Why Ritchie Blackmore Felt Bad For John Bonham

[@patbrennan6572]

My dad once told me that if you can't control the alcohol the alcohol will have no problem controlling you.

[@juliuscaesar5001]

Your dad is a wise man, alcohol is like a prison guard, takes you out to feel happy for couple of hours and then comes back to put you in prison for the whole day, an alcoholic is actually a slave, without help from friends and family it's nearly impossible to be free again

[@philrizzo]

It was a happy day 2.5 years ago when I left it behind. It's a shame I waited as long as I did to do it.

[@elvislegg8634]

@@philrizzo Just be glad that you did mate and all power to you for doing it. I quit 17 years ago and have never looked back. It's by far the best decision I ever made in my life.

[@thedude3423]

Yep. First the man takes the drink, then the drink takes the man... Seven years for me. Best thing I EVER did. Like a completely new life...😊👍💯

[@shawnc318]

Not to mention how it destroys your health

[@sonictooth]

Bonham had nearly a 3-year break from touring. Zeppelin didn't tour for nearly 3 years after the US tour in July 1977. They played a couple of warm up shows and Knebworth in August 1979 and then nearly a year later had a small European tour in June 1980.

[@ou8126]

I saw them in Germany 1980, when Bohnam stepped behind the drums I first thought it Was one of the roadies, he looked overweight and alot older than he was. Also page was fumbling with his guitar, when his roadie went over to help him page pushed Him away and the roadie walked away giving page the middle finger. You could tell They didn’t have that energy they use too. It was sad.

[@WilliamHerlihy-p4g]

The bootlegs bear you out. Bonzo's drumming was rote and mechanical the whole European tour. His heart just wasn't in it. Sad last performances.

[@julianalexander9141]

@@WilliamHerlihy-p4g Yeah, there were some bad shows on the 80 tour. But there's a few good ones as well. Even at their worst, they were still great. Still had their magical moments.

[@evetsnitram8866]

I saw Deep Purple in the Fall of '74 and Zep in the Spring of '75. Didn't even spend $20 for both shows.

[@slimhanson5792]

Ritchie was spot on.

[@NathanBauman-zj6ip]

Except Hendrix didn't write Hey Joe.

[@reddwood4971]

@@NathanBauman-zj6iphe wrote the riff though that was alleged plagiarism the video addressed. Jimis Hey Joe vs Zeps Whole Lotta Love… not saying I agree with them but that was the point they do sound similar

[@josephfalco3141]

@@reddwood4971 its a riff as common as dirt

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

He was an alcoholic. It would have ruined him even if he never left home again.

[@dhala54]

Bonham didn't start to drink until he started to tour.

[@PlayerToBeNamedLater1973]

I seriously doubt that. At home he had plenty to occupy his time. 2 young kids and a farm. It's boredom and idle time that causes the substance abuse to escalate. I was self destructive from the time I was 17 til my first child was born when I was 31. I was as much an alcoholic as any person ever was. Took drugs , chased women , etc. When I had kids , I had something else to do and had no need to alleviate boredom , which is very often the main catalyst for substance abuse.

[@Stublinsky]

@@dhala54 So you knew him personally, and associated with him in his personal stomping grounds ? LOL !!!!!!

[@davidhaladay6783]

​@@Stublinsky Did You?

[@valentino3191]

You are absolutely right. Addicts and alcoholics progressively get worse regardless of circumstances. Blaming the touring or workload is just an excuse for chronic alcoholism. It is a personal choice to drink or not drink.

[@mountzod]

If you look at pictures of Bonham from 68 or 69 and then look at pictures of him in 79 and 80, the guy aged 20 years in a decade; he was definitely living hard and living fast.

[@joealomar-cu3qb]

Bonzo wasn't over worked they'd just had two months off after a brief European tour, those guys were chomping at the bit to get back on the road in the States having not toured for three years.

[@TimMikol]

I don’t think anything mentioned would have stopped him from drinking. Alcoholism is much stronger, than remedies mentioned. He needed specific help for his drinking. And the number one thing would be, he had to want to stop!

[@chaznaps5679]

He ENJOYED being a drunk. He had fun doing it. I did it for a few years but the "lost nights" and making stupid decisions while under the influence of Mr. Daniels made me stop completely over 20 years ago.

[@dhala54]

@@chaznaps5679 So you knew Bonham personally? You can't compare yourself to him.

[@DAGDRUM53]

I don't believe Bonham was overworked at all. After the MSG shows that comprise the Song Remains The Same film in July 1973 the Zep only played 104 concerts in the next seven years, three of those stopped prematurely between the 20 to 40 minute mark.

[@gavinpaterson1853]

And In 74 there was press, Recording of Physical Graffiti Tour rehearsals for the 75 tour which took them to Belgium To the States Then Back to England Then BackTo the States then More press Little Brreak the on to sessions for the Presence album

[@ou8126]

When Robert plants son died, plant wanted to quit,Robert said it was bonham That lured him back in!

[@Mick_Ts_Chick]

​@@ou8126 It was sad that Bonzo was the only one to come see Robert after his son died. 😢 It's the worst thing to happen to someone and I'm glad Bonzo was there for him!

[@HofiAgilAghov]

Its not a waste. Bonham was among greatest drummers in music history and history is happy for the contribution he made during his short lifetime. His music will live on forever and thats whats important. The repertoire Zeppelin put in in12 years of work is massive. We are all thankful for that as being one of the most important cornerstones in RockN'Roll.

[@warren4110]

Not a waste!? He was 32 years old when he died; there’s no telling what he may have gone on to achieve! I’m not even a big fan of LZ but, when you are that talented and die needlessly at 32, that’s the definition of a waste!!

[@cabininthewoods7326]

Why did Peter grant have to buy a lambo for the band members? They couldn't afford to themselves? Grant was just another thieving manager.

[@chaznaps5679]

Your personal opinion. Zeppelin sucked and was THE worst concert band in rock history.

[@Stublinsky]

LOL !!!!!

[@johnknott6539]

@@chaznaps5679Methinks thou tellest a joke

[@fredericklockard3854]

I’ll never understand how people can drink so much. It doesn’t feel good after a while. You feel like crap the next day.

[@papalaz4444244]

that's why they don't STOP. They keep it going. :/

[@ricopedrajrs]

You've gotta get over the hump

[@mickeygallo6586]

You wale up and feel bad because you drank too much a few hours earlier, so you start drinking again to feel better until you pass out and wake up a few hours later feeling bad so you start drinking again etc etc... etc

[@mumbles215]

I used to bounce for a while and I’d see the same cats come in night after night getting smashed only to be back again fresh the next day for more. I have no idea how they did it. I partied my ass of for decades but never could I go back to back and sometimes the hangover woudl last four days if the marching powder was good lol

[@fredericklockard3854]

@@mumbles215 I know what you mean. As I’ve gotten older my ability to drink has declined. And I’m happy for that. It’s my bodies way of telling me to quit when I should. I like a nice buzz but I hate getting drunk any more.

[@patrickmichels7888]

Would love to hear their conversations. Wish Ritchie would talk more about this

[@mariozammit7065]

There’s a lot of info in your comments that can give more clarity on timelines/people and things like and learned a little about what John endured without much notice (from anyone outside his immediate fam) Thanks for making, well done!

[@nicksmart5469]

I’ve heard this story before that all he wanted to do was be back in Worcestershire. His roots and a place he loved so much and the peace of the farm

[@marknieuweboer8099]

Why would Blackmore and Bonham being friends be unlikely? They had quite a few things in common.

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

Deep Purple toured a lot in the 70’s too. Ritchie got hepetatis on a tour, which couldn’t even give them their a break. They decided to continue with a replacement guitarist. It finally ended with Gillan resigning and Glover being replaced.

[@nisselarson3227]

@@kasperkjrsgaard1447 If he got hepatitis C (presumambly from injections) it wouldn't be a problem. IT's a virus, it's only if the virus gets active, you get the actual disease and you turn yellow and all that, THEN you can't play. But just having the virus in the blood makes absolutely no difference to a person.

[@mrxmrp8795]

They use to hangout at the rainbow bar and grill on sunset

[@MBRMrblueroads]

really Ritchie would love to have had John on drums

[@ryansammers7818]

But they really were Bonham used to love rainbow's Man on the silver mountain But he called it Love on the silver mountain They had a lot of drinks at Rainbow bar and grill in La Them plus Keith Moon So they knew each other pretty well

[@jimred5700]

John Bonham was the epitome of the "Jekyll & Hide " drinker: Sober, he was someone you`d go out of your way to spend time with. When drunk he was the LAST person you`d want to be anywhere near.

[@joeMW284]

When fame negates the joy of being a musician depression usually follows. It's a serious existential crisis that can end badly.

[@thetruthhurts6652]

Blackmore, however crazy he might have been he always was discipline with his career. I remember reading an article in the early 80s about Cozy Powell being irresponsible and always driving his cars to fast and recklessly. He ended up dying in a car.

[@Michael-Philip]

I wonder if Peter Grant was a greedy manager. Touring was brutal back in the 70s Grant should have thought about the health of the band. All the members

[@theguitarmusicchannel]

I don’t think he was greedy. Remember it was a band effort, all the members of Zeppelin had to go on tour. But the band definitely needed a break. Releasing albums every other year, tour after tour, the band had to be exhausted.

[@richardbosworth6635]

@@theguitarmusicchannelThey didn’t tour anymore than any of the bands of the day toured. That was the gig. Record then tour. John Bonham probably just wasn’t cut out for that lifestyle.

[@rockerjim8045]

Other bands do 2/3 year World tours. Sadly John Bonham touring got in the way of his alcoholism. 40 shots of Vodka for Breakfast is a suicide mission

[@marknieuweboer8099]

Almost all managers were greedy in those years, meaning that they overworked their artists. Members of Deep Purple Mark II were hospitalized.

