Editing John Bonham (section)

== Career ==

===Led Zeppelin===
{{Main|Led Zeppelin}}
After the breakup of [[the Yardbirds]] in July 1968, guitarist [[Jimmy Page]] formed another band and recruited Plant, who in turn suggested Bonham.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=12}} Page's choices for drummer included [[Procol Harum]]'s [[B. J. Wilson]] and Paul Francis.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=87}} However, on seeing Bonham drum for [[Tim Rose]] at a club in [[Hampstead]], north London, in July 1968, Page and manager [[Peter Grant (music manager)|Peter Grant]] were convinced he was perfect for the project, first known as the New Yardbirds and later as Led Zeppelin.<ref name="Snow1990">Mat Snow, "Apocalypse Then", ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' magazine, December 1990, p. 76.</ref> Bonham was initially reluctant. Plant sent eight [[telegram]]s to Bonham's pub, the "Three Men in a Boat", in [[Walsall]], which were followed by 40 telegrams from Grant. Bonham was also receiving more lucrative offers from [[Joe Cocker]] and [[Chris Farlowe]] but he accepted Grant's offer. He recalled, "I decided I liked their music better than Cocker's or Farlowe's."<ref name="amgbio">{{cite web |url= {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4739|pure_url=yes}}|title= Led Zeppelin Biography| access-date=11 November 2008 |last= Erlewine|first= Stephen Thomas|website=AllMusic}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite magazine |last=Davis |first=Stephen |title=Power, Mystery and the Hammer of the Gods: The Rise and Fall of Led Zeppelin |magazine=Rolling Stone |issue=451 |date=4 July 1985 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/articles/story/17537975/power_mystery_and_the_hammer_of_the_gods |access-date=15 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080128165609/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/articles/story/17537975/power_mystery_and_the_hammer_of_the_gods |archive-date=28 January 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Zoso John Bonham sigil three intersecting circles.svg|thumb|Bonham's occult [[sigil]] of three intersecting circles, one of four for the band's members, appearing on the otherwise unmarked, unlabeled ''[[Led Zeppelin IV]]'' album.<ref>{{cite web | author = 
Huber, Chris | date = August 20, 2024 | title =  The Four Led Zeppelin Symbols, Explained | work = Extra Chill (extrachill.com) | url = https://extrachill.com/led-zeppelin-symbols-meaning | access-date = 15 April 2025}}</ref>|172x172px]]
During Led Zeppelin's [[Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1968/1969|first tour of the United States]] in December 1968, Bonham became friends with [[Vanilla Fudge]]'s drummer, [[Carmine Appice]]. Appice introduced him to [[Ludwig drums]], which he then used for the rest of his career.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=119}} His hard hitting was evident on many Led Zeppelin songs, including "Moby Dick" (''[[Led Zeppelin II]]''), "[[Immigrant Song]]" (''[[Led Zeppelin III]]''), "[[When the Levee Breaks]]" (''[[Led Zeppelin IV]]''), "[[Kashmir (song)|Kashmir]]" (''[[Physical Graffiti]]''), "[[The Ocean (Led Zeppelin song)|The Ocean]]" (''[[Houses of the Holy]]''), and "[[Achilles Last Stand]]" (''[[Presence (album)|Presence]]''). Page let Bonham use a double bass drum in an early demo of "[[Communication Breakdown]]" but scratched the track because of Bonham's "over-use" of it. The studio recording of "[[Misty Mountain Hop]]" captures his [[Dynamics (music)|dynamics]], similarly exhibited on "[[No Quarter (song)|No Quarter]]".{{sfn|Lewis|1990|pp=52,54}} On cuts from later albums, Bonham handled [[funk]] and [[Latin American music|Latin]]-influenced drumming. Songs like "[[Royal Orleans]]" and "[[Fool in the Rain]]" are examples, respectively displaying a New Orleans shuffle and a half-time shuffle.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|pp=58,60}}

His drum solo, first entitled "Pat's Delight", later "[[Moby Dick (instrumental)|Moby Dick]]", often lasted 20 minutes. In some sections, he used his bare hands on his drums to imitate the sound of a phased hand drum.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=49}} Bonham's sequence for the film ''[[The Song Remains the Same (film)|The Song Remains the Same]]'' featured him in a drag race at [[Santa Pod Raceway]] to the sound of his solo, "Moby Dick".{{sfn|Lewis|1990|pp=58–59}} In Led Zeppelin tours after 1969, Bonham included [[conga]]s, orchestral [[timpani]] and a symphonic [[gong]].{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=49}}

===Other projects===
In 1969, Bonham appeared on [[The Family Dogg]]'s ''[[A Way of Life (The Family Dogg album)|A Way of Life]]'', with Page and Led Zeppelin bassist [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]]. Bonham also played for [[Screaming Lord Sutch]] on ''[[Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends]]'' in 1970. He played on [[Lulu (singer)|Lulu]]'s 1971 single "[[Everybody Clap (Lulu song)|Everybody Clap]]", written by [[Maurice Gibb]] and Billy Lawrie. In 1972, he played on a Maurice Gibb-produced album by [[Jimmy Stevens (musician)|Jimmy Stevens]] called ''[[Don't Freak Me Out]]'' in the UK and ''Paid My Dues'' in the US, credited as "Gemini" (his star sign). He drummed for his [[Birmingham]] friend, [[Roy Wood]], on "Keep Your Hands on the Wheel", a single subsequently released on his 1979 album, ''On the Road Again'', and on [[Wings (band)|Wings]]' album ''[[Back to the Egg]]'' on the tracks "[[Rockestra Theme]]" and "So Glad to See You Here". He was also featured on Paul McCartney & Wings' "Beware My Love" demo version first recorded in 1975; it remained unreleased until 2014 with the release of the album ''[[Wings at the Speed of Sound]]'' boxset. Bonham was the [[Wedding ceremony participants#Best man|best man]] of [[Black Sabbath]]'s [[Tony Iommi]] at his wedding ceremony.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classicbands.com/GeezerButlerInterview.html |title=The Geezer Butler Interview |publisher=Classicbands.com |access-date=6 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125151656/http://www.classicbands.com/GeezerButlerInterview.html |archive-date=25 November 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1974, Bonham appeared in the film ''[[Son of Dracula (1974 film)|Son of Dracula]]'', playing drums in Count Downe's ([[Harry Nilsson]]) band. Bonham appeared in a drum line-up including [[Keith Moon]] and [[Ringo Starr]] on the soundtrack album.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ringo-starr-son-of-dracula/ |title=40 Years Ago: Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson Release 'Son of Dracula' |date=April 2014 |publisher=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=8 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908124625/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ringo-starr-son-of-dracula/ |archive-date=8 September 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>