Deborah Bonham

Deborah Bonham is a British rock singer from Redditch, United Kingdom, born in 1962. She is the younger sister of John and Michael Bonham, and grows up in Worcestershire.

Early life and first recordings

Bonham lives at The Old Hyde farm with her father, John Henry Bonham senior, known as Jack, in the cottage at the back of the farm, while John Bonham and his family live in the main house. She is five when John joins Led Zeppelin, and this early exposure leads her to want to write and perform. While living there, she and John’s son Jason start playing and recording their own songs.

At 17, she records her first demos at Robert Plant’s house in a nearby village. With encouragement and advice from Plant, she sends the songs out anonymously and soon signs her first record deal with Carrere Records.

Recording career

For Carrere, Bonham records For You and the Moon, an album that reaches the top 5 in the NME chart, is named Simon Bates record of the week on Radio 1, sells strongly in Europe, and is voted “Record of the Year” by Musik Mart in Germany. She then records for the Japanese Sam Corporation, with press and radio promotion including interviews for Burrn and J Wave Radio.

English label RPM Records later releases the single “Perfect World” in 1995. In 1996, Bonham puts together a new band, writes new songs for an album, and plays shows including headlining the Belfast Festival and a sold-out performance at the Bottom Line in Shepherd’s Bush, earning strong reviews.

Touring and live work

In 1997, Bonham makes two trips to the United States. She performs live on LA’s Rockline radio to an audience across North America and Canada, then appears with Jason Bonham and his band at the Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles. The success of that visit leads to further US dates opening for Jason Bonham Band shows at House of Blues venues in Los Angeles, Dallas Fort Worth, Houston, New York and Chicago, with guests including Slash and Terry Reid. Two more American tours follow.

Back in the UK and Europe, Bonham tours and performs with Van Halen, Alannah Myles, Tim Rose, Uli Jon Roth, Paul Weller, Humble Pie, Donovan, Lonnie Donegan, Jools Holland, Ann Peebles, Foreigner and Paul Rodgers. She also appears at festivals from Glastonbury to Donington, and twice at Fairport Convention’s Cropredy Festival.