35 years ago today (12/4/80), Led Zeppelin officially called it quits approximately two months after the tragic death of drummer John Bonham, Le
The group had been preparing to commence a tour in the fall of 1980 when Bonham passed away. After a day of heavy drinking, he had gone to bed and died via asphyxiation from his own vomit. The death was ruled accidental. The surviving members decided that it was not right to continue by bringing someone else in to play drums.
In a statement, the band explained their decision:
“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 deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were.”
Listen to the band play “Rock and Roll” from their last show ever on 7/7/80.
