Quick Facts
British Celebrities Born In May
Also Known As: John Henry Bonham
Died At Age: 32
Family:
Spouse/Ex-: Pat Phillips (m. 1968–1980)
father: Jack Bonham
mother: Joan Bonham
siblings: Deborah Bonham, Mick Bonham
children: Jason Bonham, Zoë Bonham
Drummers British Men
Died on: September 25, 1980
place of death: Clewer, England, UK
Cause of Death: Alcoholism
More Facts
education: Lodge Farm Secondary Modern School
Childhood & Early Life
John Henry Bonham was born to the English couple Joan and Jack Bonham in Redditch, Worcestershire, England. By the time he turned five, he started playing drums.
He went to the Lodge Farm Secondary Modern School and from 1962 to 1963 he played for the Blue Star Trio and Gerry Levene & the Avengers. He later started playing for his first semi-professional band, Terry Webb and the Spiders.
Career
In 1968, he became part of the English rock band, ‘Led Zeppelin’, as the drummer. The band was initially called the New Yardbirds and it changed its name later to, ‘Led Zeppelin’.
In 1969, the band ‘Led Zeppelin’ came out with their self-titled debut album, ‘Led Zeppelin’, which was released under the Atlantic Records label. The album initially received negative reviews, but was commercially successful.
On October 22, 1969, he played the drums for the Grammy Award nominated second ‘Led Zeppelin’ album, titled ‘Led Zeppelin II’. The album was successful and became one of the band’s bestselling albums.
On October 5, 1970, ‘Led Zeppelin’, released their third studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin III’, which was one of their highest selling albums. The album received good reviews from music critics.
In 1971, he was the drummer for the song, ‘Everybody Clap’, which was a song by Scottish singer, Lulu Kennedy-Cairns. The song was written by Maurice Gibb and Billy Lawrie.
On November 8, 1971 ‘Led Zeppelin’ released its fourth album, ‘Led Zeppelin IV’. A bestselling album, it featured the popular songs, ‘When the Levee Breaks’, ‘Black Dog’ and ‘Rock and Roll’.
In 1973, the band ‘came out with its fifth album, ‘Houses of the Holy’, which featured the song ‘The Ocean’. The album earned a Grammy Award nomination and peaked at the music charts.
In 1975, ‘Led Zeppelin’s sixth studio album, ‘Physical Graffiti’ was released. The album featured one of its famous songs, ‘Kashmir’, which he also co-wrote and was played at almost every concert.
In 1976, he played the drums for the seventh ‘Led Zeppelin’ album, ‘Presence’. The album received mixed reviews from music critics and was one of the band’s lowest selling albums.
In 1979, he played the drums for his friend, Roy Wood’s album, ‘On the Road Again’. The same year, he also drummed for the English rock band ‘Wings’ for their album, ‘Back to the Egg’.
In 1982, the band Led Zeppelin’ came out with its ninth and final studio album, titled, ‘Coda’. The featured tracks included, ‘We’re Gonna Groove’ and ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby’. This was released after his death.
Major Works
The album ‘Led Zeppelin’ was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and in 2012 Rolling Stone magazine listed it on their list of ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time’.
‘Led Zeppelin II’ was a bestselling album that sold over 12 million copies and it reached the No.1 position on U.S, U.K and the Canadian music charts.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1968, he married Pat Phillips, whom he met in the year 1964. The couple had two children together.
He died at the age of 32 in Clewer, England, UK; it is believed that he died due to excessive alcohol consumption and choking on vomit in his sleep.
In 2005, Classic Rock magazine ranked him at the No.1 position on their list of ‘50 Greatest Drummers in Rock’.
Facts About John Bonham
John Bonham was known for his powerful drumming style, but he also had a soft spot for gardening and was passionate about growing his own vegetables.
Despite his wild stage persona, Bonham was a devoted family man and loved spending time with his wife and children when he wasn’t on tour.
One of Bonham’s favorite pastimes was fishing, and he would often sneak away from the chaos of touring to relax by the water with a fishing rod in hand.
In addition to his drumming skills, Bonham was also a talented artist and enjoyed painting in his spare time, expressing his creativity in different ways outside of music.
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