Drummer Jason Bonham Talks About Joining LED ZEPPELIN
April 18, 2008, 16 years ago
Jason Bonham recently talked to Rolling Stone’s David Fricke to discuss how he prepared for the LED ZEPPELIN reunion show and how he’s dealt with the legacy of his legendary father John. Here's an excerpt from the story:
Jason Bonham knew he had graduated from being a replacement for Led Zeppelin's original drummer, his late father John Bonham, to full partnership with guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones in Zeppelin's 2007 reunion when, in rehearsals, Jones stopped greeting him with a mere 'Hey, Jason.' "He would put his hand on my shoulder, squeeze my neck and go, 'How's my drummer today?'" Jason, 41, says happily. "That was a wonderful transition."
For Jason, who was fourteen when his father died in 1980, Zeppelin's historic comeback show at London's O2 arena on December 10th — and the fresh, focused power Jason brought to iconic thunder such as 'Black Dog' and 'Kashmir' - was a chance to show off what he learned in drum lessons from his dad in the Seventies. "He said, 'Don't run before you can walk,'" Jason recalls. "'If you can groove, that's your main thing. If you can make that exciting, then the rest comes.'"
Read more here.
'Kashmir' live:
