I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It’s all very well doing a triple paradiddle – but who’s going to know you’ve done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It’s being original that counts.
– John Bonham
John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and “feel” for the groove.
Led Zeppelin – Full concert Live at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970:
“Bonzo had very broad listening tastes. When we weren’t listening to James Brown or Otis Redding, he might be listening to Joni Mitchell or Crosby Stills Nash & Young. Bonzo was a great lover of songs.” – John Paul Jones
He is widely considered to be one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music by many drummers, other musicians, and commentators in the industry. Over 30 years after his death, Bonham continues to garner awards and praise, including a Rolling Stone readers’ pick in 2011 placing him in first place of the magazine’s “best drummers of all time”.
Led Zeppelin – Kashmir – Earl’s Court 1975:
Awards and accolades
While Bonham is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential rock drummers by other musicians and commentators in the industry, he continues to receive the greatest acclaim from fans, and several opinion polls and critic lists continue to list him in first place before any other drummer in rock history.
- In 2007, Stylus magazine rated Bonham number 1 on its list of the 50 greatest rock drummers,
- as did the online music magazine Gigwise.com in 2008,
- Rolling Stone reader’s poll where he “led the list by a significant margin” in 2011.
- Bonham was ranked at no. 1 on Classic Rock’s 2005 list of “50 Greatest Drummers in Rock”,
- Modern Drummer magazine describes him as “the greatest rock ‘n’ roll drummer in history.”
- In September 2008, Bonham topped the Blabbermouth.net’s list of “Rockers fans want brought back to life”, ahead of Elvis Presley and Freddie Mercury.
- Rhythm magazine voted him the greatest drummer ever, topping their reader’s poll to determine the “50 greatest drummers of all time” for its October 2009 issue.
- At the end of the BBC Two series I’m in a Rock ‘n’ Roll Band! on 5 June 2010, John Bonham was named the best drummer of all time.
John Bonham has been described by Allmusic as one of the most important, well-known and influential drummers in rock. Adam Budofsky, managing editor of Modern Drummer magazine, writes “If the king of rock ‘n’ roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was certainly John Bonham.”
Moby Dick – great video w/focus on Bonham (the whole 30 minutes with a long drum solo) 24 May 1975:
Led Zeppelin is not available @ Spotify, so let’s roll another video..
Whole lotta love:
Other May-31:
- Johnny Paycheck was the stage name of Donald Eugene Lytle (May 31, 1938 – February 19, 2003), a country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member most famous for recording the David Allan Coe song “Take This Job and Shove It”. He achieved his greatest success in the 1970s as a major force in country music’s “Outlaw Movement” popularized by artists such as David Allan Coe, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver and Merle Haggard. In the 1980s, his music career suffered from his problems with drugs, alcohol, and legal difficulties. He served a prison sentence in the early 1990s but his declining health effectively ended his career in early 2000.
- Peter Yarrow (born May 31, 1938) is an American singer who found fame with the 1960s folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Yarrow co-wrote (with Leonard Lipton) one of the group’s most famous songs, “Puff, the Magic Dragon”. He is also a political activist and has lent his support to causes that range from opposition to the Vietnam War to the creation of Operation Respect.
– Hallgeir
Sources: Wikipedia, Allmusic, John Bonham: The Powerhouse behind Led Zeppelin by Mick Bonham, Led Zeppelin liner notes DVD box-set