Saved from the Flames: Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham Takes Center Stage in a Star-Studded Rock Memorabilia Auction
From Hendrix posters to Beatles rarities, Heritage’s latest music memorabilia auction offers a once-in-a-lifetime look at rock history—headlined by John Bonham’s long-lost, stage-used drumhead.
Some pieces of rock history survive by sheer chance—and this is one of them.
On April 17, 2025, Heritage Auctions will offer what is believed to be the only surviving bass drumhead featuring Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s personal symbol: the three interlocking rings he adopted during the band’s peak years. Used during Zeppelin’s legendary 1973 and 1975 North American tours, the drumhead earned screen time in The Song Remains the Same and last thundered on stage during the band’s five-night stand at London’s Earls Court in 1975.
After that? It vanished.
It then went into storage and was presumed lost—until a 1987 warehouse fire nearly turned it to ash. During a cleanup at Edwin Shirley Trucking, the logistics company that handled tours for rock’s biggest acts, the drumhead was discovered in a pile of gear slated for destruction. The flames had already claimed Alice Cooper’s infamous disappearing cabinet and stage guillotine. Bonham’s drumhead was moments from the same fate when a former roadie recognized it and pulled it from the fire.
Now authenticated, photo-matched, and packed with provenance, the piece is poised to set a new auction record for Bonham memorabilia.
“John Bonham is widely considered the greatest rock drummer of all time,” says Garry Shrum, Heritage Auctions’ Director of Music Memorabilia. “And this is the most significant Bonham artifact ever to come to public auction. It’s astonishing that it survived—and now it’s here.”
But the auction is more than just a tribute to Bonzo. It isn’t just about instruments and artifacts—it’s a visual journey through the golden age of rock. The poster selection alone features a veritable potpourri of the rock royalty of the 1960s, offering collectors a colorful array of concert art as hypnotic as it is historic.
The poster lineup reads like a backstage pass to the greatest shows of the 1960s. These are the five standout lots that I'll be watching. In my opinion, they capture the energy, rebellious spirit, and trip-tastic designs typical of 1960s concert posters. It will be interesting to see where they land when the proverbial auction dust settles:
1. Grateful Dead 1965 San Jose Acid Test Poster
This Acid Test poster is a rare survivor from the first-ever, then newly named Grateful Dead (formerly billed as The Warlocks) performance. It is more than a concert promo; it was a psychedelic genesis moment for the generations of fans who followed Jerry Garcia and the GD across the country from the 1960s to 1995. This poster doesn't have the panache of many 1960s rock posters, but it certainly has the history. The current bid (4/8) sits at $10,000.
2. The Beatles 1966 Candlestick Park Final Show Poster
The Fab Four’s last-ever live concert was immortalized in a poster signed by iconic artist Wes Wilson. It is a poignant, historic poster that marked the end of an era. The current bid (4/8) sits at $6,750.
3. Woodstock Festival 1969 Concert Poster
Arnold Skolnick’s iconic dove-and-guitar design defined a generation and features the brilliant all-star lineup. This original is backed with a signed Certificate of Authenticity because peace, love, and provenance matter. The current bid (4/8) sits at $3,100.
4. Janis Joplin with Big Brother, 1968 Silver Poster
A silkscreen gem from Cincinnati, this poster's design is half photograph and half artistic rendering of the superstar singer, partially superimposed on each other. The show featured Janis paired with Big Brother & the Holding Company. The current bid (4/8) sits at $1,150.
5. BG-69 Jimi Hendrix & Jefferson Airplane, 1967 Fillmore Poster
Part of the legendary Bill Graham series, this first-and-only printing San Francisco concert poster for the Jefferson Airplane, Hungarian jazz guitarist Gabor Szabo, and a then unknown Jimi Hendrix playing at the Fillmore Auditorium features the familiar swirling art of the Summer of Love. The current bid (4/8) sits at $825.
For those who came to musical maturity a bit later in the 1970s, music wasn’t about picking sides—it was about living loud, whether that meant stomping in platform boots with KISS (my brother fell off of his frequently) or spinning in sequins with Elton. This auction hasn't forgotten the Jones Generation. So go ahead and place your bid on some original concept art for KISS’s 1976 Destroyer album cover, or buy yourself an Elton John “Rock of the Westies” official tour crew jacket, a wearable memento from the larger-than-life tour.
What makes this auction stand out isn’t just the big names—it’s the range and variety of the accumulated treasures up for sale. Each piece in this auction isn’t just memorabilia—it’s a memory. These mementos form a tapestry of rock’s most transformative decades and carry the stories, sounds, and spirit of the golden age of rock and roll.
There will never be anything like it again.
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