[@HardRockMaster7577]

Time Off from touring for John Bonham: July 1977 - August 1979 August 1979 - June 1980 August 1980 -

[@IusedtohaveausernameIliked]

The sad truth is that alcoholics die whether they are overworked or underworked. Sometimes taking a break from the music actually makes it worse. There is no formula other than to stop drinking before it kills you. Easier said than done of course.

[@BoltMedia1]

The combination of success, fame and fortune was not all it was cracked up to be. These guys worked CONSTANTLY for years, there were no days off. The pressure they were under was outrageous. They had to be everything to everyone, every time they were asked. It’s amazing people like Richie made it out to tell the tale. Like him or not (I love him) he knows what he’s talking about

[@georgehorner1578]

It's like Joe Esposito, Elvis Presley's close friend and tour manager said when they asked him about trying to save Elvis from the drugs, he replied, how to you protect somebody from themself.

[@KAZSANable]

GOAT +GOAT ❤

[@johnwright291]

I have heard several times that it is suspected that the way Bonham was put to bed had him laying in a position that restricted his breathing. And this is kind of personal to me because my brother who died sleeping on the floor of my apartment, I believe because of the way he was laying died in the same manner.

[@rossdennis5694]

Benje le Fevre actually took great care to position him to reduce the chance of what happened, but he moved during his sleep. (I've read 15 biographies of the band and most of all available interviews).

[@mumbles215]

Someone almost died in my house sleeping on their back being dead drunk. I saw this and kept an eye on him. Sure enough he did throw up lying on his back but was alert enough to turn his head to the left. He was gurgling a few minutes beifre he threw up. I told my brother, look this is how people die. Sure enough within minute he threw up. I didn’t take my eyes off of him. Not on my watch. I was sober. Well had weed on/in me lol

[@johnwright291]

@@mumbles215 i have massive guilt because in the past when my brother visited I would make a bed with an extra mattress i have on the floor. I didn't do it this time and he was laying on the bare floor. I have always thought that just maybe if i had made the bed he wouldn't have left us. Now i have to live with it. Its been 15 years.

[@danc3693]

An alcoholic can find all sorts of reasons to drink. If the band took more breaks, traveled less, he was still an alcoholic nonetheless. He needed treatment for the root cause of his alcoholism. Sad story.

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

Ritchie did drink too much while touring with Purple. It’s very obvious on the very final tours, where he’s not looking well. Bloated and not very pleased.

[@michaelkarlsson5966]

in 1975 or in 1993? Yes, Ritchie is drinker no doubt but he left Deep Purple both times because he didn't want to keep on playing in the band and instead do other things that he liked/likes. He didn't quite because he drank too much.

[@mumbles215]

Maybe it was conjuring demons that made Him unwell. At least that’s what dio said it did to him.

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

@@michaelkarlsson5966 In 1990 after Joe Lynn Turner were forced out and Ian Gillan were back in the ring. It so much against Ritchies wish, that his days in the band obviously were numbered. It’s so very clear on the “Come Hell or High Water” video, were he enters the stage a couple of minutes after the others have started and looking mean as ever. Throving water bottles after a camera guy and such. A sad sight and obviously a person who really isn’t pleased with what he’s doing.

[@ATRTAP]

Poor rich alcoholic rockstar, I feel so bad for these guys.

[@Frip36]

No one likes you.

[@KookieMonster-d8n]

Yeah,rich,pretty unlikely.

[@timothydraper3687]

...and I feel sorry for you, for your lack of a capacity for empathy, the envy and jealousy which cause it.

[@traceya9615]

​@@timothydraper3687👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@TheFlual22]

I think the problem was that they stopped touring for 2 years if I remember correctly. I think that Bonham sobered up at home in these years but hitting the road again he started where he left off. His system wasn't used to these amounts of alcohol anymore. I am a musician myself (not that active anymore) and I know how hard life becomes on the road for some. You are in a constant state of waiting. For me it was a couple of beers ( around 5 max an evening) which kept you in good spirits but I've seen people that got full blow alcoholics which can't exist without booze.

[@theguitarmusicchannel]

So sad what happened to Bonzo. He would still be here with us if he got the help he needed.

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

Short answer to the question at the end. No. Keep in mind that Zeppelin didn’t tour between 1975 to 1977. Then, after Robert’s son’s death in July of 1977….Zeppelin didn’t tour until after the Knebworth concerts in summer of 1979. That’s almost four years within which Zeppelin did one big tour to the US. So, it wasn’t because of heavy touring. It was that he was a raging alcoholic who desperately needed the support of his wife and family to keep him from going into deep depression. And he was looking at a big US tour coming up in October of 1980. But Robert had already insisted, as a condition for him staying in the band, that their tours needed to be shorter. Even if he had left Zeppelin, he would have had to beat that monkey on his back.

