Music Diary – 25th September

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 25th September!

John Henry Bonham (31st May 1948 – 25th September 1980)

Back in 1980 another great musician passed away far too early: Led Zeppelin drummer John „Bonzo“ Bonham died after a heavy drinking session at the age of 32. The British musician is still considered as one of the best drummers in Rock history.

John Henry Bonham was born on the 31st May 1948 in the Redditch, Worcestershire, UK. It was obvious that Bonham should become an outstanding drummer: At the age of five he built his own drum kit of containers, cans and tins. Ten years later he get his first proper drum kit. Shortly after that the drummer joined in 1964 his first group called „Terry Webb and the Spiders“. In 1966 Bonham was a member of „A Way Of Life“ and his next stop was at the Blues band „Crawling King Snakes“, where he met Robert Plant for the first time. The singer formed afterwards his group Band Of Joy with Bonham on the drums again. Shortly after that this band called it a day.

In 1968 Jimmy Page was searching for a new line up after the break-up of The Yardbirds. After recruiting Robert Plant also John Bonham became a member of the new band. Due to contract issues it was called firstly The New Yardbirds. Then John Paul Jones completed the line up and after a mini tour in Scandinavia the band changed the name into Led Zeppelin.

With John Bonham on the drums, Led Zeppelin recorded the legendary studio albums „Led Zeppelin“ (1969), „Led Zeppelin II“ (1969), „Led Zeppelin III“ (1970), „Led Zeppelin IV„(1971), „Houses of the Holy“ (1973), „Physical Graffiti“ (1975), „Presence“ (1976) and „In Through the Out Door“ (1979). In 1976 the live double LP set „The Song Remains the Same“ was released and in 1982 „Coda“ (a collection of unreleased tracks from 1969 until 1978) hit the record shops.

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