Deborah Bonham

The Bonham family tree is firmly rooted in musical tradition. First was John Bonham, the esteemed drummer for Led Zeppelin, who was followed by his son Jason, a skilled skinsman in his own right, who performed with Zeppelin at their much-hailed O2 show. Add to that list Deborah Bonham - sister of John, aunt of Jason. Born in Worcestershire, Deborah was only five when John joined Led Zeppelin, and this powerful introduction sparked in her the overwhelming desire to write and perform.

 

Seen earlier this year as Special Guest of Nazareth on their UK Tour and alongside Ozzy Osbourne at RipFest in Czech Republic (returning for shows in January 2011), Deborah and the band are currently preparing tracks for her new album. In September, Deborah was invited to perform at 'The Groove Remains The Same' event in Los Angeles, to celebrate the life and work of her brother, John. Deborah stunned the audience - which included a Whos-Who of rocks greatest drummers - with her emotional performance of Zeppelin's 'Since I’ve Been Loving You'. In the UK and Europe, Deborah has toured and performed with Van Halen, Alannah Myles, Tim Rose, Uli Jon Roth, Paul
Weller, Humble Pie, Donovan, Lonnie Donegan, Jools Holland, Ann Peebles, Foreigner, Dan McCafferty and Paul Rodgers. She’s played festivals from Glastonbury to Donington, and twice at Fairport Convention's Cropredy Festival. Her debut album sold 50,000 copies in Germany and reviewers were certainly impressed with her follow-up, ‘The Old Hyde’ - ‘Classic Rock’ leading the compliments: “…the album has balls…a classy set of bluesy hard rock”. Country Music Round-Up simply called ‘The Old Hyde’ “quite superb”. The influential All Music Guide judged that it was “…one of the best blues-rock albums of the early 21st century…not a bummer in sight” Her latest album, ‘Duchess’ (Rhino) stands as her finest work to date. She rips through 13 original compositions backed by her forceful working band – bassist Ian Rowley, keyboardist Gerard Louis, guitarist Peter Bullick. Each song showcases her soulful singing and effortless sensitive approach, from blues, country, soul, to hard rock & English folk.
Reviews of ‘Duchess’ have been glowing, Blues Matters! describing Deborah as “a blues mama par excellence” and Blues Revue in the USA, listed her as one of the New Women of Blues.