[@peterrex8191]

Alcohol is a massive depressant….it also creates anxiety…for even moderate drinkers and for days even after you’ve stopped drinking , back then and even now the only thing people knew was AA..and young rockers weren’t going to be doing that..sad but true.

[@joelombrdo]

Same thing happened with Gillan. They were overworked.

[@bluedeskfan2754]

Not that surprising they’d be mates. Got a huge amount in common

[@wlines]

My understanding was he was nervous and preoccupied with returning to the US after the hassles and assault charges at the end of the 77 tour. I also heard that he was taking medication for Heroin addiction that did not go well with alcohol

[@peterwhitehouse561]

I read a comment from Bill Ward as he remembered "Johnie" from the pub days having his drum stool surrounded by empty pint glasses.

[@susanstanleyhammond5699]

So it boils down to him choosing having a Lamborghini over being with his family more. Zero sympathy.

[@dan-ws2sf]

I’d take this video with a grain of salt. Remember, whoever made this video and narrated it, didn’t actually show or hear Blackmore say anything. Choosing a Lambo or the road over his family is just a story as far as I’m concerned. This guy is probably just making shit up. I’d wait to hear Blackmore actually say something or better yet, Bonham’s wife or son Jason, to confirm any truth to this. As far as his drinking? Shit yeah, it’s well documented that John was a heavy drinker and it probably got worse on the road away from his family 😢

[@Frip36]

I bet you say "zero sympathy" a lot. And chew Skoal. Which is weird for a woman.

[@susanstanleyhammond5699]

@@Frip36 You seem to have zero sympathy for my struggle with Skoal addiction.

[@Frip36]

@@susanstanleyhammond5699 A woman spitting Skoal is a mighty ugly sight. Sorry. Work on your habit.

[@bryancollins6796]

If John would have had a friend (like Ritchie) who would have pulled Jimmy and Robert aside and told them what John told him, perhaps. But he also needed professional help.

[@mkeuphoria]

Jimmy was too messed up himself at the time. But yeah, somebody should’ve stepped in.

[@christopherharmon2433]

@@mkeuphoria After 'Presence', heroin got its hooks into page. He got so messed up, that he turned over the producer desk to Jones, which always surprised me as LZ was 'his band', that should tell you how far he'd gotten.

[@mkeuphoria]

@@christopherharmon2433 Yup, and why Page wasn’t as involved in the songwriting for “In Through The Out Door”, which was mostly Jones/Plant.

[@christopherharmon2433]

@mkeuphoria I It seemed like LZ had become two camps by then. Two sober members (Plant and Jones), and a drunk (Bonzo) and a junkie (Page).

[@mumbles215]

Jimmy was also into the occult and as such exposed himself. Kenneth anger said he out the curse of king Midas on Jimmy for not delivering the soundtrack to “Lucifer rising” and for being “greedy” in his home (not offering food) (Kenneth’s words). I do Belive if you are into the occult ad Jimmy was, it does expose you and other witches or warlocks CAN put spells on you. Wether Anger did put the spell on him or not Jimmy output went to nil basically by the end of LZ and continued throughout his “solo career”. The spell was the opposite of whatever king Midas touches turns to gold. Whatever Jimmy touches turns to shit and frankly it did. The firm had some okay numbers but that’s it.

[@MRCATL3]

I'm a borderline alcoholic these days. Covid just isolated me. Loneliness is powerful for some people

[@gitaaa7740]

I was a huge Blackmore fan growing up. He always seemed pissed off all the time though. 😂

[@BanalayerPete1972]

Blackmore and Bonham had one possibly significant experience in common - trouble with the police overseas in 1977. JB was involved in that infamous fracas in Oakland in the summer, just before Robert Plant's tragedy. By all accounts, Bonzo was dreading his own return to America, where he had been arrested. He may also have had a sense of guilt over the sheer bloodiness of that event, with one guard taking a pasting from four large (huge in Grant's case) men. RB was arrested after a fight with a bouncer at a Rainbow show in Vienna (18/10/'77), and spent two days in jail. The bouncer had friends on the police, and Blackmore was given a hard time in custody. He was also fined £5,000, even though he'd acted in defence of a girl. Colin Hart (Rainbow/Purple tour-manager) says that Blackmore refused to return to play in Vienna until 1985 and Purple's reunion. (And Gillan was the next DP musician to brawl with security at Vienna Stadthalle!) You can imagine these musicians on the road, swapping stories about overseas traumas and arrests. I think John Bonham was an habitual heavy drinker (not the same thing as an alcoholic - I used to binge-drink in nightclubbing days, but have an average of one drink per week now) and "Misadventure" was a fair autopsy verdict.

[@jeffgross9336]

Good Point ! For all we know this could have been a PR stunt for Blackmore! Very Insightful! I think RB had a reputation for being the meanest rockstar (and I don't mean that as a compliment)

[@Blade247]

I agree that the band should have taken whatever time off was needed and just concentrate on making albums. Why couldn't he have taken his family with him on tour ? There was no need to record in other countries either.

