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Last Ever Photograph of Bonzo


Thomasw536

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I believe this is the last known picture of Bonham. Notice how much weight he has lost since the European Tour just two months prior. I have never seen Bonham so skinny.

 

 

JB1980.jpg

Edited by IpMan
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I've seen that pic before, but never heard it was possibly the last. Didn't even know it was taken after the summer '80 tour. Bonzo's face looks quite sunburnt and he does indeed look very thin. Does anyone here know if any pics were taken during the rehearsals in Sep of '80?

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10 hours ago, porgie66 said:

I've seen that pic before, but never heard it was possibly the last. Didn't even know it was taken after the summer '80 tour. Bonzo's face looks quite sunburnt and he does indeed look very thin. Does anyone here know if any pics were taken during the rehearsals in Sep of '80?

I show Bonham did take a holiday in August 1980 but I don't have confirmation of where. Rehearsals were held on only one date (September 24, 1980), lasting just a few hours. There are no photographs in circulation and it's quite possible none were taken.

1980_zpsut79fkdq.jpg

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  • 7 months later...
On 01/01/2017 at 9:46 AM, SteveAJones said:

I show Bonham did take a holiday in August 1980 but I don't have confirmation of where. Rehearsals were held on only one date (September 24, 1980), lasting just a few hours. There are no photographs in circulation and it's quite possible none were taken.

1980_zpsut79fkdq.jpg

This looks like a video still, not a photograph. To me anyway

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The picture of him thin is very interesting. Was Bonzo still messing with smack at that time ?? Books always mention his use,

but vaguely unlike Page, etc. Wasn't he terribly nervous about the upcoming tour, that him setting foot on U.S. soil could

have Bill Graham reopen his suit ?? I thought the Oakland thing was 100% settled, but I could have sworn I read somewhere

that in fact it wasn't ??(civil case ?). Very interesting noone can say for certain perhaps after Europe 80' maybe he lost weight

from not drinking, or, and I have had this happen too me, you can easily lose weight if you have an extended period of non

stop worrying or heavy stress. This is like it's hard to sit still 4 hrs a day sleep stress. Total speculation. Also sometimes alcohol abuse for long periods can cause an inability to absorb nutrients and calories. Again, speculation. However, why didn't

any band member after Bonzo's death comment he had lost weight and looked fit to tour ??

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1 hour ago, Mithril46 said:

Wasn't he terribly nervous about the upcoming tour, that him setting foot on U.S. soil could have Bill Graham reopen his suit ?? I thought the Oakland thing was 100% settled, but I could have sworn I read somewhere that in fact it wasn't ??(civil case ?).

On February 16, 1978 the criminal cases against Bonham, Grant, Bindon and Cole were heard…all incurred suspended sentences and fines. The civil suit sought two million in monetary compensation, but Bonham returning to America (or not) would have had no bearing on it.  

 

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1 hour ago, SteveAJones said:

On February 16, 1978 the criminal cases against Bonham, Grant, Bindon and Cole were heard…all incurred suspended sentences and fines. The civil suit sought two million in monetary compensation, but Bonham returning to America (or not) would have had no bearing on it.  

 

They all knew they were too big to get arrested or indicted. That was probably the last thing on his mind.

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6 hours ago, Mithril46 said:

The picture of him thin is very interesting. Was Bonzo still messing with smack at that time ?? Books always mention his use,

but vaguely unlike Page, etc.  Very interesting noone can say for certain perhaps after Europe 80' maybe he lost weight

from not drinking, or, and I have had this happen too me, you can easily lose weight if you have an extended period of non

stop worrying or heavy stress.

According to Mick Wall, Bonzo was at the time prescribed a medication called Motival (fluphenazine) but a quick google shows this has weight gain not loss as a side effect. Wall also says ("according to band insiders") Bonzo had got off heroin at that time, but again, usually this results in putting on weight not losing it.

