To be a rock and not to roll.

“John was the greatest drummer in the world. I knew this because he told me so.” -Robert Plant

“He used to hit hard and he was loud, but he was actually a very subtle drummer in a lot of ways. He never played the same thing twice and there was always a lot going on in his playing. There was light and shade, colour and groove.” -John Paul Jones

“Almost the moment he died, they put him in Playboy as one of the greatest drummers, which he was - there’s no doubt about it. There’s never been anybody since. He’s one of the greatest drummers that ever lived - John was the greatest rock drummer ever, as far as I’m concerned.” -Jimmy Page

“Bonzo was totally and absolutely devoted to getting it right. Everything that he listened to he could go beyond, not only could he recreate it but he could take it somewhere new. He knew that he was a powerhouse among drummers…we seemed to have a great affinity for each other.“

“When I started playing I was most impressed by those early soul records. I like the feel and the sound they achieved. I suppose I said to myself, I’ll get that sound too.”

“I don’t consider that I’m particularly influenced by anyone or anything. But when I started playing, I was influenced by early soul. It was just that feel, that sound.”

“I’ve always been obsessed with drums. They fascinate me. Any other instrument - nothing. I play acoustic guitar a bit. But it’s always been drums first and foremost. I don’t reckon on this Jack-of-all-trades thing. I thing that felling is a lot more important than technique. It’s all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who’s going to know you’ve done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It’s being original that counts.”

John Bonham (31st May, 1948 - 25th  September, 1980)

July 27, 1973