Jason Bonham

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Saturday, September 24, 2005

Tribute to John Bonham

These comments originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

The 30 days affectionately known among some Led Zeppelin aficionados as "Zeptember" certainly have ups and downs that are unparalleled in any other month.

Zeptember sees the beginning of a legacy of live Zeppelin shows, which we marked earlier this month with the 37th anniversary of Page-Plant-Jones-Bonham's first concert together.

Sadly, this month also sees the beginning of the end. In Led Zeppelin's history, the end is unmistakably denoted by the passing of one of its members, without whom the others just could never go on as they were.

"He was an ex-bricklayer who weighed about 250 pounds and was six-foot-three," producer Eddie Kramer said of John "Bonzo" Bonham, who died 25 years ago tomorrow.

RIP John Henry Bonham
May 31, 1948 - Sept. 25, 1980

On a much happier note, the Bonham drumming legacy still lives on today through that aforementioned son, Jason Bonham. Now 39, he's currently playing for a great lineup of the rock group Foreigner. Their current U.S. tour packed houses this summer and will continue to do so through November. Each show even pays tribute to John Bonham with the group covering a Led Zeppelin song.

A thrilling live video of Foreigner's "Juke Box Hero" from this tour is available at the group's official Web site, www.foreigneronline.com, in the Gallery section. They impressively ease into a portion of "Whole Lotta Love," and bald-headed Jason Bonham commands on the drums through the very end.

It will be a pleasure to see them perform live in Baltimore next weekend.

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at 12:55 AM

About the author

Steve "The Lemon" Sauer is a writer and musician based in Boca Raton, Fla., who has dedicated a portion of his life researching the history of rock group Led Zeppelin and monitoring the ongoing careers of the band's surviving members. Although he was barely a year old when Led Zeppelin broke up and it took him until his teen years to appreciate the music, it didn't take long to make up for it.

Steve is currently a contributing writer and consultant for Get the Led Out, a weekly syndicated radio program hosted by Carol Miller and syndicated in 100 U.S. markets including New York and Los Angeles. He also provides content for a Web site associated with the radio show, www.LedZepOnline.com.

In 2007, Steve launched Lemon Squeezings: Led Zeppelin News to cover the lead-up to the band's reunion concert at the end of that year. Since then, he has closely examined every rumor of a followup tour since then, often dispelling or clarifying misinformation perpetrated by the mainstream media. Using his journalistic training, Steve has also uncovered some facts and accounts previously unreported elsewhere.

At age 18, he began publishing On This Day In Led Zeppelin History, a daily newsletter detailing the interactions of members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, and their manager, Peter Grant. The newsletter is located at www.OnThisDayInLedZeppelinHistory.com.

He enjoys uncovering stories and has employed various methods to communicate those stories to Led Zeppelin's vast fan base, utilizing terrestrial radio and the many facets of the Internet: from Usenet newsgroups to plain e-mail and now Facebook and Twitter. Steve also connects with live audiences when performing as a backup vocalist and keyboard player with various bands, including past onstage appearances with three cover or tribute acts performing the music of Led Zeppelin.

Do you have a news tip to share with Steve? Do you have something you would like him to write about? Would you like to book him for a speaking engagement? He can be contacted by e-mail at Steve at LedZeppelinNews.com.

Other Led Zeppelin information from Lemon Squeezings

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