John Bonham's Death Inspired Jason To Pursue Drumming

Michael Angulia | 05-31-2023

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AXS TV highlight a conversation that Jason Bonham had with Sammy Hagar on the former Van Halen frontman's Rock and Roll Road Trip, where Bonham explains that his wanting to make his father proud in the wake of the Led Zeppelin legend's tragic death, inspired Jason to pursue drumming.

The network shared: Jason Bonham didn't always strive to be a professional percussionist. But after the death of his father, Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, he knew he wanted to steer his life toward drumming.

"I was a very successful Motocross junior rider and sponsored and raced dirt bikes, I was very, very good at that," Jason said in a conversation with Sammy Hagar. "Until my dad passed and it was two years after my father passed, I said, 'You know what, I want to make him proud.'"

Jason tapped into that early encouragement and tutelage given by his father and became one of the most renowned percussionists of his time, even playing with Led Zeppelin themselves on a few occasions.

"To get a chance to look at those guys, it was a highly emotional thing, because all I wanted to do was make those guys smile," Jason said. "Because to me, a smile from them was as if I was getting it from my dad."

You can watch Jason Bonham's full conversation with Sammy Hagar on Rock & Roll Road Trip, available now on the AXS TV website here., mobile app and the AXS TV app on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and other streaming platforms.