[@theguitarmusicchannel]

Problem is Bonham had young kids and it’s difficult moving your family around when touring. It’s very sad because it sounded like John enjoyed being in Zeppelin but just needed a break. A break that he unfortunately never got.

[@Blade247]

@@theguitarmusicchannel you are correct, in fact John Paul Jones actually quit after the 73 tour because of the hectic schedule. However I know he had his family with him on the 77 tour. Or at least he had them with him on the last time they played in America. In Oakland.. yes I know useless things like this from reading about them. I should read my Bible more.

[@theguitarmusicchannel]

@@Blade247Yes, touring with family can be very difficult. Props to JPJ, for bringing his family on tour with him. For a full-time musician it’s difficult to be away from family for months at a time.

[@richardbosworth6635]

@@Blade247 The reason that the English bands at that time recorded in other countries was the 95 per cent tax rate of income over 500,000 pounds. If they recorded overseas income from album sales were not subject to the 95 per cent rate. Financially that’s a pretty good reason.

[@vincentlussier8264]

Well it's impossible to answer the questions related to Bonhams death because speaking for myself I wasn't there and only those close to the band would have a better idea of what happened. But we do know that rock'n'roll is a hectic busy life with many pressures, little sleep, lots of boozing and partying and dope. In the air to a different city every night, interviews , public appearances, autograph sessions and all of this catches up after so many years of fame ! Rock'n'roll is hard work!

[@DSM9]

Not sure Bonzo was overworked. Zep had released one studio album in four years - In Through The Our Door - and played just 18 shows in total since the abandoned USA tour three years earlier.

[@Eden639]

I think Ritchie Blackmore is right, the stress of touring, the overwork, and doing what you really don’t want to do takes a toll. Drinking was just a way to keep going against his own best judgement and putting the band before himself. The same thing happened to Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, he was totally burned out and overworked.

[@Allan-et5ig]

I like Ritchie and I know many don't. I don't know either John or Rich, obviously. I believe that Bonham was overworked and tried of touring the states for sure. But so what? You can't have your cake and eat it too. His alcoholism was there regardless of Zeppelin. The true story related by Jason of going to France on holiday and John, Ringo, and Peter Sellers getting briefly locked up by the local cops for alcohol inspired antics. Jason said, even when "off the road" John had issues with alcohol. 40 treble shots of vodka is more than a frustration with touring. Truly said story from any angle.

[@theguitarmusicchannel]

Yeah it’s truly tragic. The poor guy needed help. It’s a shame he never got it. He should still be here with us.

[@a.y.7738]

It could be due to Kenneth Anger’s curse he had placed on Zeppelin (out of jealousy and Jimmy Page not finishing his guitar work on “Lucifer’s Rising”) which shortly afterwards everything began to crumble. Each band member suffered loss, except JPJ, as Bonham continued to drink himself into oblivion.

[@mightya]

They were about to tour the USA in 1980 when he died. I lost my chance to see them 😢

[@marklansaw]

i think ritchie is spot on

[@LeiPintado-vr5kf]

I'm a recovering alcoholic. The amount that John was drinking, you could say that he was an alcoholic. To stop drinking, it could be the hardest thing to do for an alcoholic. In order to have saved John the drinking problem would have to have resolved first. I recall that when I used to drink that I could be sloppy drunk and on the verge of passing out but I wanted to drunk more and more.

[@dmlevitt]

the insults from both of them were true and justified.

[@johnnikos7817]

It's nice of Ritchie to speak up like that, and it's always easy to look back and say should've, would've, could've. Paul Rodgers quit Bad Co for that reason. Said basically, 'we're all living that life...that could have been any of us.' Similar stories about Lynnrd Skynnrd in those days. The record companies made these young men their slaves. And gave them all enough poison so they were addicted.

[@piscesman54]

People resort to all kinds of excuses for drinking. At the end of the day, it's an addiction. Yes, Bonzo was afraid of flying, he missed home, etc. But once you get hooked, the circumstances don't matter any more. You become a slave to your addiction, be it booze, drugs, gambling. It's a frame of mind that's very hard to break out of, not only because you're psychologically impaired, but also because even your body craves for it.

[@mutleymutley7474]

Different era, different times. Musicians back then were not cared for by management, the record companies, promoters, etc. They were used until they dropped. That's how we ended up with the death of Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Keith Moon and others. Today musicians are treated a little better, but still, if a musician wants to do all the bad vices, there's rehab, therapy, etc., and if that doesn't work, then we have a repeat of another dead musician.

[@MrAschiff]

It's nice to hear a rock star say he missed being with his family. How sad it was that he was sad.

[@rdevlinf]

Bonham wanted the money, and to be a little home town band at the same time. You just can't have both.

