John Bonham

Led Zeppelin

(b. 31 May 1947, Birmingham, England, d. 25 September 1980)

This pivotal quartet was formed in October 1968.  The four gelled immediately and having completed outstanding commitments under the name ‘New Yardbirds’, became Led Zeppelin following an off-the-cuff quip by the Who’s Keith Moon, who remarked when rating their prospects that they would probably go down like a lead zeppelin.  After releasing In Through The Out Door in 1979  two concerts at Britain’s Knebworth Festival were the prelude to a short  European tour on which the group unveiled a stripped-down act, inspired, in part, by the punk explosion. Rehearsals were then undertaken for another US tour, but in September 1980, Bonham was found dead following a lengthy drinking bout. On 4 December, Swan Song announced that the group had officially retired.   Link