THE SISTER of the late Zed Zeppelin star John Bonham is set to play a special gig in Redditch to help raise funds for a memorial in his honour.
Deborah Bonham will perform a one-off acoustic set at St Stephen’s Church on Saturday, August 2 in support of the John Bonham Memorial Fund. It will also form part of the three day Redditch Music Festival being held as part of the town’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
The fund was set-up over a year ago inspired by an idea by Sam and Clem Dallaway to recognise the achievements of the legendary drummer and Redditch as his birth place.
For Deborah it will be the first time she has played her home town and she said it would be a ‘spiritual’ occasion.
“It’s really exciting. When I was younger we used to walk from Hunt End to the church and my brother Michael was married there and John went there so it seems the perfect place,” she told the Standard.
“It will be different to what I normally do, it will be an acoustic set and we’ll be picking the more ballady songs. I’m really looking forward to it, it will be quite spiritual.
“I hope the people of Redditch turnout and support something that will be fantastic for John’s memory but also for the town as well. He was born and bred in Redditch and achieved an amazing amount in his short life so it would be lovely to have that honoured by the town.”
The fund-raising campaign will be officially relaunched tomorrow (Saturday) from 2pm on what would have been John’s 66th birthday, with performances by local musicians at Cafe Mambo near to the bandstand where it is hoped the memorial will be installed.
Organisers hope fans will donate and help them raise at least £50,000 to produce the memorial, which has still to be designed.
John Bonham is arguably Redditch’s most famous resident having been born, bred and educated in the town.
Tickets for the Deborah Bonham gig cost £10 in advance and will be available shortly at www.GoldenGiving.com/charity/john-bonham-memorial-fund where donations can be made. They will also be sold on the door at £12 subject to availability. Visit www.johnbonhammemorialfund.com for more information.