[@hansmagnusmalcolmsen9354]

Why wouldn't we expect them to be friends? Why unlikely? - "One of the sweetest men he ever knew".

[@jonw.3886]

From my experience, you need to set up boundaries. Bonham could have chosen more healthy ways to deal with the stress of touring. Rather than going for that next drink, he could have chosen to walk around the stadium a few times to get some exercise. But he couldn't say no to that drink so he had weak boundaries or even none at all. It's a shame because he of course was one of the greatest rock drummers around and may have become involved in other music projects outside of Zep. What if Bonham joined Blackmore for a few Rainbow albums? Wouldn't that have been something?

[@scottprather5645]

There's a lot of complicated factors at play in this situation but no doubt the stress of being a famous rock band and having to perform night after night contributed to the propensity towards addiction

[@JohnDoe-pq8yw]

It's NEVER ONLY one thing.

[@philovance1940]

It was the classic tale. A manager never knew how long the magic would last for the band/ artist. It was go go go all the time. Strike while the iron is hot. Make hay while the sun shines and all that . Tour, Tour, Tour. Play everywhere. Grossman did it with Dylan. It happened to Jimi Hendrix. The Beatles. I remember hearing exclaim in a drug- addled interview while touring in Europe, ‘ I just wanna go home’.

[@warren4110]

@@philovance1940 , Black Sabbath wrote “ Killing Yourself to Live” about the constant touring to the point of exhaustion and illness!

[@mumbles215]

Eddie Van Halen almost left Europe on their first tour cause he wanted to go home. He was a home body. Almost a nervous breakdown. Then of course there is Brian Wilson who did have a nervous breakdown Ona. Flight to Australia. He just wanted to go home and make music in his room. He also had voices telling him evil things. Crazy. Poor fella. He needed Jesus and his band mates where into TM

[@Frip36]

You sound like you know the deal. You've no idea. Zeppelin didn't tour heavily in the later years. Broken leg and death of child saw to that.

[@LEDZEP769]

Having it all obviously needs an escape route that to many rockstars chose to follow. Alcoholism has no boundaries.

[@brucegreisman5352]

I think he missed his family and did not want to tour that much which probably led to that tragedy I miss you John the greatest rock drummer to me of all time the backseat behind the success of zeppelin

[@ronaldsmith2965]

I dont believe they toured too much. They took off in 1974, 1976 and 1978, so that doesnt hold water. He had a drinking problem. Missing home is not fun when you have children and i respect that, but he clearly had some issues that he medicated incorrectly. This made things worse. I personally would have the same issue leaving home and without professional help to cope, he was exposed to drugs and lots of alcohol. Having said that, it was the 70s. Recognizing his issues and seeking help would have been very difficult. We think of rock stardom as a glorified profession, but its work. Hard work. He shouldnt have been so careless with his life for his wife, parents and kids. Would he have gotten support from the band and management if he had a meeting to express his concerns and found a compromise? I really dont know, but he should have tried. He was an alcoholic and that doesnt make him a bad person. He just needed to say, im getting help for myself and familys best interest. Ill stay in the band, but some things have to change. I dont want to end up like Keith, Jimi, etc. Its easy to say this when i wasnt in his shoes, but its sad we lost him and it could have been prevented.

[@zenica12]

100% true. Compared to Deep Purple, LZ did not tour that much

[@DrTomoculus]

@@zenica12 Absolutely true. Led Zeppelin's heavy touring years were those first two. They never seemed off the road. After 1973, and John Paul Jones wanting to quit the band because of that kind of touring schedule, they never toured like that again. But once Led Zeppelin II kind of established them, their touring schedule drops pretty significantly in comparison to Deep Purple. Where LZ were doing like 80 gigs a year, DP were doing over 130+.

[@zenica12]

@@DrTomoculus you are quite right. Lz did their heavy lifting in first two years. DP to this day did close to 3000 concerts. Insane!

[@nerenahd]

Other issues were going on. Many people have confirmed that JB felt he wasn´t playing well by the end of the 70s (he was older, a bit overweight, and didn´t practice as much as in the early days) and he naturally held himself up to incredibly high standards and his "self-perceived" decrease of excellence made him sad and depressed. He thought he was letting the other 03 down. So, he drank more. And the more he drank, the worse he played. The worse he played, the more depressed he became. A vicious cycle. Obviously, he was an alcoholic, but many factors sadly came together to lead to his death.

[@FuturePast2019]

It was hard for any marriage... Or musician.

[@gab99]

Regarding his "belligerance" when drunk, Ian Anderson of Tull described Bonham as being a dangerous man to be around and best avoided.

[@r.uthere.6201]

Kind of odd that Bonzo was so against touring with Led Zeppelin one in fact, in 1978 he would write a limo to Robert Plant‘s house after Robert Plant lost his son during the 1977 tour telling him let’s do this. Let’s get back together and join the band. I really think the problem was that John had a mild schizophrenia problem when he was drinking, and his attitude would change and he would become the beast

[@mrgrogfather]

That's Rock n Roll !!!!!

