A BLUE plaque has been officially unveiled marking the birthplace of famous Redditch son John Bonham.

The famed Led Zeppelin drummer was born at 84 Birchfield Road in 1948 and on Thursday, thanks to BBC Music Day, his house was chosen for the honour after he topped a poll run through BBC Hereford & Worcester.

As fans, campaigners and stars like former Move and ELO drummer Bev Bevan gathered outside the Headless Cross property, John’s sister Deborah Bonham pulled back the curtain to reveal the plaque.

“I was absolutely delighted and honoured to be asked to perform this ceremony,” she said.

“John always stayed in Worcestershire and it is an amazing honour that he has been recognised in this way. I am sure wherever he is he is raising a glass to this with mum and dad to say thank you.”

Bev Bevan added: “John and myself were really close friends particularly in the late Seventies and we had some wonderful times together. He was mad keen on cars and would seem to change them every month or so.

“We’d go to his house and there would be two drum kits, one for him and one for me, and a mini kit for his son Jason, who was only about five at the time.

“But to see him recognised like this is wonderful and the plaque looks great.”

The campaign to top the poll was co-ordinated by Ros Sidaway of local record shop Vintage Trax.

She said: “A midwife lived at the house, Mrs Violet Jones, and in those pre-NHS babies were either born at home or in hospital if you could afford it, but there were also midwives who you could go to.”

John’s was a difficult birth, he was big baby and at one stage his heart stopped beating and Mrs Jones is credited with saving the life of both mum and baby John.

The house is now owned by Eddie Lyons and his partner Charis, and he admits when he bought it in 2010 he had no idea of its connection to the man recognised by many as the greatest rock drummer of all time.

“The house was in a bit of a state and I was looking to do it up. I was clearing out the shed and I found two plaques about a midwife being there. I found out from Ros who had checked John’s birth certificate, that this was in fact the house where John Bonham was born. It’s fantastic, and really, it’s rock n roll.”

Next step

THE unveiling of the blue plaque is the latest step in the campaign by fans to get John Bonham recognised by the town he grew up in.

They now hope that room can be found for a statue to the Led Zeppelin drummer who died in 1980 aged 32.

The money is in place and a design conceived it is just a question of the location, with campaigners keeping their fingers crossed for a spot on Church Green in the town centre, which the council has designated a conservation area.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this, and the plaque is step one,” said Ros Sidaway of vinyl record shop Vintage Trax.

“Church Green is the perfect spot for a memorial. We feel it would help revitalise that part of town and with the way the heritage music tour business has taken off, could drive more tourists to visit Redditch.

“The potential is huge. John Bonham could well be regarded as the most famous person of the modern era from Redditch.”

Sam Dalloway, who started it all many years ago added: “The blue plaque is fantastic, but it’s just the first step – it’s the sculpture that’s next.”