Tribute to John Bonham

These comments originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

The 30 days affectionately known among some Led Zeppelin aficionados as "Zeptember" certainly have ups and downs that are unparalleled in any other month.

Zeptember sees the beginning of a legacy of live Zeppelin shows, which we marked earlier this month with the 37th anniversary of Page-Plant-Jones-Bonham's first concert together.

Sadly, this month also sees the beginning of the end. In Led Zeppelin's history, the end is unmistakably denoted by the passing of one of its members, without whom the others just could never go on as they were.

"He was an ex-bricklayer who weighed about 250 pounds and was six-foot-three," producer Eddie Kramer said of John "Bonzo" Bonham, who died 25 years ago tomorrow.

RIP John Henry Bonham
May 31, 1948 - Sept. 25, 1980

On a much happier note, the Bonham drumming legacy still lives on today through that aforementioned son, Jason Bonham. Now 39, he's currently playing for a great lineup of the rock group Foreigner. Their current U.S. tour packed houses this summer and will continue to do so through November. Each show even pays tribute to John Bonham with the group covering a Led Zeppelin song.

A thrilling live video of Foreigner's "Juke Box Hero" from this tour is available at the group's official Web site, www.foreigneronline.com, in the Gallery section. They impressively ease into a portion of "Whole Lotta Love," and bald-headed Jason Bonham commands on the drums through the very end.

It will be a pleasure to see them perform live in Baltimore next weekend.

When the Levee Breaks: Tribute to New Orleans

These comments originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
And the water gonna come in, have no place to stay

Well all last night I sat on the levee and moan
Well all last night I sat on the levee and moan
Thinkin' 'bout my baby and my happy home

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
And all these people have no place to stay

These lyrics are as meaningful today as they were over 75 years ago when they were first recorded in 1929. The song "When the Levee Breaks" was performed on record by the husband-and-wife team of "Kansas" Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie, recalling the great Mississippi River flood of 1927. The couple's dueling guitars was said to mimic the sound of the water.

When Led Zeppelin adapted the song for its fourth album, a new riff was provided by John Paul Jones on bass and the swirling slide guitar of Jimmy Page. These elements were complemented by Robert Plant's psychedelic, drowning harmonica and a mesmerizing drum beat from John Bonham that was made sonically perfect by experimenting with the positioning of microphones around his drum kit.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina this past week saw great devastation after a system of levees broke in New Orleans, La., flooding much of the city, forcefully evicting much of its population, and ultimately rendering much of its housing stock uninhabitable. We may have witnessed the destruction of a city long fabled for its unmistakable culture. It was a location the members of Led Zeppelin always looked forward to visiting.

Whether taking in some zydeco or jazz at a local club or some Cajun-flavored seafood at a down-home restaurant, Led Zeppelin history is rich with stories of the band indulging in all New Orleans had to offer. Members even rented out a house in the French Quarter during the 1973 tour for an extended stay there. It was at the Royal Orleans hotel where John Paul Jones hobnobbed with a local transsexual and friend of the band, a story that was famously exaggerated in the Presence track "Royal Orleans."

The local music scene especially captivated Robert Plant. At a party thrown by Atlantic Records to acknowledge Led Zeppelin's success, Plant in turn honored many of the New Orleans musicians who had been hired to perform that night, including Ernie K. Doe, Professor Longhair, Frankie Ford, The Meters, Snooks Eaglin and Allen Toussaint. Plant has often said it was a shame such artists weren't recognized on a national basis.

Now, the plight of this city has become internationally known. To find out what you can do to aid the relief effort, visit www.redcross.org or call toll-free: 1-800-HELP-NOW.