09/25/2022
ON THIS DATE (42 YEARS AGO)
September 25, 1980 - John Bonham “Bonzo” died, aged 32.
John Henry Bonham (b. May 31, 1948) was the drummer of Led Zeppelin. He was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music. Rolling Stone readers named him the "best drummer of all time" in 2011.
On September 24, 1980, Bonham was picked up by Led Zeppelin assistant Rex King to attend rehearsals at Bray Studios for a tour of North America, to begin 17 October in Montreal, Canada; it was the band's first tour since 1977. During the journey, Bonham asked to stop for breakfast, where he drank four quadruple vodka screwdrivers (16 shots between 400 and 560 ml). He then continued to drink heavily after arriving at rehearsals. The band stopped rehearsing late in the evening and then went to Page's house, the Old Mill House in Clewer, Windsor. After midnight on 25 September, Bonham fell asleep; someone took him to bed and placed him on his side. Led Zeppelin tour manager Benji LeFevre and bassist John Paul Jones found him unresponsive the next afternoon. Bonham was later pronounced dead at 32 years old.
