John “Bonzo” Bonham was the highly influential drummer for Led Zeppelin. Renowned for his power, speed and versatility, his influence still breaks genre boundaries. The Beastie Boys have sampled Led Zeppelin beats repeatedly, and hip-hop continues to draw upon his legacy. Bonham was brought aboard by pal Robert Plant as Jimmy Page was scouting drummers to flesh out Led Zep’s lineup. Bonham was known for using the longest and heftiest sticks available, which he jokingly dubbed his “trees”. His endurance was legendary. Intense live solos during “Moby Dick” generally spanned 30 minutes. Sadly, alcoholism plagued Bonham since his earliest days with the band. In late 1980 Bonham asphxiated on his own vomit while sleeping off a final binge. Led Zeppelin opted to disband rather than soldier on without him. Twenty-seven years later, Jason Bonham, John’s son, will tentatively assume percussion in place of his father in a reunion set for November 2007.

Official Led Zeppelin Website
Drummer World profile on John Bonham