John Bonham | Alcohol Poisoning Death

Drummer John Bonham (sometimes nicknamed Bonzo) from the rock band Led Zeppelin died from alcohol poisoning in September 1980 at 32 years old. 

Considered one of the greatest drummers of rock and roll, John Bonham taught himself many musical skills and is well-known for his impact as a famous rock star.

The Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham was born in Worcestershire, England to the parents of Joan and Jack Bonham on May 31, 1948. He had a younger sister, Zoe Bonham who was a singer-songwriter. 

At a young age, Bonham began playing the drums, which would lead to his immense talent later in life as a classic rock drummer.

Before joining Led Zeppelin, Bonham played roles in several local bands, many unknown at the time. He began to be a drummer full-time, eventually participating in the band Crawling King Snakes, whose lead singer was Robert Plant.

After bouncing from band to band, and with the breakup of The Yardbirds, Bonham finally landed Led Zeppelin with bassist John Paul Jones, guitarist Jimmy Page, and singer Robert Plant. 

Led Zeppelin’s manager Peter Grant worked hard to reach out to Bonham and secure his place within the band as the drummer. The band Led Zeppelin broke records previously held by The Beatles and their name was actually founded by Keith Moon of the British band The Who.

Popular Led Zeppelin Track List

Some of the popular tracks by Led Zeppelin include:

• “Kashmir”
• “Stairway to Heaven”
• “Whole Lotta Love”
• “Moby Dick” (featuring Bonham’s famous drum solo)
• “Ramble On”
• “In the Evening”
• “Misty Mountain Hop”

Bonham’s cause of death was ruled an accidental death. He was found at his bandmate Jimmy Page’s house located in Windsor by tour manager Benji LeFevre and bassist John Paul Jones.

The Berkshire, England coroner’s court ruled that Bonham’s death was caused by choking on his own vomit. However, the inquest into his death also showed the equivalent of 40 vodka shots in his system. No other drugs were found in his system.

Led Zeppelin was set to perform a North American tour only a month after Bonham’s death. The U.S. tour never took place and the band broke up shortly after.

John Bonham was laid to rest at Rushock Parish Church. In 1985, the surviving band members of Led Zeppelin performed at Live Aid. Taking Bonham’s place as drummer were Tony Thompson and Phil Collins.

Years after Bonham’s death, his son, Jason Bonham became a drummer and played onstage in London with the remaining bandmates in 2007 as a tribute concert for Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records who died a year before the event.

The day of his death, Bonham was taken to the studio to record in preparation for Led Zeppelin’s upcoming U.S. tour. On the way to rehearsals, he drank the equivalent of 16 shots when he and his assistant stopped for breakfast.

In addition to this, he continued heavy drinking throughout the rest of the day. Once rehearsals ended, Bonham was taken to Page’s home.

When Bonham fell asleep, he was taken to the bed and placed on his side. Sadly, he was found unresponsive the next day.

While alcohol abuse played a part in the last days of his life, Bonham also struggled with drugs before his death. In fact, he also participated in heroin use.

Before his death, Bonham was recently prescribed medications to help treat his anxiety and depression since he had stopped using heroin. This proves Bonham, at one time, recognized his drug abuse and reached out for help.

In 2016, Rolling Stone named John Bonham the greatest drummer of all time. While his musical legacy continues, it’s important to acknowledge his death and raise awareness of substance use and how easily an accidental overdose death can occur, even when only alcohol is involved.

John Bonham is a tragic example of the inherent dangers of alcohol abuse. While alcohol claims the lives of thousands of Americans each year, recovery is possible with the help of caring professionals and an ongoing support system.

To learn how we address alcohol use disorder in both inpatient and outpatient settings, please contact us today.