It was simply signed "Led Zeppelin".
Family
John Bonham had two siblings; his younger brother, Mick Bonham (1951–2000), was a disc jockey, author and photographer and his younger sister, Deborah BonhamDeborah Bonham
Deborah Bonham is an English rock and blues vocalist and the sister of John Bonham, the late drummer for the band Led Zeppelin...
(born in 1962) is a singer-songwriter.
Bonham was married to Pat Phillips, and the couple had two children; his daughter Zoë Bonham (born July 1975), who is a singer-songwriter and also appears regularly at Led Zeppelin conventions and awards, and his son Jason Bonham
Jason Bonham
Jason John Bonham is an English drummer. Jason's parents are Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and his wife Pat Phillips. After his father's death in 1980, he has played with Led Zeppelin on different occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London in...
(born 1966), a rock drummer who has gained success with various bands including UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
, Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
, and Bonham
Bonham (band)
Bonham was a British hard rock band founded by drummer Jason Bonham in 1989, the son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. The band's most successful line-up included singer Daniel MacMaster, bassist/keyboardist John Smithson and guitarist Ian Hatton....
. He currently plays in a band called Black Country Communion
Black Country Communion
Black Country Communion is an English-American rock supergroup featuring Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, Derek Sherinian, and Joe Bonamassa.-Formation and Black Country :...
which includes Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian
Derek Sherinian
Derek Sherinian is a rock keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kiss, and Alice In Chains. He was also a member of Dream Theater and is the founder of the instrumental metal-fusion band Planet X...
, and Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist and singer.-Early life:Bonamassa was born and raised in New Hartford, United States. His parents owned and ran a guitar shop. He is a fourth-generation musician...
. They recorded an album called Black Country
Black Country (album)
Black Country is the debut release by the English-American rock supergroup Black Country Communion. The album was released in Europe on 20 September 2010, and in the US one day later.-Overview:...
in 2010. On 10 December 2007, he played with Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
on the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert
Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert
The Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert was a benefit concert held in memory of music executive Ahmet Ertegün at The O2 in London on December 10, 2007. The headline act was the English rock band, Led Zeppelin, who performed their first full-length concert since the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980,...
, as well as their previous reunion at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary
Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary
On 14 May 1988 the Atlantic Records label held its 40th Anniversary Celebration by staging a non-stop concert lasting almost 13 hours at Madison Square Garden, New York. The event was dubbed "It's Only Rock And Roll"....
show on 15 May 1988. A 1970 film clip of a four-year-old Jason playing drums appears in the Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
film The Song Remains the Same
The Song Remains the Same (film)
The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
. Zoë and Jason appeared at the induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 1995 along with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin.
John's mother, Joan Bonham, died aged 81 on 10 February 2011. She was one of the lead vocalists for The Zimmers
The Zimmers
The Zimmers are a British band, thought to have the oldest members of any band in the world. The oldest member claims to have been born in 1906, although some sources indicate he was born in 1913. The former lead singer Alf Carretta died on 29 June 2010, aged 93...
, a 40-member band set up as a result of a BBC documentary on the treatment of the elderly.
Bonham's cousin Billy Bonham (born 1950), also played keyboards for Terry Reid
Terry Reid
Terry Reid is an English rock vocalist and guitarist. He has performed with high profile musicians, as a supporting act, a session musician, and sideman.- History :...
and Ace Kefford
Ace Kefford
Christopher John "Ace" Kefford is a bassist and was the co-founder of The Move in October 1965 with Trevor Burton, after meeting David Bowie at Birmingham's Cedar Club, following a performance by Bowie's band Davy Jones and the Lower Third...
.
Awards and accolades
While Bonham is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential rock drummers by other musicians and commentators in the industry, he continues to enjoy his greatest acclaim from fans, and several opinion polls and critic lists continue to list him in first place before any other drummer in rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
history. In 2007, Stylus
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
magazine rated Bonham number 1 on its list of the 50 greatest rock drummers, as did the online music magazine Gigwise.com
Gigwise.com
Gigwise.com is an online music magazine that features music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets, and a community forum. Founded in 2001, the magazine is based in the United Kingdom....
in 2008, and a Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
reader's poll where he "led the list by a significant margin" in 2011. Bonham was ranked at no. 1 on Classic Rock's
Classic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...
