It was in December 1980, when one of the most important rock groups of the moment, and which over time was also one of the most important in the history of the genre, which currently cannot be understood without its influence, Led Zeppelinofficially announced their separation.
An announcement that was made briefly and clearly: “We cannot continue as before. » Without press conferences, or farewell speeches, or massive events, with a loud note, they ended the band, which could not overcome the death of its drummer John Bonham.
The last years of Led Zeppelin before the tragedy
London 1968. Birth of Led Zeppelin, considered one of the most influential groups of the 70s and the history of rock, formed by the guitarist Jimmy Pagethe singer Robert Plante, bassist and keyboardist Jean-Paul Jones and the drummer John Bonham.
Each of them had a fundamental role in the group, but the main part seemed to be contained in John Bonhamwho became the soul of the group and whose death will bring about the end of the group, which is considered the first to take rock to a monumental level, and who did not hesitate to experiment with other genres such as Celtic folk, blues or even oriental rhythms.
Since the release of his first album in 1969, Led Zeppelin It was the writing of a trajectory of success that led them to become one of the leading rock groups in the late 70s, when excesses and tragedies plagued the various members, as happened during what was the last concert in the United States in July 1977. Robert Plante must have received the bitter news that her son Karac five years had died of a stomach infection, a difficult period during which his great support in the group was John Bonham.
And it would be precisely the sad outcome of the drummer which would trigger the end of Led Zeppelin 45 years ago. He died in September 1980, just a few months before the group completed its European tour with a final concert with great fanfare in Berlin, on July 7 at Eissporthalle from the time Federal Republic of Germanywhich has the honor of being the last city where the original band’s music was heard.
However, previously they had faced problems, such as having to cancel their concert in the German city of Nuremberg due to Bohham’s illness and only being able to perform three songs. In Berlin, they were able to continue and finished with a 17-minute version of “Whole Lotta Love.”
The death of John Bonham and the end of Led Zeppelin
The next stop on the tour was supposed to be the United States, but this never happened due to the death of John Bonham on September 25, 1980, at the age of 32, at his Windsor mansion, due to asphyxiation after accidentally swallowing his own vomit after drinking vodka all day. This put an end to Led Zeppelin, which could not be understood without its drummer, who supported many songs with his special and unique style.
Names were thrown around for his replacement, but none of the band members figured it out without Bonham, and with a note saying “We cannot continue as we were”, they announced on December 4, 1980 that Led Zeppelin was calling it quits. The death was a trigger, because the group already had problems with internal tensions, burnout and addictions.
In 1982, the album “Coda” was released with excerpts from previous works to fulfill the recording contract, but the group did not continue beyond December 1980. The three remaining members pursued their solo careers in different ways and with different projects, and they would not be seen together playing music again until a concert in 2007 at the O2 Arena in Londonin which the late Bonham’s son Jason played drummer in tribute to his father.
About The Author
