The Band's Fate Had Bonham Not Died

[28 Years Gone]

Hey, there Zep Heads! Been a follower for a long time, but finally decided to join the gang. I'm sure this is a topic that has been beat to death, but I'm curious to hear everyone's opinion on the matter.

So let's say Bonham never died that melancholy day in September. What do you suppose would have transpired for the band? Would the heroin kill Jimmy? Would the band have ended because Percy was exhausted and just had his flame extinguished? Would they have had a temporary hiatus to ultimately return rather triumphantly? I'm eagerly anticipating what everyone responds with.

[June72]

I'm honestly a bit unsure as to how the band would've went on. A lot of people say that heroin would've gotten to Jimmy, but do we really know how much Bonz's death effected his drub habits? Just curious. I think if neither of them died then a hiatus of some sort certainly would have ensued eventually. They must've known that they were simply too amazing to part ways permanently, but a slow down of some sort needed to happen.

[SteveAJones]

In my opinion, with the benefit of hindsight the band was not well suited to move forward thru the 1980s. The ill-fated 1980 American tour probably would have been followed by a few UK dates around Christmas and then a second leg of the American tour in Spring 1981. Beyond that, I think they would have entered an indefinite hiatus, during which Robert would probably have begun to cultivate the solo career he ended up doing so anyway.

[gibsonfan159]

3 hours ago, SteveAJones said:

In my opinion, with the benefit of hindsight the band was not well suited to move forward thru the 1980s. The ill-fated 1980 American tour probably would have been followed by a few UK dates around Christmas and then a second leg of the American tour in Spring 1981. Beyond that, I think they would have entered an indefinite hiatus, during which Robert would probably have begun to cultivate the solo career he ended up doing so anyway.

But they were still due another album. So if Coda never happened and they went into the studio again, wouldn't another tour have followed? No doubt the guys (Robert) were wanting to split at this point.

[SteveAJones]

3 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

But they were still due another album. So if Coda never happened and they went into the studio again, wouldn't another tour have followed? No doubt the guys (Robert) were wanting to split at this point.

If the writing was on the wall for hiatus or disbandment then I suspect Jimmy would have scrounged unused material together (such as The Rolling Stones did for Tattoo You) to meet that contractual obligation. 

[bluecongo]

Zep was spiraling down, and a huge part of it was the dysfunction of Peter Grant.  Grant was as much of an addict as anyone was, Swan Song et al was crumbling, clear heads were needed to right the ship, obviously.

If Zep could’ve have gotten fresh management, sobered up, they very well could have continued, alas is wasn’t to be. 

 

[tenyearsgone21]

5 hours ago, bluecongo said:

Zep was spiraling down, and a huge part of it was the dysfunction of Peter Grant.  Grant was as much of an addict as anyone was, Swan Song et al was crumbling, clear heads were needed to right the ship, obviously.

If Zep could’ve have gotten fresh management, sobered up, they very well could have continued, alas is wasn’t to be. 

 

Possibly although I always got the sense after Robert's son Karac passed, he was done with the band. Yes Bonzo coaxed him back but seems his heart wasn't in it, coupled with Jimmy's struggles with drugs etc. Would have been interesting to hear what they would have done, had things turned out differently. 

 

[Walter]

1 hour ago, tenyearsgone21 said:

Possibly although I always got the sense after Robert's son Karac passed, he was done with the band. Yes Bonzo coaxed him back but seems his heart wasn't in it, coupled with Jimmy's struggles with drugs etc. Would have been interesting to hear what they would have done, had things turned out differently. 

 

Yeah, much like reality went, Robert was in and out of wanting to be in Zeppelin after 77. I think that would’ve been the case had they taken a lengthy hiatus after 80/81.  He would’ve come back into the fold after a few years for a reunion or to make more music, then drifted back out and so forth.  IMO. 

[June72]

2 hours ago, Walter said:

Yeah, much like reality went, Robert was in and out of wanting to be in Zeppelin after 77. I think that would’ve been the case had they taken a lengthy hiatus after 80/81.  He would’ve come back into the fold after a few years for a reunion or to make more music, then drifted back out and so forth.  IMO. 

Yeah I see that as a likely scenario. Had they given Robert the proper time to readjust, I'm sure he would've came back in full force.

[strombringer101]

I think John Bonham would’ve been the one to demand a break from the long tours, and being a way from his growing family. Robert was all in as long as John was there, yeah he did say that by 77’ tour they were grinding through the shows but the huge audience going berserk would motivate anyone to continue even if they weren’t in best form in all their shows.( I think a bad Zeppelin show would still be better than a good show from anyone else. )

I guess Robert and John Bonham would have made it clear that Zeppelin was going to stay closer to home, shorter tours, longer breaks, then call it a day by 1995.