[@scottrembert5226]

It totally agree with Ritchie

[@mike_money69]

i’m sure the pressure led to a deepening depression with the alcohol and heroin use ultimately killing him in the end. sad. he is the best drummer ever

[@risingstar7161]

I think often in the 70s these bands were worked to death by managers etc ( 2 albums a year and tours )and their release was alcohol and / or drugs. If, like anyone else, they had an addictive personality it would take hold and in some cases ruin them

[@ManuelFernandez-h2x]

🫵🏻🤣 but when you are wasted and going to these concerts, you don’t care everything sounds perfect

[@shootfirst2097]

Being a rock star... being a family man... Choose ONE

[@papalaz4444244]

ADHD. The need for constant stimulation. It's often fatal.

[@VINNYMAC.-tj4be]

nah mate just an alki.

[@dailyflash]

Keith Moon, too.

[@jimmyraidjames]

Shame they didn't have ' facetime ' back then

[@theguitarmusicchannel]

Can you imagine Blackmore and Bonham on FaceTime? 🤣🤣

[@rossdennis5694]

Richard Cole who picked him up should have pushed on to the rehearsal like he was supposed to do instead of letting him stop off for triple screwdrivers. But then again, of John it could truly be said, "it's nobody's fault but mine". As JPJ said it was such a waste (to die like that). A true tragedy of the greatest magnitude.

[@joealomar-cu3qb]

cole never picked Bonzo up, it was Rex King, cole had been fired earlier that year, and if Bonzo wanted to stop they'd stop, who was the Boss and who was the employee

[@thedrumdoctor]

Richard Cole was in prison in Italy, locked up on false terrorism charges and withdrawing from heroin. From what I remember reading Robert Plant's account of their final car journey to the last rehearsal, Bonham got into a real downer mood saying stuff about every other drummer being better than him now, then ripping of the sun visor in anger and telling Plant, "you can play the drums and I'll sing instead". He was in a bad way by the sounds of things.

[@danielgerald4551]

That’s crazy! The band had a song called exactly nobody’s fault but mine!!

[@rossdennis5694]

@danielgerald4551 I know, that was intended, great you picked up on it 👍

[@danielgerald4551]

@@rossdennis5694 hey, no need to be a smart-aleck about it.

[@ManuelFernandez-h2x]

🫵🏻😎🎶 I am a musician drummer don’t get me wrong. I did party back in the 70s and 80s and 90s, but I drew a line. My guitar player was a alcoholic always slowing down the temple piss me off.🤦🏻‍♂️

[@noleftturn5964]

If every touring musician doesn't end up an alcoholic, then no, it wasn't the band's touring schedule that was the problem.

[@Bret-]

A new Lamborghini? I would think that Bonham could afford to buy his own expensive sports cars.

[@John-k6f9k]

I know. When your fans are such mentally retarded sheep that they'll but any old shit from you, you should be able to buy a nice car!

[@christopherharmon2433]

The new expensive toy was Grant's way of getting him to tour again. 'If you go back out on the road, you will have the money to buy this.'

[@theguitarmusicchannel]

He had the money to buy it, but Grant would just buy him another car to add to his collection to coax Bonzo to do another tour.

[@edriley2703]

Bonzo was doing 30 minute drum solo versions of Moby Dick EVERY night on the 1977 tour, plus drumming hard on most of the regular set of songs. Three hours of drum insanity. The guy was burnt out by his own admission.

[@Srode1999]

Whole Lotta Love from Hey Joe? Have you actually listened to either song? Whole Lotta Love ripped off a song Willie Dixon wrote for Muddy Waters, but Zep copped the Small Faces version with Plant copying Steve Marriott's vocal.

[@dickcnormous4202]

Zeppelin was better than anyone you mentioned and their so called stealing is what every band did.

[@mariozammit7065]

Good to know! i had assumed it was originally a Small Faces song. How fricken cool is that. Yet another example of the amazing origins in seemingly specific cultures!

[@winteriscoming1008]

I never noticed this, but I think he means the cool 5 note lick Hendrix does during Hey Joe. He does it each time the chords are about to repeat and naturally he tweaks it as the song evolves. But if you slow it down and take out the swing, it's the basic riff to Whole Lotta Love.

[@joelombrdo]

Yes, but Zep took it to another level in my opinion. They were taken to court and settled as far as some songs on their first album

[@fondoman3884]

.. Ritchie don't do drugs as he hated the effects it had on him .. to be less alert while on drugs .. when he was young he said he noticed some kids like to 'pretend', how they started to smoke just to look cool .. said he hated it so he didn't smoke 😊 .. imagine .. all those times when my friends and I thought that the Deep Purples were all smoking weed due to the song 'Smoke On the Water' 😂😂😂😂

[@LizardKing513]

You can tour all the time and be good to your family without alcohol. The touring doesn’t make you drink. The truth is alcoholism is a disease and Bonham could not control it. He needed to admit he had a problem and tell his bandmates he needs to stop touring to get his life back together. They would have continued without him and he would eventually reunite after he grows in his sobriety. There are a lot of musicians who were a mess and then got sober, both famous and not so famous ones. Just a shame these masters die like this. We all lose out.