2005 list of "50 Greatest Drummers in Rock", and Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests of on drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public...
magazine describes him as "the greatest rock 'n' roll drummer in history." In September 2008, Bonham topped the Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
s list of "Rockers fans want brought back to life", ahead of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
. Rhythm magazine voted him the greatest drummer ever, topping their reader's poll to determine the "50 greatest drummers of all time" for its October 2009 issue. At the end of the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
series I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band!
I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band!
I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band! is a documentary television series broadcast on BBC Two, narrated by Mark Radcliffe and first broadcast on 1 May 2010. The series charts the history of rock music, with the first five episodes focusing on different members of a typical band, such as the singer or the...
on 5 June 2010, John Bonham was named the best drummer of all time.
John Bonham has been described by Allmusic as one of the most important, well-known and influential drummers in rock. Adam Budofsky, managing editor
Managing editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
of Modern Drummer magazine, writes "If the king of rock 'n' roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was certainly John Bonham."
Influence on notable musicians and tributes
Many rock drummers were influenced by John Bonham's work with Led Zeppelin. A few of them include Tony ThompsonTony Thompson
Anthony T. "Tony" Thompson was a session drummer best known as a member of Chic. He was raised in the middle-class community of Springfield Gardens, in Queens, NY.-Chic:...
, Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
, Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
, Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
, Stewart Copeland
Stewart Copeland
Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
, and Chad Smith
Chad Smith
Chad Smith is an American musician, best known as the longtime and current drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Smith is also the drummer of the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot which includes Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Michael Anthony, former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes' backing band and...
.
Several of these drummers have testified to Bonham's influence, such as Roger Taylor
Roger Meddows-Taylor
Roger Meddows Taylor , known as Roger Taylor, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of...
of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, who stated:
The greatest rock 'n' roll drummer of all time was John Bonham who did things that nobody had ever even thought possible before with the drum kit. And also the greatest sound out of his drums—they sounded enormous, and just one bass drum. So fast on it that he did more with one bass drum than most people could do with three, if they could manage them. And he had technique to burn and fantastic power and tremendous feel for rock`n`roll.
Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and Them Crooked Vultures
Them Crooked Vultures
Them Crooked Vultures is a rock supergroup formed in Los Angeles in 2009 by John Paul Jones , Dave Grohl , and Josh Homme . The group also includes guitarist Alain Johannes during live performances...
has said:
John Bonham played the drums like someone who didn't know what was going to happen next—like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff. No one has come close to that since, and I don't think anybody ever will. I think he will forever be the greatest drummer of all time.
Similarly, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
has remarked:
To me, hands down, John Bonham was the best rock drummer ever. The style and the sound was so identifiable to one person. Any drum set that he would play, it sounded like him.
Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
told Guitar Player
Guitar Player
Guitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...
's Jas Obrecht:
John Bonham is the best at being John Bonham and doing what he does. Or did—unfortunately, he's dead. He was the best. There wasn't anyone better than John Bonham at doing that, and thank goodness we've got some records so that you can hear it.
Musicians other than drummers have also paid tribute to Bonham. John Paul Jones, who formed a very tight musical partnership with him as Led Zeppelin's power rhythm section, stated that Bonham was a "bass player's dream". Jimmy Page has also commented:
One of the marvelous things about John Bonham which made things very easy [for a producer] was the fact that he really knew how to tune his drums, and I tell you what, that was pretty rare in drummers in those days. He really knew how to make the instrument sing, and because of that, he could just get so much volume out of it by just playing with his wrists. It was just an astonishing technique that was sort of pretty holistic if you know what I mean.
A major tribute for John Bonham entitled "Bonzo: The Groove Remains the Same—A Night In Honor of John Henry Bonham" was performed on 25 September 2010—the anniversary of his death. Notable drummers that appeared at the tribute included Steven Adler
Steven Adler
Steven Adler is an American musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s...
, Vinny Appice
Vinny Appice
Vincent Samson Appice , also known as Vinny Appice is a rock drummer of American Italian descent and the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice...
, Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...
, Frankie Banali
Frankie Banali
Frankie Banali is an American rock drummer, best known for his work with multi-platinum heavy metal band Quiet Riot. He has been the band's manager during since 1994. He played drums in the heavy metal band W.A.S.P., as well as with Billy Idol...
