How Did John Bonham Die? Led Zeppelin Drummer Found Dead At The Age Of 32
Lily Fisher
Published Jan 17, 2026
John Bonham was an English artist known as the Drove Blimp drummer. He is viewed as one of music’s ideal and most noteworthy wild drummers. For those of you who don’t have the foggiest idea, Drove Dirigible was a very well known English musical crew during the 1970s, refered to as one of the begetters of weighty metal and hard rock music.
Be that as it may, sadly, the band needed to separate after the grievous downfall of their star drummer, John Bonham. Yet, who is Bonham, and how could he die? Born in 1948 in Redditch, Worcestershire, John took up drums at five, beginning by impersonating his godlike objects Max Cockroach, Quality Krupa, and Amigo Rich.
From that point forward, he has never thought back, and it is intriguing to take note of that John was a self-educated drummer. In 1964, Bo ham joined Terry Webb and the Bugs, his most memorable semi-master band, and it was right now he initially met Pat Phillips, who might turn into his significant other. The couple then had two kids, Jason and Zoë Bonham. Both the youngsters are as yet connected with John’s band, Drove Dirigible.
John took part in a few groups from Birmingham, including The Nicky James Development and The Legislators, with whom he recorded the single “She’s a Mod” in 1964 at Hollick and Taylor Studios. In 1968, after the separation of Yardbirds, John Bonham joined guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and singer Robert Plant, hence shaping the band New Yardbirds, then, at that point, renamed Drove Dirigible.
John became relentless subsequent to joining the band, and a portion of his famous hard-hitting with the band incorporate “Moby Dick,” “Outsider Melody,” “When the Levee Breaks,” “Kashmir,” “The Sea,” and “Achilles’ Final turning point.” Bonham plays d solely on Ludwig drums during his vocation with Drove Blimp.
Nicknamed “Bonzo,” John was additionally connected with a few different ventures like “Everyone Applaud,” “Don’t Oddity Me Out,” “Keep Your Hands on the Wheel,” and “So Happy to See You Here.” While playing drums in Count Downe’s (Harry Nilsson) band, Bonham showed up in the 1974 film Child of Dracula.
Bonham was likewise positioned No. 1 on Exemplary Stone’s 2005 rundown of the 50 Biggest Drummers in Rock. In any case, regardless of this, John’s prosperity was brief, as he unfortunately left this world, leaving his fans in sadness and mistrust. How about we grasp the reason for his passing.
What caused the passing of John Bonham? On September 24, 1980, Rex Lord, a Drove Blimp helper, raised John so he could go to rehearse at Whinny Studios for a visit through North America that would begin on October 17 in Montreal, Canada. It was the band’s most memorable visit beginning around 1977.
During the excursion, Bonham needed to stop for breakfast and drank four fourfold vodka screwdrivers (16 shots somewhere in the range of 400 and 560 ml). He then, at that point, went to practices and drank intensely. As per t reports, John began drinking promptly in the day and drank vigorously all the way into the night. The drummer was a weighty consumer, and liquor addiction tormented him for quite a bit of his grown-up life.
John Bonham.
— Tea Horvat (@teahorvat01) March 18, 2023
Not long after the gathering’s evening practices finished, John passed out inebriated on the bed. The next evening, Drove Blimp visit directors Benji LeFevre and Jones thought that he is inert. John, age 3, was subsequently proclaimed dead.
Roughly 40 shots of vodka with a 40% liquor content were downed by John in 24 hours, as per the examination on October 27, 1980, following which he retched and stifled on a condition known as pneumonic yearning.
Per the posthumous report, no sporting medications were tracked down in John’s body. At his passing, John had as of late defeated his heroin habit and was on a unidentified enemy of nervousness and energizer drug.
On October 12, 1980, in Rushock Area Church in Worcestershire, John’s remaining parts were incinerated, and his remains were buried. Driven Blimp chose to separate as opposed to find a trade for John keeping in mind their late bandmate.
With the exception of a couple of noble cause shows, Drove Blimp has been consistent with their commitment subsequent to offering a concise expression expressing that it wouldn’t proceed as a band without its late drummer. Festivity Day, a live Disc from 2012, was created from the latest of these events: a show at London’s O2 arena in 2007. Despite the fact that John has left this world, his inheritance stays to move huge number of individuals.