John Henry Bonham (May 31, 1948 – September 25, 1980) was the drummer for the English rock band Led Zeppelin. He was one of the best and most influential drummers in music history. He was notable for his speed, power, quick single-footed kick drumming, unique sound, and instinct for groove.
John Bonham Biography
Bonham was born in Redditch, Worcestershire, in 1948 and began playing the drums at five. He got his first drum set at the age of fifteen. Bonham was a member of several local bands during and after high school. He joined two separate bands with Robert Plant. Following the disintegration of the Yardbirds in 1968. Bonham formed Led Zeppelin with Plant: guitarist Jimmy Page, and bass guitarist John Paul Jones. Bonham’s approach with the band was largely hard-hitting hard rock. Although he also handled funk and Latin-influenced grooves in later recordings.
Following the Who’s 1969 performance tours, Bonham’s drum kit included a congas timpani and a gong, similar to Keith Moon’s. His drum solo, “Moby Dick,” is on the group’s second album. It was a mainstay of their shows, frequently lasting more than 20 minutes. Outside of Led Zeppelin, Bonham performed drums for the Family Dogg, Screaming Lord Sutch, Lulu, Jimmy Stevens, and Wings. Bonham was a member of Led Zeppelin until his death in September 1980. At the age of 32, following a day of heavy drinking and Bonham’s death. The surviving members disbanded the band out of respect for him.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin, a prominent British rock band of the 1970s Despite their different musical styles. They were well renowned for their effect on the creation of heavy metal.
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Zeppelin band Members:
- Jimmy Page (born January 9, 1944, in Heston, Middlesex, England),
- Robert Plant (born August 20, 1948, in West Bromwich, West Midlands),
- John Paul Jones (original name John Baldwin; born January 3, 1946, in Sidcup, Kent),
- John Bonham (born May 31, 1948, in Redditch, Hereford, Worcester—died September 25, 1980, in Windsor, Berkshire)
After Bonham’s untimely death, Led Zeppelin dissolved in 1980. The band reformed in 1985 for the Live Aid benefit, and in 1988 for Atlantic Records’ 40th anniversary show. In 1995 the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Much more significant was the band’s full-fledged concert in London in December 2007 to honor Atlantic’s founding Ahmet Ertegun. During which Jason Bonham performed the drums. Despite receiving a Lifetime Achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2005. Led Zeppelin got their first Grammy Award in 2014 for Celebration Day (2012). A live CD developed from the 2007 reunion event. Led Zeppelin was designated a Kennedy Center distinction in 2012.
Zeppelin music Style
Led Zeppelin, formerly known as the New Yardbirds, was founded in 1968 by Jimmy Page. The final lead guitarist for the iconic British blues band the Yardbirds. Bassist and keyboardist Jones, like Page, was a seasoned studio musician. While vocalist Plant and drummer Bonham came from obscure provincial bands. Various types of music impacted the ensemble, including early rock & roll, psychedelic rock, blues, folk, Celtic, Indian, and Arabic music. Although folk-based and acoustic music was part of the band’s repertoire from the beginning. It was the bottom-heavy, loud, raw, and powerful electric style that quickly gained them a following and notoriety. Their first two albums included many of the songs that led to Led Zeppelin’s classification as a heavy metal precursor.
Bonham’s massive drum sound and Page’s production techniques. Emphasizing drums and bass, resulting in a sonic spaciousness. Page and Jones also composed the majority of the band’s music, with Plant contributing lyrics and some musical ideas. Although Page was responsible for most of their distinctive riffs (the brief, repeated musical ideas that typically structure a song). Jones penned the riff for the well-known “Black Dog” and numerous other songs. Jones also contributed significantly to song arrangements.
They were also among the first to experiment with Indian and North African music. They encouraged hard rock bands to include acoustic elements in their sound. Page’s solos and riffs are key models for most rock guitarists. While Bonham is the model for metal or hard rock drumming.
John Bonham Legacy
AllMusic describes Bonham as “one of the most important, well-known, and influential drummers in rock.” Bonham was named the number one drummer in Classic Rock’s list of the 50 finest Drummers in Rock in 2005, while Modern Drummer calls him “the greatest rock ‘n’ roll drummer in history.” “If the king of rock ‘n’ roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was unquestionably John Bonham,” argues Adam Budofsky, managing editor of Modern Drummer.