John Bonham
(1948-1980)
Died aged c. 32
Wikidata WikipediaJohn Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, he is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rock drummers in history. Bonham was born in 1948 in Redditch, Worcestershire, and took up drums at the age of five, receiving a snare drum at the age of 10 and a full drum set at the age of 15. He played with multiple local bands both at school and following school, eventually playing in two different bands with Robert Plant. Following the demise of the Yardbirds in 1968, Bonham joined Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones to form Led Zeppelin. With the band, Bonham mostly showcased a hard-hitting hard rock style, but also handled funk and Latin-influenced grooves in later releases. Like Keith Moon of the Who, Bonham's drum set grew in size following the band's 1969 concert tours, including congas or timpani and a gong. His drum solo "Moby Dick" was featured on the group's second album and was a staple of their concerts, often lasting over 20 minutes. Outside of Led Zeppelin, Bonham played drums for other artists, including the Family Dogg, Screaming Lord Sutch, Lulu, Jimmy Stevens and Wings. Bonham played with Led Zeppelin until his death at the age of 32, in September 1980 following a day of heavy drinking. The surviving members disbanded the group out of respect for Bonham after his death. A mostly self-taught drummer, Bonham was influenced by Max Roach, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. He was close with Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice, who introduced him to Ludwig drums. While he was primarily known for his hard-rock style during his lifetime, his reputation as a drummer has grown beyond that genre following his death: he is now seen as one of the greatest drummers of all time. He has influenced numerous drummers, including Dave Grohl, Neil Peart, Chad Smith and Dave Lombardo. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 as a member of Led Zeppelin. In 2016, Rolling Stone named him the greatest drummer of all time.
DbPedia
band member of Led Zeppelin
Commemorated on 4 plaques
Texas International Pop Festival. The Texas International Pop Festival took place near this site during Labor Day weekend, 1969. It was held two weeks after the Woodstock Music and Art Fair introduced much of mainstream America to the "hippie" culture by way of news reports of the chaos that occurred there in part due to rainy weather and lax security. The Texas Festival brought as many as 150,000 hippies, bikers and music lovers to Lewisville, which at the time had a population of approximately 9,000 citizens. The Dallas International Motor Speedway, situated along Interstate Highway 35 south of town, was chosen as the location for the event. Twenty five musical acts, representing the genres of soul, blues and rock and roll performed during the three days of the festival. Acts included Janis Joplin, Sly & The Family Stone, Grand Funk Railroad, Chicago Transit Authority, Herbie Mann and a relatively unknown United Kingdom band called Led Zeppelin. On the north side of Lewisville, a public campground situated on the shores of Lewisville Lake served the thousands of festival attendees. A small "free stage" was constructed at the campground and local bands were brought in to perform for the campers. The skinny dipping in Lake Lewisville that resulted from the lack of shower facilities and the late summer heat drew much attention. Many locals demanded that the festival be shut down because of the threat of violence and unsavory activity, but there were no acts of violence reported at the Festival. However, area citizens were introduced to a culture that had previously been foreign to them and many who attended look back on the Festival as a life changing event.
Lakeside Circle, Lewisville, TX, United States where they performed (1969)
BBC Music Day 2017 #BBC North East & Cumbria 1
Mayfair Ballroom stood on this site 1961-1999 and is where the band that became Led Zeppelin made their UK debut on 4 October 1968.
Mayfair's - The Gate complex, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom where they performed (1968)
BBC Music Day 2017 #BBC West Midlands 2
John Henry Bonham 1948-1980 was born here. Drummer with Led Zeppelin who sold over 200 million albums.
84 Birchfield Road, Headless Cross, Redditch, United Kingdom where they was born (1948)
At this school Led Zeppelin had their world premier on 7 September 1968. The organiser was Gladsaxe Teen Club.
Gladsaxe Skole (ex Egegård Skole), Gladsaxe, Denmark where they performed (1968)