[@chicagojeff]

Ritchie is of course 100% correct. The machinery demands the performers perform. Some of em love it. .but i can imagine quite a few like Bonzo hated it.

[@aakar88]

CM Kushins Beast is a great Bonzo biography, highly recommended

[@ManuelFernandez-h2x]

🫵🏻😎🎵 Richie Blackmore was a perfectionist just like Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath-they all party too much but there’s always that one guy that says knock it off or we’re going to kick you out. That’s what they did to Ozzy 😮-Jimmy page was a big-time drunk plate sloppy in concert

[@KookieMonster-d8n]

Bonham looks pretty kewl,he's got the right attitude.

[@darrelldoran509]

Yep , sometimes rock stars get wasted .

[@DylanRoth1860]

This may help to explain why Zeppelin never toured again. In order to actualize the force of nature which presents itself to us as this amazing band, the man who made it possible (Bonham), the man I would argue is the most important member of the group, was killed as a result of that simultaneously creative and destructive process. In other words, the music (or the process of making it) killed the man most responsible for its brilliance. Perhaps they did not want to recreate a force (powerful and brilliant though it was) which resulted in the death of its progenitor, as if an aura of death surrounded that music henceforward. If the man who made it possible was killed as a result of creating it, the music would not only remind them of their dead friend, but would dishonor his tragic sacrifice for the fellow band members and the fans.

[@medicman5278]

They where in rehearsals for their upcoming American leg of the "In through the out Door" tour. Something he was dreading.

[@GTX1123]

No question his excessive drinking was linked to the stress he was under from constant touring. Would he have drank excessivley otherwise being back at home? Maybe not but there just isn't anyway we will ever know. You don't know until you know when it comes to alcoholism. Tragically, he didn't live long enough to find out.

[@chrismoller4272]

The problem with Bonham was that he was an ALCHOLIC. Jesus iI loved his playing but don't make excuses. He never thought about getting help.

[@clausm2203]

From what i have read in different books life on the road its pretty hard yes its fun to play and all that but the travel and different hotel rooms never being home gets to you after a while

[@brianm9517]

Its not all fun and games. Its a real job and a grind. You don't get to their level on talent alone, its a lot of work.

[@mumbles215]

I’ve been on th road as a sound man and it suck. Bus. Hotel. Venue at 3P for laid in and set up. Then soundcheck. Then eat. Then show. Then breakdown. Repeat. You really do forget what town you are in. Now as the artist it’s better. They only have to show for soundcheck and the bigger artists don’t even do that. They pay someone to really Make sure their shit is on point. They get up at noon. See the city. Have a nice lunch. Them an art gallery. Then dinner. Then to the venue. Perform for two hours and leave venue to after party. Mischief better for the artist. They actually can enjoy the city they are in. The rest of us work our asses off. But the artist is why we are all there.

[@davebollman3523]

Completely agree w Ritchie

[@seranatus]

A break? Between Aug 1977 to the 14-date Europe mini-tour in summer of 1980 he played 2 live shows (Knebworth).

[@leedove4031]

Yes to all.

[@davodrums]

Too drunk to conversate? 🤔 Maybe if he was sober, he would converse instead. 😄

[@lostagain6518]

So professor drumbo to use conversate in place of conversation is unassepticable. The septic tank of zee brain at times clogs wit de insanitintea of interdisciplinary stool blockage, butt how can that be ? Intergalactic huh ? The final frontier.

[@johnhickman2033]

I have some hi-tops

[@NoSugarThanks]

Hey man,now you've really gone too far,but it's ok

[@dqqb3762]

Converse?

[@johnhickman2033]

@@dqqb3762 Yes

[@timothyslaughter476]

Yeah when i hear zeppelin i always think about if Bonham would have lived. I like to think he would have gotten the help and gotten sober. Many alcoholics absolutely cannot do it without help. Usually some intervention by family and freinds too. He was an introvert who used alcohol to be an extrovert. Its a story as old as alcohol itself. Rip Bonzo. I think if you loved yourself as much as people love you, you'd be around.

[@precbsfender]

Management had to bribe John to get him to tour, even though they knew he was sick with alcoholism.. how terrible..

[@Stafford-d8u]

John Bonham‘s death was a complete tragedy. Rest in peace

[@DonLeist]

Bonham was sad Zeppelin was no longer doing small time live gigs and was now a stadium band,he coped with this plus other disappointments with the band by drinking.

[@Charles-s9u]

Some folks are just born with a taste for the booze myself included still nobody's fault but mine this is not a criticism love

[@theguitarmusicchannel]

I see what you did there with “Nobody’s fault but mine.” 🤣