This Day in Music
On September 25, 1980, Led Zeppelin’s hard-partying drummer, John Bonham, died at the age of 32. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time, Bonham was known for his epic velocity, power, and versatility as a percussionist. A founding member of Led Zeppelin, the self-taught drummer influenced countless artists, including Dave Grohl, Neil Peart, Tommy Lee, and Chad Smith. After Bonham’s death, Led Zeppelin chose to call it quits to honor their bandmate, rather than find a new drummer. In a press release, they explained, “We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend and the deep respect we have for his family, together with the sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were.”
In 1990, 21-year-old drummer Dave Grohl auditioned for Nirvana and was instantly given the job. Frontman Kurt Cobain first met the drummer when he was touring with the band Scream. In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, sound engineer Craig Montgomery recalled the moment. “Kurt said, ‘That’s the kind of drummer we need.’ Dave had an energy that was hard to miss…He seemed like a good fit for what they were doing.”
In 1964, The Temptations began recording their enduring soul hit, “My Girl,” at Motown’s “Hitsville USA” studios. Written and produced by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, the song became the Temptations’ first US No.1 single.
In 1982, Queen made their one and only appearance on Saturday Night Live, performing “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Under Pressure.” Famously, singer Freddie Mercury blew out his voice earlier in the day and barely recovered in time for the show.
In 1993, Nirvana scored their first No.1 album in the UK with In Utero. The band’s third and final album also topped the charts in the US.
In 2017, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed what would be their final show at the Hollywood Bowl. The concert, which concluded the band’s 40th-anniversary reunion tour, ended with “American Girl.” Petty passed away a week later at 66.
BORN ON SEPTEMBER 25
1930: Shel Silverstein (Poet, Songwriter)
1946: Bryan MacLean (Love)
1955: Zucchero
1968: Will Smith
1969: Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guitarist)
1980: T.I.
1983: Donald Glover (Childish Gambino)
