John Bonham (1948 – 1980)
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Years later, Jimmy Page would laugh at how the song “Good Times Bad Times” and its breathtaking use of bass drums confused listeners: “Everyone was sure that Bonzo used two bass drums while he was in actually only had one.”
This performance, so weighty, so lively, so virtuoso and so thoughtful, laid the foundation for Bonham’s refined career up until his untimely death in 1980.
“I’ve spent years, really years, listening to Bonham’s drumming all the time in my kid’s room, trying to match his swing, his behind-the-beat swagger, his speed or his power,” says Dave Grohl in an interview with the US edition of ROLLING STONE. “I didn’t just memorize what he did on each album. It was all about putting myself in the same position and following the same instinctive, rhythmic compass as he does.”
In one way or another, every rock drummer born after Bonham sooner or later tried to imitate him. A challenge that only helps the greatest to find their own individual groove.