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Well then the picture doesn't make sense, or he had some stomach ailment ?? I remember Jimmy

in the picture rehearsing for Copenhagen or Knebworth. He is only wearing shorts, and although he

is still too thin, he is not emaciated or look like an AIDS patient like most of 77'. These two examples

are odd, but the Bonzo mystery makes no sense at all, maybe the picture was messed with. A

ridiculous explanation, but what is the explanation ?

 

Edited by Mithril46
Double entry
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I saw posted elsewhere on this forum that Bonham was enduring stress related to possible family issues. If this was the case, it could make sense. Bonham doted on his family and hated to be away from them. If he was worrying about possibly losing his family his weight loss makes perfect sense. Also, he was suffering from stomach problems on the European tour which could have been stress related as well.

It is all speculation but those pictures and stills IMO shows a man tired and sad. He does not look sick per se just tired and worn. A man of 32 looking more like 45.  These pictures truly make me feel sorry for him and his family.

What a shame.

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1 hour ago, Mithril46 said:

Well then the picture doesn't make sense, or he had some stomach ailment ?? I remember Jimmy

in the picture rehearsing for Copenhagen or Knebworth. He is only wearing shorts, and although he

is still too thin, he is not emaciated or look like an AIDS patient like most of 77'. These two examples

are odd, but the Bonzo mystery makes no sense at all, maybe the picture was messed with. A

ridiculous explanation, but what is the explanation ?

 

Is this the pic you're talking about?  I always wondered what the story was with this pic. Must've been a hot night!

fullsizeoutput_18af.jpeg

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19 hours ago, porgie66 said:

Is this the pic you're talking about?  I always wondered what the story was with this pic. Must've been a hot night!

fullsizeoutput_18af.jpeg

Was this a rehearsal for the Copenhagen shows or was this an encore for one of the Copenhagen shows after they came back on-stage after the main set? I always thought it was the later and from the 24th.

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3 hours ago, IpMan said:

Was this a rehearsal for the Copenhagen shows or was this an encore for one of the Copenhagen shows after they came back on-stage after the main set? I always thought it was the later and from the 24th.

I assumed this was from Knebworth rehearsals or a soundcheck because I assumed they were outside on a hot night. Weird and unprecedented way to dress for a gig, like they're just back from a day at the beach.

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15 minutes ago, porgie66 said:

I assumed this was from Knebworth rehearsals or a soundcheck because I assumed they were outside on a hot night. Weird and unprecedented way to dress for a gig, like they're just back from a day at the beach.

Fast forward ten years and the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform naked except for tube socks rubber baned to their dicks.

I will take your day at the beach and raise you tube socks on our tubes...Give it away, give it away, give it away now.

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Yeah, very heavy stress and stomach ailments, painful way to lose weight. I always thought Jimmy could work himself into

a nervous frenzy. Occult beliefs be damned, I'm sure starting with the 75' car crash  and on, Jimmy couldn't ignore the

black clouds circling. Who knows with Bonzo, maybe his wife made some ultimatum regarding the booze/ substances, and 

he really does look seriously worried . Agreed, though, what did the band sound like at that poorly ventilated rehearsal ?

Was Page blazing around like the second night in Copenhagen? Like many others wonder how did they go from those shows

to the IMO  much weaker Knebworth shows ? Wasn't it somewhere written/claimed that Jimmy was going thru one of his

withdrawal attempts at that time, but back on smack at Knebworth ?? Bonzo is ferocious as well, not bad at Knebworth

but not the sledgehammer in Copenhagen.. Again the Zep secrecy, and mystery about almost everything.

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I always laugh when I see people drawing so much information from a still picture, you can take a picture of the happiest person at the wrong moment & they can look fraught with worry.

I'm not saying Bonham didn't have his problems or demons, he clearly did and he did look older than his years (the drink does that to people), however, I don't see the point in studying a picture to the nth degree to attempt to ascertain what was going on at that point in time. 

We all know he was having trouble getting round his kit towards the end, it's more than likely that he was trying pretty hard to lose weight in order to remedy that.

John Bonham had his ups and downs like a lot of people and died as a result of an accident. The remaining members of the band have kept a lid on things out of respect for his family and themselves I would guess and hats off to them.

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