, Jason Bonham, Fred Coury
Fred Coury
Fred Coury is best known as the drummer for the glam metal band Cinderella. Coury lists Neil Peart, Peter Criss, Bobby Blotzer, Eric Carr, Tommy Lee and Tommy Aldridge as his drumming inspirations....
, Jimmy D'Anda
Jimmy D'Anda
Jimmy D'Anda was born and raised in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California and began playing drums at the age of 13. He created a daily drum-regimen for himself in his make-shift music room which also doubled as his bedroom. Over the next few years, D'Anda played in bands around East L.A...
, James Kottak
James Kottak
James Kottak is an American drummer for the heavy metal band Scorpions, which he joined in 1996....
, Chris Slade
Chris Slade
Chris Slade is a Welsh rock drummer.-Career:Slade has worked with Gary Numan, Tom Jones, Olivia Newton-John , and Uriah Heep. He was a member of Manfred Mann's Earth Band from 1972 to 1978...
, Chad Smith, Brian Tichy
Brian Tichy
Brian Tichy is a drummer, guitar player, vocalist and songwriter. He is currently the drummer with Whitesnake. Previously he was the drummer for Foreigner from 2009 until 2010, when he was replaced by Jason Sutter. Tichy began playing drums at age eight and started playing guitar at age 12...
, Joe Travers
Joe Travers
Joseph Patrick Francis Travers was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test in 1902. He played Australian rules football for Norwood in the South Australian Football Association during the 1890s.-References:...
and Simon Wright
Simon Wright
Simon Wright is an English drummer best known for his stints with rock n' roll bands AC/DC and Dio. He first started playing drums at the age of 13 and cites Cozy Powell, Tommy Aldridge and John Bonham as his greatest influences...
, while Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice is an American rock drummer of Italian background and is the older brother of drummer Vinny Appice by 12 years. He received a classical music training and was influenced by the jazz drumming of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa early on...
performed via video.
Drums
Bonham initially used Premier drums, but in the late 1960s was introduced to Ludwig drums by Carmine AppiceCarmine Appice
Carmine Appice is an American rock drummer of Italian background and is the older brother of drummer Vinny Appice by 12 years. He received a classical music training and was influenced by the jazz drumming of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa early on...
of Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band. The band's original lineup – vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice – recorded five albums during the years 1966–69, before disbanding in 1970...
. Throughout the remainder of his career, Bonham was a major endorser of Ludwig Drums. In concert, he used a wide range of different drum kits, but mostly of the same sizes. From 1970 onwards, he used a 14×26ʺ bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
, which was the most identifiable part of his setup. He used 16×16ʺ, 16×18ʺ and (on certain live performances) a 18×20ʺ floor tom
Floor tom
A floor tom is a double-headed tom-tom drum which usually stands on the floor on three legs. However, they can also be attached to a cymbal stand with a drum clamp....
, while occasionally changing his tom sizes, which included sizes 12×14ʺ, 10×14ʺ, and 12×15ʺ.
Studio and touring kit (1969–1970)
- 12×15ʺ Tom (mounted on snare stand, and later a Rogers mount was added)
- 16×16ʺ Floor Tom
- 16×18ʺ Floor Tom
- 14×26ʺ Bass Drum
(Bonham did have a second bass drum that can be seen in the "Communication Breakdown" promo; however, it was never used in any recordings. This double bass drum set-up was once used live during a tour with Vanilla Fudge. Also included a 20ʺ floor tom which were rarely used due to their size.)
Studio and touring kit (1970–1973)
- Drums—Ludwig Green Sparkle
- 10×14ʺ Tom (mounted on a rail consolette mount)
- 16×16ʺ Floor Tom
- 16×18ʺ Floor Tom
- 14×26ʺ Bass Drum
- 6.5×14ʺ LudwigLudwigLudwig may refer to:* Ludwig , a German name* Ludwig , a German surname* Ludwig , a 1972 film by Luchino Visconti about Ludwig II of Bavaria* Ludwig , a 1977 animated children's series...
