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Remembering John Bonham.


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Happy Belated Birthday John Henry Bonham, you are gone, but never forgotten.

You were an irreplaceable element in Zeppelin, and your mates made that known by never regrouping again, except for the one time with the rightful heir to your throne, your son Jason, who I'm sure you'd be proud of and watched him play from up above with a smile from ear to ear. :)

Edited by OzzyIsDio
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One of the best Plantations ever is from Earls court on the 24th, At the beginning of Tangerine Robert is talking about great love affairs in our lives and right then Bonham yells out "Right Behind You!!" He will always be the best and to all you young people out there learn a lesson from his death. Never lay your totally drunk ass friend who has passed out on their back! it may save their life!! always lay a drunk person on their stomach with their head turned to one side so if they vomit it wont end up choking them to death.

Edited by juxtiphi
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Such a sad day. I remember it like it was yesterday. What really hurts now also is thinking of all the great music and shows that would have continued had this terrible tragedy not happened. John did live recklessly and his driving escapades were as dangerous as his drinking. He was the greatest drummer of all time. A perfectionist. An absolute miracle that these four monstrous talents found each other. John is a legend that will never die.

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  • 1 month later...

NIce pictures! John Bonham will never be forgotten.

Maaike

Thank you!

I have a picture that's framed of John Bonham backstage @ The Chicago Stadium 75', in a Chicago Blackhawk sweater - very rare photo. This exact picture was in the book LZ - 75'

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  • 1 month later...

My favourite drummer/percussionist. He changed my life as soon as I first heard him play and taught me a lot with drumming.

I am always happy to listen to his drumming and I always will be.

On a side note, I never knew that he once flew his group's Boeing 720 passenger jet 'The Starship' all the way from New York to Los Angeles (he didn't have a pilot's licence). :D

Bless you Bonzo. :)

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The last few months of 1980 were really bad - Bon Scott died early in the year (February) but losing Bonzo in September and then Lennon in December must have been a crushing blow. Does anyone know if Lennon ever made any comments (private or public) about Bonzo & his passing?

As far as I know and have read, I know of no comments either public or private that John Lennon made upon hearing of the death of John Bonham. That, of course, means that there very well may be comments by John of John.

I would just like to say that I LOVE JOHN HENRY BONHAM. I was just about 10 years old when He left this world and it would take me just 4 short years to really know Him as the great drummer that He was. It would take Me about another year to realize that "Bonzo" Bonham was and will always be the GREATEST DRUMMER IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF ROCK AND ROLL. This is MY opinion but it could also be considered a real fact.

24 Years Gone... Gone way too soon. I LOVE YOU MR. JOHN HENRY BONHAM!!!

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Thursday morning. September 25, 1980.

Friend: "Hey man, did you hear about Led Zeppelin? Someone died..."

Me: "What!?! Died...who died?!?"

Friend: "I think it was their drummer, dude."

Me: "No way! John Bonham is dead? Are you fucking with me...where did you hear this bullshit?"

Friend: "I heard it from a guy at 7-11 who heard it on the radio."

Another dude joins in the conversation: "It's true man...it's on the radio. KLOS was talking about it just now. Weren't they gonna tour here soon?"

Me: "Yeah...and I was gonna take my little brothers to see them. If this is really true...if Bonzo's dead and not just sick or injured...man, I feel sick myself right now. I've gotta go find a radio and confirm this isn't just some crazy rumour. See ya' later."

Alas, it wasn't a crazy rumour. It was true. The Mighty John Henry Bonham of the Mighty Led Zeppelin had fallen. Three things stick out from that ensuing weekend:

1. Absolutely being glued to the radio non-stop...particularly the station 94.7 KMET-FM with Mary "The Burner" Turner doing the 6pm to 10pm shift and then Jim Ladd taking over from 10pm to 2am. It was wall-to-wall Zeppelin with music, soundbites, interview clips, reactions and news updates. I regret not having had the foresight to put a tape in and record the station that weekend.

2. The absolutely jam-packed midnight screenings of "The Song Remains the Same" at the UA Cinemas at Tyler Mall in Riverside the Friday and Saturday after Bonham's death. The UA at Tyler Mall had been running "The Song Remains the Same" at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays for years...along with other midnight cult movies such as "Rocky Horror Picture Show", "Wizards", "Eraserhead", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "Gimmie Shelter", "El Topo", "The Jimi Hendrix Movie", etc. It always drew a good crowd, as they had special Altec Lansing and JPL speakers wired in the theatre for extra loudness. But the shows after Bonham's passing were super crazy. Lines around the theatre...fortunately, I had a feeling these shows would sell out quickly, so I made sure to get there earlier than usual and had a friend drop me off after leaving a party. People had started drinking early, too, so that by the time they actually let us in the theatre, the crowd was extra rowdy and raucous. "Moby Dick" got the loudest and longest ovation I have ever heard at a "Song Remains the Same" screening.

3. The pressure-release tonic that the Monty Python concert at the Hollywood Bowl provided that following Sunday. I was so down about Bonzo's passing, I had given thought to not going to the concert and selling or giving away my ticket. But, as someone once said..."laughter is the best medicine". I needed a good laugh and the Python delivered on all counts that evening.

I am and will always be one of those stick-in-the-muds who refuses to consider anything without John Bonham to be truly Led Zeppelin. It can be a tribute...a facsimile...even good. But a Led Zeppelin without Bonham is not the mystical, magickal, dynamic juggernaut that Led Zeppelin was in their original existence.

Here's to ya' John Henry Bonham. Here's to his surviving family.

John-and-Jason-Bonham.jpg

tumblr_ms1ygqiHDA1qcd25jo3_1280.jpg

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Even though it's been a terribly busy day for me today (moving to a new flat can be so bloody exhausting!!) and the fact that internet access was virtually impossible, I nevertheless had to come on here, to pay my respects to the late great John Henry Bonham! I truly CANNOT believe it's been 34 years! 1980 was a pretty devastating year for music, IMHO!

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Just look at sweet little face! :wub:

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Remembering John Bonham with lots of love today. When I listen to LZ, I am usually air drumming and wishing I knew how to play the drums. One drum part that always makes me smile is in Dazed and Confused. We have just heard Jimmy tearing it up on the guitar and at 4:48 the drums sound very light hearted, I picture John skipping through a field :)...then, as if to say 'Bonzo doesn't skip', he goes absolutely wild on the drums. To me, it's a brilliant move, and I look for that part every time and just smile! Thank you, John Bonham, for giving us a lifetime of amazing drums!

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I am and will always be one of those stick-in-the-muds who refuses to consider anything without John Bonham to be truly Led Zeppelin. It can be a tribute...a facsimile...even good. But a Led Zeppelin without Bonham is not the mystical, magickal, dynamic juggernaut that Led Zeppelin was in their original existence.

Here's to ya' John Henry Bonham. Here's to his surviving family.

I agree totally Strider.

Bless you John Henry Bonham and bless all of your family friends and loved ones.

You will never be forgotten.

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