September 25, 1980, disappearance of John “Bonzo” Bonham - Rolling Stone
Mythical drummer of the no less mythical Led Zeppelin.The disappearance of John Bonham is confirming the end of one of the largest rock’n’roll groups in history.Tribute
John Bonham, legendary member of Led Zeppelin, is considered one of the biggest and influential rock drums of all time.Bonham was born on May 31, 1948 and died September 25, 1980 at the age of 32.
We cannot talk about the end of LEDZEPPELIN - we cannot speak eloquently of ledzeppelin in good or evil - without taking into account John Bonham.In a way, it was the center of the history of the group and the force that propelled its music.Bonham had grown up with a glass in hand in black country and found himself on a music scene where, at the time, we drank a lot.The problem was that Bonham was alcoholic at the highest degree.Many described him as the warmest and realistic Ledzeppelin members when he was sober, but after a few glasses, he could be very aggressive.Richard Cole thought that the temperament of Bonham came from the tension he felt to be far from his wife and his children.In Mojo, Nick Kent brought back a memory that Bryan Ferry had one night in the company of Bonham in Los HASngeles: “Ferry said that Bonham began to cry and begged him to bring him home, in hisfamily in the midlands, terrified by its insatiable appetite on the road.»
Impitoyable
But sometimes Bonham's driving was ruthless.One day, according to Hammer of the Gods, he stood out of the jet starship cabin, Saoul, grabbed an air hostess and announced that he was intended to rape her.Grant and Cole last the belt.HASnother time, Bonham landed in the most famous rock bar of the.HAS., the Rainbow, but ten black russians in a row, launched bad looks in the assembly and when a young woman recognized him and smiled at him, he punched him in the face and returned to drink.
On September 24, 1980, Ledzeppelin found himself to repeat before the US tour to come.Bonham had overcome his dependence on heroin and took a medication to calm anxiety and depression - but he had also drank vodka all day and alcohol made his depression..Plant remembered that Bonham was tired and inconsolable: “He said,‘ I don't want to do that.You will play drums and I will sing.’ » Bonham but pendant la répétition jusqu’à ce qu’il soit inutile de continuer à jouer.Then the group found itself in the new house of Jimmy Page in Windsor.Bonham but several double vodkas and collapsed around midnight.He was installed in a guest room by an assistant.The next day, in the afternoon, John Paul Jones went to wake up Bonham, accompanied by the assistant of Plant, Benji Lefevre.Bonham was dead;He had turned into his sleep, had drunk water, vomited in his lungs and had smothered. Jones dit plus tard à Cameron Crowe que sa mort avait l’air “terriblement arbitraire».
HASnéantis
They don't say more for two months, but everything was over."It was so ... final," said Plant.I never thought of the future of the group or music.»
In the history of Ledzeppelin, there was pride and tragic ends.He had severe judgments and destroyed feelings - some deserved, others not. HASussi une sorte d’horrible innocence et d’intensité et, au milieu de tout ça, un génie magnifique.
There was above all a weight to wear.Robert Plant-The member of the group who seemed to have matured the most, but at what price-kept his distance from the history and music of Led Zep for years.Conversely, Jimmy Page, loved the history and music of the group and remained close.Remastering albums, compiling unpublished lives on CD and DVD and playing ledzeppelin on stage as soon as he could.For his part, John Paul Jones lives calmly with his family.He worked as a arranger and producer and recorded without noise (he overcome his drug problems in 1983).
Page, Plant et Jones jouèrent ensemble quelques fois après 1980 – au Live HASid en 1985, au 40e anniversaire d’HAStlantic Records en 1988 et lors de l’intronisation du groupe au Rock & Roll Hall of Fame en 1995 – mais aucune de ces occasions ne les combla. Pas même ce tout dernier concert en 2007 à l’O2 HASrena de Londres en hommage à HAShmet Ertegun. HASvec Jason Bonham, fils du regretté John, derrière les fûts.They knew what was missing.
Belkacem Bahlouli