Chrome Supraphonic 402 Snare - 29ʺ Machine TimpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
(1972+) - 29ʺ 32ʺ Universal Timpani (1972+)
- Ludwig Speed King Bass pedal
- John was known for telling the band that the Green Sparkle kit was his favourite and best sounding kit, and it was used on all recordings from IV onwards, excluding Presence where he used the Silver Sparkle kit.
"The Song Remains the Same" kit (1973–1975)
- Drums—Ludwig Amber Vistalite
- 10×14ʺ Tom
- 16×16ʺ Floor Tom
- 16×18ʺ Floor Tom
- 14×26ʺ Bass Drum
- 6.5×14ʺ LudwigLudwigLudwig may refer to:* Ludwig , a German name* Ludwig , a German surname* Ludwig , a 1972 film by Luchino Visconti about Ludwig II of Bavaria* Ludwig , a 1977 animated children's series...
Chrome Supraphonic 402 Snare - 29ʺ Machine Timpani
- 32ʺ Universal Timpani
- Ludwig speed king bass pedal
- A spare bass drum was kept, as these drums were renowned for cracking
Touring kit (1977–1980)
- Drums—Ludwig Stainless Steel
- 12×15ʺ Tom (mounted on a rail consolette mount)
- 16×16ʺ Floor Tom
- 16×18ʺ Floor Tom
- 14×26ʺ Bass Drum
- 6.5×14ʺ LudwigLudwigLudwig may refer to:* Ludwig , a German name* Ludwig , a German surname* Ludwig , a 1972 film by Luchino Visconti about Ludwig II of Bavaria* Ludwig , a 1977 animated children's series...
Chrome Supraphonic 402 Snare—42 Strand Snare (vs.20) - 29ʺ Machine TimpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
(1972+) - 32ʺ Universal Timpani (1972+)
- Ludwig Speed King Bass pedal
Cymbals
Bonham used Paiste CymbalsPaiste
Paiste, a Swiss manufacturer and designer, is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. Paiste is an Estonian/Finnish word which means "shine"...
exclusively. His cymbal setup included Paiste Giant Beat cymbals until 1970. The Paiste Endorsement Agreement shows he experimented with cymbals including the 602 series before changing to a complete set of what is now the 2002 series in '71, which he used for the rest of his career.
His Paiste "Giant Beat" series cymbal setup (1969-1970):
- 15" Giant Beat Hi-Hats (w/ hi-hat tambourine)
- 18" Giant Beat Multi
- 20" Giant Beat Multi
- 24" Giant Beat Ride
His Paiste "2002" series cymbal setup (1970-1980):
- 15" 2002 Sound Edge Hi-Hats (w/ hi-hat tambourine)
- 24" 2002 Ride
- 18" 2002 Medium Crash
- 20" 2002 Medium Crash
- 18" 2002 Medium Crash (only some of the time)
- 38" Paiste Symphonic Gong
- Ludwig Cowbell (made by Paiste)
Drum heads
Bonham played RemoRemo
Remo is a male given name of Latin origin - see Romulus and Remus.Remo may also refer to:* Remo, an American drum skin company* Remo , another name for the German wine grape Riesling* Remo language, a Panoan language of Brazil and Peru...
drum heads throughout his career. For his wood drums, he always used Remo
Remo
Remo is a male given name of Latin origin - see Romulus and Remus.Remo may also refer to:* Remo, an American drum skin company* Remo , another name for the German wine grape Riesling* Remo language, a Panoan language of Brazil and Peru...
Coated Emperors (or Ludwig equivalent) on his batter sides, while using coated ambassadors on the resonant side of his toms, and a Diplomat or clear Ambassador on the resonant side of his snare drum. The bass drums front head was always a medium weight head, for instance a Remo Coated Ambassador. The batter head was always tuned medium-tight, (almost jazz-like) and the resonant head was always tuned way up, for a full, round sound. He never put anything inside his bass drum (although his band members have said that he would sometimes fill it with crumpled tin foil, so that it would project). He only used a felt strip on the batter side occasionally. The bass drum heads were also tuned a lot higher than normal.
On the Vistalites he used Remo CS black dots on the batter side of the toms and the bass drum and clear Ambassadors on the resonate side. The snare always had a coated Emperor on the batter side and an Ambassador or a Diplomat on the snare side. He sometimes used a Gretsch 42-strand snare wires to fatten the snare sound.
