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Jason Bonham Recalls Nasty Run-In Between His Father John and Sting

Jason Bonham, Led Zeppelin Experience (live)Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

One of the last things Jason Bonham, son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, remembers his dad saying to him was, "You're going to get into the drums again, aren't you?"

A teenager utterly obsessed with motocross racing and about to sign a professional contract, the younger Bonham had other plans for his future. It was only after his father's untimely death that he began to follow in his footsteps.

"I lost him when he was my idol, and he still is," Bonham, whose Led Zeppelin Experience band finished touring North America last month, tells Spinner.

Although deep into other hobbies in his adolescent years, Bonham had been playing the drums since he was young but wasn't too fond of music until a year or two before his father's passing. However, he still recalls times spent going to see his favourite bands of the time with his dad.

"He took me to see the Police when they had just done a second album, so they were still quite fresh. I thought Sting was the coolest thing in the world," Bonham recalls.

"He managed to get me backstage and he threatened to punch Sting. It was hilarious. Dad stepped on his foot and he [Sting] was very cocky back then. He was the new young frontman and had that punk kind of attitude. Dad was probably a dinosaur to him, even at 32. I remember him saying, 'Hey man, don't step on my blue suede shoes.' My dad said, 'I'll step on your f---ing head in a minute.'"

Bonham and his other musical project Black Country Communion released their self-titled debut LP last September, however this past tour playing Zeppelin songs alongside guitarist Tony Catania, bassist Michael Devin, keyboardist Stephen LeBlanc and vocalist James Dylan saw him, as he says, "playing better than I've ever played in my life."

Watch Jason Bonham Perform a Tribute to His Father John Bonham

No stranger to critics, Bonham says he's always reading music blogs looking for negative reviews or people knocking him for playing songs by his father's former band. To naysayers he offers this: "It's my lifeline to my dad."

Previously, he revealed 'Kashmir' is his favorite Zeppelin song to play, and says 'Physical Graffiti,' the 1975 album that features the track, is also his favorite Zep record.

"I just love the diversity of the songs," he says. "One after another, they're all fantastic. 'Presence' is also a close second for me because it's one of most underrated ones they did. 'Tea for One,' you put that on at full blast in a dark room, the solo that kicks in, you're transformed. I just got back into that again, and I was like, 'Wow!'"

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cmcclarty

One time George Harrison said a remark to Bonham at a party and he picked up George and tossed him into a swiming pool. Yes the man died from drinking but lived hard all the way to the end.

September 04 2011 at 8:13 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
John Farris

Wrong!!! He was an awful drunk, which is entirely different. There are alot of really nice people but you get the firewater in them and they become Mr. Hyde. Sorry, thats what the reality is. Now is that not to say he couldn't have handled his liquer better, no, for that it is easily a resounding yes he could have. There are countless statements out there by a huge sampling of people stating he was quite a shy reserved man of humble demeanor back at home and he was just Mr Bonham. His failing really more so was he got extremly homesick and couldn't handle the seperation very well which led him to the bottle, drugs and adopting a pizz poor attitude and involvment with Cole which was a terrible influence on him. Tell it like it is dude.

February 07 2011 at 9:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Geoff Leigh

John Bonham was one of the Biggest ASSHOLES in Rock...EVER. The more star power Zep got the worse he got. Having a talent does NOT mean that a person is nice or worth knowing. There were many times when John Bonham assaulted people for little or no reason other than he was wasted and did it for the fun of it. Although a good drummer he was an AWFUL person.

January 19 2011 at 9:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply