Jason Bonham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jason Bonham
Bonham in 2021
Background information
Born	(1966-07-15) 15 July 1966 (age 59) Dudley, England
Origin	Liverpool, England
Died	Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day
Genres	Hard rock blues rock heavy metal glam metal
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter
Instruments	Drums vocals
Years active	1970 1980–present

Jason John Bonham (born on July 15, 1966) is a talented English drummer. He is the son of John Bonham, who was the famous drummer for the band Led Zeppelin. After his father passed away in 1980, Jason has played drums with the other members of Led Zeppelin many times. One of these special performances was at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in London in December 2007. Jason has also worked a lot as a drummer for many different artists and bands. He led his own band called Bonham in the 1980s and 90s. Today, he is also a member of the supergroup Black Country Communion.

Jason Bonham's Musical Journey

Starting Out as a Drummer

Jason Bonham started playing drums very early. He was only five years old when he could play skillfully. He even appeared with his father in the movie The Song Remains the Same, playing on a small drum kit. When he was 15, he joined his first band, Airrace. In 1985, he became part of Virginia Wolf. With them, he made two albums and toured the United States, opening for the band the Firm.

In 1988, Jason joined Jimmy Page, the guitarist from Led Zeppelin, for his album Outrider and its tour. In May of that same year, Jason played with the three living members of Led Zeppelin. This was at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in New York City.

In 1989, Jason was a special guest at the Moscow Music Peace Festival. He played the song "Rock and Roll" with many big rock stars. That same year, he started his own band, Bonham. Their first album, The Disregard of Timekeeping, was inspired by Led Zeppelin. It had a hit song called "Wait for You." The music video for their song "Guilty" was also played a lot. However, their 1992 album, Mad Hatter, was not as popular. After that, the band broke up, and Jason focused on playing drums for other artists and making guest appearances.

On April 28, 1990, Jason married Jan Charteris in Stone, Worcestershire. At their wedding party, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones joined Jason for a jam session. Jason and Jan have two children: a son named Jager and a daughter named Jaz, who was born in 1993.

Jason played drums for Paul Rodgers on the album Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters. This album was even nominated for a Grammy award. A year later, in 1994, he performed at Woodstock II with Slash and Paul Rodgers. Jason then brought his band back together with a new singer, Marti Frederiksen. They renamed the band Motherland and released the album Peace 4 Me later in 1994. Jason has always been very down-to-earth. He even played drums for local Led Zeppelin tribute bands like Fred Zeppelin and Led Zepagain.

In 1995, Jason and his sister Zoe represented their father when Led Zeppelin was honored and added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Jason soon started another solo project. This led to the album In the Name of My Father - The Zepset, which featured songs by Led Zeppelin. Money from this album went to charity. He followed this album with When You See the Sun.

After an album and tour with his aunt Debbie Bonham, Jason was asked to play drums for the hard rock band UFO. In 2006, he recorded music with Joe Bonamassa.

Jason Bonham also appeared in the 2001 movie Rock Star. In the movie, Jason played the drummer A.C. for a fictional band called Steel Dragon. Other musicians like Zakk Wylde and Myles Kennedy also appeared in the film. Jason also played on the movie's soundtrack.

Jason starred in the VH1 reality TV show, Supergroup, in May 2006. He was on the show with musicians like Ted Nugent and Scott Ian. The musicians formed a band called Damnocracy for the show. They lived in a mansion in Las Vegas for twelve days and created music. Jason also played drums live with Foreigner from 2004 to 2007 and again in 2007 and 2008.

In late 2009, Jason joined the supergroup Black Country Communion. This band included guitarist and singer Joe Bonamassa, singer and bassist Glenn Hughes, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian. He stayed with them until they took a break in March 2013. He rejoined the group when they got back together in 2016.

Jason Bonham performing live in 2010

Playing with Led Zeppelin Again

On May 14, 1988, the Atlantic Records company celebrated its 40th Anniversary. They held a concert that lasted almost 13 hours. A reunited Led Zeppelin, with Jason on drums, played the final songs of the event.

On April 28, 1990, Jason Bonham married Jan Charteris. Later, at their wedding party in Bewdley, England, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones joined Jason on stage. They played several songs for the wedding guests, including "Rock and Roll."

On September 12, 2007, it was announced that Jason Bonham would play drums for Led Zeppelin at a special reunion concert. This concert was held on December 10, 2007, at London's O₂ arena. It was a tribute to Ahmet Ertegun, a very important person in the music industry. Music critics said his performance was "flawless," meaning it was perfect.

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening

Jason Bonham performing at The Roxy, West Hollywood, California on October 11, 2009

In February 2009, Jason Bonham and James Dylan started working together. This project became Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening. It is a live show that honors his late father's band. In the fall of 2010, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening went on their first tour across North America. They continued to tour worldwide throughout 2011.

More recently, Jason played drums with sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson from the band Heart. Ann sang and Nancy played guitar. They were joined by other musicians, string and horn sections, and choirs. This included the Joyce Garrett Youth Choir. They performed "Stairway to Heaven" at the end of a Led Zeppelin tribute. This was at the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2012, hosted by Barack Obama. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones were there to watch. People said it was an amazing performance.

In the summer of 2013, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening teamed up with the band Heart. They went on "The Heartbreaker Tour" to celebrate the music of Led Zeppelin.

Later that year, Jason worked with Glenn Hughes again to form a new rock band. This band became California Breed, and they added guitarist Andrew Watt.

In 2014, Jason joined Sammy Hagar's supergroup Sammy Hagar and the Circle. This band played Led Zeppelin songs, along with songs from Sammy Hagar's other projects. These included Montrose, Van Halen, and Chickenfoot.

From early March to late May 2015, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening toured a lot in North America. On December 4, 2015, the band started their North American Winter Tour in San Jose, California. In early May 2016, they went on another tour for one month, playing 22 shows in North America. They also went on another tour across the United States, with shows continuing through November 2021. He also joined Kid Rock on his Bad Reputation Tour.

Jason Bonham's Drum Gear

Drums

Jason Bonham uses DW Drums. Before that, for many years, he played a Ludwig Vistalite drum kit. This kit was very similar to the one his father used.

Cymbals

Jason uses Paiste cymbals.

Drumsticks

Jason Bonham has his own special drumsticks made by Pro-Mark. These sticks are called the SD531W. They are made of American Maple wood and have acorn-shaped tips. The sticks are quite large, being about 16.75 inches (42.5 cm) long and 0.595 inches (1.51 cm) in diameter. The sticks also have the symbol that Jason's father, John Bonham, used. It's a design of three interlocking rings, printed next to Jason's signature on the stick.

Other Gear

Jason also uses Remo drum heads and DW drums and hardware. He uses DW 9000 Series Double Pedals for his drumming.

Discography

• Shaft of Light by Airrace (1984)
• Virginia Wolf by Virginia Wolf (1986)
• Push by Virginia Wolf (1987)
• Outrider by Jimmy Page (1988)
• The Disregard of Timekeeping by Bonham (1989)
• Mad Hatter by Bonham (1992)
• Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters by Paul Rodgers (1993)
• Peace for Me by Motherland (1994)
• In the Name of My Father: The Zepset by Jason Bonham Band (1997)
• When You See the Sun by The Jason Bonham Band (1997)
• Born Again Savage by Little Steven (1999)
• Rock Star: Music from the Motion Picture as Steel Dragon (2001)
• Enormosound by Healing Sixes (2002)
• 100% Live by The Quireboys (2002)
• You Are Here by U.F.O. (2004)
• Extended Versions by Foreigner (2005)
• You & Me by Joe Bonamassa (2006)
• No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner by Foreigner (2008)
• Can't Slow Down by Foreigner (2009)
• Live In London by The Quireboys (2009)
• Black Country Communion by Black Country Communion (2010)
• Black Country Communion 2 by Black Country Communion (2011)
• Celebration Day by Led Zeppelin (2012)
• Afterglow by Black Country Communion (2012)
• California Breed by California Breed (2014)
• At Your Service. by Sammy Hagar and the Circle (2015)
• BCCIV by Black Country Communion (2017)
• Space Between by Sammy Hagar and the Circle (2019)
• Crazy Times by Sammy Hagar and the Circle (2022)

See also

In Spanish: Jason Bonham para niños