John Bonham, Led Zeppelin drummer: biography, personal life, cause of death

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

John Bonham is a unique musician who took thirty-two years of his life to become one of the greatest drummers in the history of show business. This was facilitated by an amazing internal energy, the presence of a powerful style, an excellent sense of rhythm, as well as a penchant for all kinds of creative experiments. In our publication, I would like to consider the biography of John Bonham, tell about the work and personal life of the musician.

Early years

John Bonham was born in the British town of Redditch on May 31, 1948. The boy began to demonstrate his propensity for playing drums at the age of five. In an effort to imitate his favorite drummer Buddy Rich in everything, the guy made a homemade instrument from coffee cans and cardboard boxes.

When John was 10 years old, his mother bought her son the first real snare drum in his life. Soon my father completed the kit, bringing the rest of the drum set home. Despite the fact that the used instrument was old and worn out, the present was accepted by the boy.like a real treasure. The desire to develop as a musician was so strong in the young Bonham that drumming became a daily activity, which was devoted to a significant part of his free time.

John graduated from Wiltan House School in his hometown. Then he was hired by a construction company run by his father. Parents began to convince their son that the time had come to do something serious, and drumming should not be considered as a future profession. For a while, John Bonham really changed drumsticks for a hammer, having tried himself as a construction carpenter. However, he eventually returned to making music anyway.

Becoming

It's hard to imagine, but such a skilled drummer John Bonham never had teachers and mentors. According to the assurances of the performer himself and his inner circle, he always independently comprehended the technique of playing the drums. In this, our hero was helped by attending concerts, communicating with familiar people among professionals.

A significant influence on the development of John's skills was the notorious drummer Garry Ellock, who was noted as a member of various orchestral troupes. The musician said that he never gave lessons to Bonham. He only occasionally asked to explain some technical points.

First steps to success

After leaving school, John Bonham decided to find a band and start performing in public. The first team for the guy was the rock band Terry Webb and The Spiders. In this periodthe drummer's performance did not yet seem as professional, loud and convincing as it had become a few years later.

Then Bonham took part in several more bands from Birmingham. These are The Senators, The Nicky James Movement and The Blue Star Trio. A busy career in the field of rock music appealed to John, which forced him to completely say goodbye to work in his father's construction company.

In the mid-60s, a talented drummer was invited to join the Crawling King Snakes. It was here that the future leader of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, took the place of the vocalist at that time. The guys became good comrades and never broke up again on the creative path.

John Bonham in Led Zeppelin

In 1968, British virtuoso guitarist Jimmy Page decided to assemble a team for joint performances. The musician was recommended to invite Robert Plant as a vocalist. The latter took his old friend John Bonham with him to the audition. After evaluating the drummer's playing style, Page came to the conclusion that he had exactly the right musician in front of him.

In December 1968, Led Zeppelin's debut tour of the United States began. On the advice of drummer friend Carmine Appice, Bonham began using a new Ludwig drum kit, as well as the heaviest and longest sticks. The decision allowed John to once again emphasize the pronounced stunning style of playing, which later became a real feature of the musician.

Participation in side projects

In parallel with successful performances as part of Led Zeppelin, John actively collaborated with other popular bands. In 1969, Bonham was noted for his work in the group The Family Dogg, taking part in the recording of the record A Way of Life. Later, the musician starred in Ringo Starr's film called "Son of Dracula." Here, John performed one of the solo drums, which was included in the soundtrack to the film. In 1979, Bonham, along with longtime friend Roy Wood, recorded the author's album On the Road Again. In the same period, the famous drummer began to collaborate with Paul McCartney, releasing the songs Rockestra Theme and Back to the Egg.

John Bonham - personal life

Our hero met his future wife Pat Phillips in 1964. At that time, John was already a fairly well-known musician, performing with the band Terry Webb and the Spiders. Relations between young people began after the next concert of the band in the rock club of Kidderminster.

In marriage, the couple had two children. The boy was named Jason and the girl was named Zoe. During communication with the press, John Bonham frankly did not like to talk about family matters. It is only known that the legendary drummer tried in every possible way to introduce children to music. Once he gave his son a toy drum set. Later, the musician's son Jason said that his father taught him, and often forced him to play drums for friends and rock stars in his own house.

About sudden deathmusician

What is the cause of John Bonham's death? The departure of the legendary drummer from life was preceded by the following story. On September 24, 1980, our hero, as usual, went to the Bray Studios recording studio, where he left home with his own assistant Rex King. One of the final rehearsals organized to prepare for a major tour across North America was to take place here.

According to King, John ate breakfast with a generous amount of vodka. The musician continued to drink strong alcohol until the very end of the rehearsal. The band then headed off to rest at guitarist Jimmy Page's country mansion. There were absolutely no signs of trouble that day.

After a party in a noisy company, Bonham was in a strong alcoholic intoxication, having lost consciousness. The comrades decided to take the musician to the bedroom upstairs. In the morning, the band members in the usual mode were going to go to the next rehearsal. However, John did not leave the room for a long time. After some time, the comrades found the lifeless body of the drummer.

Doctors conducted an examination, the results of which turned out that the sudden death of the musician was provoked by suffocation with vomit. The reason was poisoning with two liters of strong alcohol drunk earlier, along with too much sleep.

After the tragedy, rumors began to appear in the press about the possible arrival of other talented drummers in the group. However, the speculations of journalists and the public were debunked by members of the Led team. Zeppelin. Soon the musicians officially announced the dissolution of the group.