Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's mother dies

The mother of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham has died.

Joan Bonham, aged 81, had found fame herself in recent years as a lead vocalist with geriatric rockers The Zimmers.

Joan, who lived in Redditch, had been ill since Christmas. Her grandson is Dudley-born Jason Bonham, who followed his father into a successful drumming career.

Her daughter, Debbie Bonham, is a well-known singer, and grand-daughter, Zoe, is a singer-songwriter.

Redditch-born John Bonham, died in 1980, at the age of 32, at fellow Zeppelin star Jimmy Page's home in Windsor.

Kevyn Gammond, of MAS Records, based at Kidderminster College — who was a guitarist with the original Band of Joy, from which Led Zeppelin was formed — said: "She was a charming, charismatic lady, who provided a loving home to John in Redditch."

Mr Gammond added that he last saw her at Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant's birthday party at the star's home in Shatterford, near Kidderminster, in August, when she had looked "quite frail".

Joan, a widow, who used to run a newsagents in Hunt End Road, in Redditch, died on Wednesday.

Peter Noble, head of PR for Jason Bonham's band Black Country Communion, said: "We can confirm that Jason's grandmother has sadly died."

She was often seen at Led Zeppelin-related events, even in later life. In 2003 she attended the New York premiere of the Led Zeppelin DVD and was in the audience at the band's famous 2007 reunion show at London's O2 — when Jason Bonham took his father's place on the drums.

The Zimmers, a 40-piece band originally created by the BBC for a 2007 documentary on the conditions and feelings of elderly people, released its first full-length album, Lust for Life, in September 2008.

The band's songs included a cover of The Who anthem My Generation.

In 2009, accompanied by daughter Debbie, Joan accepted the Tommy Vance Inspiration Award at the Classic Rock Awards Ceremony in London.

Joan is credited with starting her famous son off on his musical career, when she bought him a snare drum at the age of 10.