The Time John Bonham Punched Alex Van Halen

Jason Bonham, currently touring with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony on the Best of All Worlds tour, recently shared a memorable story from his past during an interview with KSHE 95. Jason reminisced about his 1984 visit to the Donington Monsters of Rock festival in the U.K., where he encountered Alex Van Halen for the first time.

Reflecting on the encounter, Jason recalled:

“It’s 40 years since I saw Mike play at Donington. My wife and I went to Donington – Monsters of Rock – AC/DC, Van Halen. And I got to meet Alex that day… Leonard [Haze] from Y&T introduced me. He came up – this is a classic – and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, it’s Alex Van Halen!’”

To his surprise, Van Halen’s response was less than warm. Jason continued:

“He goes, ‘Hey Leonard!’ [Haze says:] ‘This is Jason Bonham.’ And he goes, ‘So what?’ He just went, ‘So what?’”

Years later, Jason discussed this incident with Michael Anthony and inquired about Van Halen’s cold reception. “I said, ‘Mikey, why was Alex such a dick?’” he recalled. Anthony suggested that the encounter might have been influenced by a past incident involving his father, Led Zeppelin’s legendary drummer John Bonham.

How John Bonham’s Reaction to Alex Van Halen Shaped Their History

Anthony explained that in the late 1970s, Van Halen had tried to meet John Bonham at the Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip while they were playing next door at Gazzarri’s. Anthony said:

“We heard your dad was in the Rainbow, and we kind of ran around the Rainbow and tried to say ‘hi’ to him.
“Alex kind of jumped over the barrier and went to put his hand out… And your dad took a swing at him!”

Anthony suggested that this incident might explain Van Halen’s chilly demeanor towards Jason.

“Maybe that’s why he was a little pissed!”