Editing John Bonham (section)

==Early life==
John Henry Bonham was born on 31 May 1948, in [[Redditch]], Worcestershire, England, to Joan and Jack Bonham.{{sfn|Power|2016|p=165}} He began learning to play drums at age five, making a kit of containers and coffee tins, imitating his idols [[Max Roach]], [[Gene Krupa]] and [[Buddy Rich]]. His mother gave him a [[snare drum]] when he was 10. He received his first [[drum kit]], a [[Premier Percussion]] set, from his father at age 15. Bonham never took formal drum lessons, although he received advice from other Redditch drummers. While at school, between 1962 and 1963, Bonham joined the Blue Star Trio<ref>{{cite book|last=Welch|first=Chris|year=2001|title=John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums|page=19|isbn=0-87930-658-0|publisher=Backbeat|location=San Francisco, Calif.}}</ref> and Gerry Levene & the Avengers.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bonham|first=Mick|year=2005|title=John Bonham: The Powerhouse Behind Led Zeppelin|page=31|isbn=1-904915-11-6|publisher=Southbank Publ.|location=London}}</ref>

Bonham attended [[Tudor Grange Academy, Redditch|Lodge Farm Secondary Modern School]], where his headmaster wrote in his report that he would "either end up a [[waste collector|dustman]] or a millionaire."<ref name=d&c>Ian Fortnam, "Dazed & confused", ''[[Classic Rock Magazine]]: Classic Rock Presents Led Zeppelin'', 2008, p. 38.</ref><ref>Chris Welch and Geoff Nicholls (2001), ''John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums'', page 15.[https://books.google.com/books?id=PZvvSN6xHAMC Google books (limited extracts)] Retrieved 7 September 2008</ref> After leaving school in 1964, he worked for his father as an apprentice carpenter<ref>Chris Welch and Geoff Nicholls (2001), ''John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums'', p. 18.[https://books.google.com/books?id=PZvvSN6xHAMC Google books (limited extracts)] Retrieved 7 September 2008</ref> between drumming for local bands. In 1964, Bonham joined his first semi-professional band, Terry Webb and the Spiders, and met his future wife, Pat Phillips, around the same time. He played in other [[Birmingham]] bands such as [[Nicky James|The Nicky James Movement]] and The Senators, with whom he made a single, "She's a [[Mod (subculture)|Mod]]", in 1964, at [[Grosvenor Road Studios|Hollick and Taylor Studios]] in Birmingham.<ref name="BMA">{{cite web |title=Grosvenor Road Studios |url=https://www.birminghammusicarchive.com/grosvenor-road-studios/ |website=[[Birmingham Music Archive]] |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref> Bonham took up drumming full-time. Two years later, he joined A Way of Life. After the band's demise, Bonham joined a [[blues]] group called Crawling King Snakes, whose lead singer was [[Robert Plant]].{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=108}}

In 1967, Bonham agreed to return to A Way of Life while keeping in touch with Plant. Plant formed [[Band of Joy]] and chose Bonham as the drummer. The band recorded demos but no album. In 1968, American singer [[Tim Rose]] toured Britain and asked Band of Joy to open his concerts. When Rose returned months later, Bonham joined Rose's band.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=108}} Bonham may have played on the April 1968 recording of [[Donovan]]'s "[[Hurdy Gurdy Man]]" although this is disputed.{{Cn|date=April 2024}}