John Henry Bonham

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My definition of a hero is someone who influences you and generations to come. They also change they way something is done. The person I am talking about is John Bonham. John Bonham (better know as “Bonzo”) was an amazing, strong-minded, and leading drummer. Bonham was the most influential drummer ever. He influenced many generations of drummers to come, and created his own bashful style. John Bonham has heavily influenced me to become a heavy-hitting metal drummer.

John Bonham (http://twtd.bluemountains.net.au/cream/ img/bonham3.jpg)

Whether the song that influenced me was the searing drum solo of “Moby Dick”, or the relaxed, steady, beat of “Kashmir”, he was the most diverse drummer of his time. Many drummers still try to re-create or imitate his style, but that’s almost like winning the lottery 3 times in a row: it's never going to happen. John Bonham was to drums what Eddie Van Halen was to the guitar. He would come up with things that no one would ever even dream of. His speeding fills and his truly amazing chops were way ahead of the times. You obviously can’t talk about great drummers without mentioning “BONZO”.

John Bonham first learned how to play the drums when he was 5 years old. He was heavily influenced by Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. His mom Joan gave him a snare drum when he was ten years old. He played his snare until he was 15. Then, his mom got him his first real drumset. It was a Premier Percussion Set. He taught himself to do everything on drums.

When Jimmy Page (guitarist for Led Zeppelin) and Robert Plant (vocals for Led Zeppelin) started the legendary heavy metal group Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant requested to have John Bonham as the drummer. John Bonham later became the main power source of their heavy style. Bonham was introduced to Ludwig drums by his good friend Carmine Appice (the drummer for Vanilla Fudge) on an American Tour. John also used the heaviest and longest drumsticks he could find. These sticks contributed to the powerhouse drummer. You can hear “BONZO” fully at work in songs such as “The Immigrant Song” and “Communication Breakdown”. Without John Bonham, drumming would not be what it is today.

John Bonham influenced many drummers for generations and generations to come. Pretty much any drummer in the world, including me, was influenced by him. After years of excess the weight of partying finally broke John Bonham down. One night at Jimmy Page's house he had consumed an uncountable amount of alcohol and fell asleep face up. He died. He died from choking on his own vomit. He was 32 years old. The drumming world still mourns the loss of John Henry "BONZO" Bonham.