Bass drum pedal
Bonham used Ludwig Speed King PedalLudwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser is a drum and percussion instrument manufacturer that is part of the Conn-Selmer division of Steinway Musical Instruments.The first product made by the Ludwig brothers, William and Theobaldner , was a bass drum pedal capable of playing faster beats than was typical of products of the...
(with tight spring tension) throughout his career. His trademark bass drum "triplets",—played interchangeably with doubles and singles—which are most notable in "Good Times Bad Times
Good Times Bad Times
"Good Times Bad Times" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, featured as the opening track on their 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin....
", were played on a single bass pedal, and not a double bass pedal. Unlike some contemporary drummers, Bonham did not use a double-bass drum kit. He did once own one (it was featured in the demo "Communication Breakdown"), but it was removed from his kit by the rest of the band. John Bonham did play double bass drums while the band was touring with the band Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band. The band's original lineup – vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice – recorded five albums during the years 1966–69, before disbanding in 1970...
.
It is possible to hear the squeak of the pedal in several recordings, including "Since I've Been Loving You
Since I've Been Loving You
"Since I've Been Loving You" is a blues-rock song in C minor by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on the 1970 album Led Zeppelin III.-Overview:...
", "The Ocean", "The Rain Song
The Rain Song
"The Rain Song" is a ballad song from English rock band Led Zeppelin's fifth album Houses of the Holy, released in 1973.-Recording:"The Rain Song" is a love ballad of over 7 minutes in length. Guitarist Jimmy Page originally constructed the melody of this song at his home in Plumpton, England,...
", "Houses of the Holy"
Houses of the Holy (song)
"Houses of the Holy" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album, Physical Graffiti. The track is a mid-tempo rock song, heavy on bass and featuring a distinctive Jimmy Page guitar riff. In order to create the layered guitar introduction and fade-out, Page used a Delta T...
, "Ten Years Gone
Ten Years Gone
"Ten Years Gone" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti.-Overview:Originally intended to be an instrumental piece, Jimmy Page used some 14 guitar tracks to overdub the harmony section. Robert Plant later added lyrics, which are dedicated to an old...
", "Bonzo's Montreux
Bonzo's Montreux
"Bonzo's Montreux" is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin. The song is a solo by drummer John Bonham, recorded in September 1976 at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland...
" and the live version of "I Can't Quit You Baby
I Can't Quit You Baby
"I Can't Quit You Baby" is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Chicago blues artist Otis Rush in 1956. The song, a slow twelve-bar blues, has been recorded by various artists, including Led Zeppelin, who included it on their debut album.- Otis Rush version :"I Can't Quit...
" on Coda
Coda (album)
-Sales chart performance:AlbumSinglesNo commercial or promotional singles were issued, although three tracks received independent radio airplay...
and "All My Love"
All My Love (song)
"All My Love" is a song on English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1979 album, In Through the Out Door. Credited to Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, it is a slow-tempo song that features a synthesizer solo by Jones and lyrics performed by Plant....
on In Through The Out Door
In Through the Out Door
In Through the Out Door is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded over a three week period in November and December 1978 at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and released by Swan Song Records on 15 August 1979...
. Jimmy Page later commented:
Tribute kits
In 2005, Ludwig began issuing Bonham reissue kits in green sparkle maple and amber Vistalite. Ludwig currently offers "Zep Kits" in their Vistalite and Classic lines, with a 26" bass drum, a 14" tom mounted on a snare stand, and 16" and 18" floor toms. In 2007 they issued a limited edition stainless steel kit similar to the ones Bonham used on the last Led Zeppelin tours in the 1970s. The stainless steel shells were manufactured by Ronn Dunnett of Dunnett Classic Drums. Led Zeppelin cover bands like the Brazilian Led Brazil acquired some Zep Kits, such as the Amber Vistalite and the Green Sparkle.Sources
- Bonham, Mick (2005). John Bonham: The Powerhouse Behind Led Zeppelin. Southbank Publishing. ISBN 1-904915-11-6
- Bonham, Mick (2003). Bonham by Bonham: My Brother John. Solihull: Icarus Publications. ISBN 0-9545717-0-3
- Welch, Chris & Nicholls, Geoff (2001). John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-658-0