Legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham reshaped the landscape of rock and heavy metal with a drumming style that combined raw power with technical brilliance. Rising to prominence in the late 1960s alongside Led Zeppelin’s explosive debut, Bonham soon became known as a master of his craft.
Demonstrating Bonham’s impact, frontman Robert Plant once recounted a story where even guitar legend Jimi Hendrix was awed by Bonham’s prowess. “That drummer of yours has a right foot like a pair of castanets,” Hendrix reportedly marveled, acknowledging Bonham’s sheer skill.
Yet even as a drumming powerhouse, Bonham drew deeply from those who came before him. He frequently cited Gene Krupa as a major influence, and in 1998, Plant revealed another idol of Bonham’s – legendary funk drummer Bernard Purdie.
In an interview with Ray Gun, Plant said, “I’ll tell you who Bonzo loved. Bernard Purdie. Yeah, Pretty Purdie.” This admiration for Purdie is evident in Led Zeppelin’s 1979 hit, Fool in the Rain, where Bonham plays a variation of the famous “Purdie Shuffle,” infusing it with a bouncy, forward-driving rhythm.
The “Purdie Shuffle” is an iconic technique inspired by the way a locomotive pushes and pulls, featuring a blues shuffle with syncopated ghost notes on the snare. Purdie’s influence can be heard in hits like Steely Dan’s “Babylon Sisters” and “Home at Last.” Bonham’s unique adaptation added to his own distinctive style, which has gone on to inspire countless other musicians in songs such as The Police’s “Walking on the Moon” and Toto’s “Rosanna.”
Bonham’s connection to Purdie’s work may have started at a local drum shop owned by Mike Evans, where Bonham and Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward would visit. Evans frequently demonstrated Purdie’s techniques, and Ward recalled, “I think he turned everyone on to Bernard Purdie, whose hi-hat work was incomparable. Bonham would sit in and funk out… everyone seemed to be speaking that language.”
Though Bonham admired Purdie, his ultimate drumming hero was Gene Krupa, whom he once called “God.” Krupa, one of drumming’s original pioneers, continues to inspire musicians. Rush drummer Neil Peart once said, “Gene Krupa was the first rock drummer in very many ways. Without Gene Krupa, there wouldn’t have been a Keith Moon.”
John Bonham’s drumming legacy is both a testament to his influences and his transformative power in rock, inspiring generations of musicians and bringing new intensity to every beat.
