The Art of Russell Pierce

John Bonham

Like myself, Bonham was initially inspired to play the drums after seeing Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa. Let’s face it, he took rock drumming to a whole other level. Bonham was known for his hard hitting yet precise style and his heavy and fast foot on the bass drum. I still can’t replicate some of the things he did with that one foot even when I used a double bass in my teens. Bonham, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones formed Led Zeppelin in 1968. Their albums and subsequent tours were a huge success and the band came to be known for their legendary debauchery on the road. Bonham attended rehearsals for an upcoming tour of America and Canada on September 24, 1980. He started drinking vodka first thing in the morning and by the end of the day it was estimated he had consumed over 40 shots. Unfortunately he fell asleep and was put to bed where he vomited and choked to death.