Led Zeppelin: John Bonham’s Favorite Hobby Made Someone Mistake Him for a Farmer

Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s larger-than-life drum sound mirrored his larger-than-life Bonzo persona. At least when he toured with the band. He once spent $85,000 in cash on a car while on tour just to embarrass the salesperson. Yet a Bonham hobby while at home proved to be a major passion. A case of mistaken identity by the girlfriend of Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman proved it.

John Bonham’s hobby raising cattle and bulls led to a case of mistaken identity

Bonham earned his Bonzo nickname before he joined Led Zeppelin. The drummer lived up to it while on the road with the band. He often dealt with the boredom of life on the road and the adrenaline of playing sold-out concerts with alcohol. And when Bonham overserved himself, mischief often ensued. 

That wild side stood in stark contrast to Bonham’s most domestic side. Led Zeppelin’s drummer lived a normal home life when not on the road. One of Bonham’s hobbies — breeding cattle and bulls — was as much a passion as playing drums or snooker. 

Bonham’s passion led to a case of mistaken identity. Led Zeppelin tour manager Richard Cole said the girlfriend of Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman mistook Bonham for a farmer as he bragged about his cattle on a flight (per Beast author C.M. Kushins).

“John [was] beaming with pride like a father talking about his children. On the plane, he was wearing overalls and a wide-brimmed hat that any farmer could have put to use as a daytime shield from the sun. Wyman’s girlfriend leaned across [and asked], ‘Why did you guys bring that farmer with you? Does he work on one of the boys’ estates?’”

Bonham took pride in his hobbies away from drumming

Bonham didn’t know his hobby led to Wyman’s girlfriend thinking he was a farmer. He might not have taken it as a badge of honor if she had. The drummer took pride in his non-drumming endeavors.

When he bought the farm where he raised his bulls and cattle, the one-time carpenter picked up a hammer and helped make renovations. Bonham loved spending time with his car collection, which extended far beyond the Rolls Royce he paid cash for. He loved spending time with his family and teaching his son, Jason, how to play drums. 

As Kushins writes in Beast, Bonham hired a professional breeder to help raise his cattle, but the drummer wasn’t a spectator. He was an enthusiastic participant in his hobby.

“For a guy who made his living banging away at drum skins, I was amazed at the affection Bonzo showed for the cattle,” Cole said (per Kushins). “‘It’s different from playing music, of course,’ he told me, ‘but I feel some of the same sense of accomplishment with what I’ve done with these bulls.'”

The drummer didn’t hear Wyman’s girlfriend make the farmer comment, but he probably wouldn’t have cared if he did. Bonham took his hobby seriously, and he was proud of what he accomplished with his bulls and cattle.

Led Zeppelin’s drummer possessed a sentimental side people rarely saw

Though he could be destructive, mischievous, violent, and impulsive, Bonham also possessed a more sentimental side.

Led Zeppelin toured Australia and New Zealand just once in their career. After the Auckland concert ended, Bonham’s aunt Dorothy, who left England when he was a child, found her nephew waiting for her backstage, writes Kushins. Bonham gifted his aunt the gold record he received for Led Zeppelin I sales in Australia in a thoughtful example of his soft side. 

There’s no doubt the Bonzo side of her persona shined through with the wild behavior on Led Zeppelin tours. But John Bonham’s hobby proved that the Bonzo facade hid a deeply passionate and caring individual. 

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