JOHN BONHAM Memorabilia Sells For More Than $60,000

According to The Redditch Standard, a collection of personal items belonging to John Bonham, the legendary drummer of LED ZEPPELIN, was sold late last month for close to £50,000 (approximately $66,500).

The collection, consigned by John's brother-in-law Allan Weaver, was auctioned on November 27 at Fieldings' Stourbridge saleroom.

Highlights from the sale included a striking blue velvet suit, which sold for £3,800, and three western-style shirts, one of which features in a photograph of John wearing it during the filming of "The Song Remains The Same". That shirt sold for £12,200 while the other two shirts sold for £4,700 and £4,200.

When the auction was first announced, Rachel Holland, director and music and entertainment specialist for Fieldings Auctioneers, said in a statement: "This is an extraordinary chance to celebrate the legacy of one of rock music's most influential drummers. Allan Weaver's amazing consignment allows fans and collectors to connect with John Bonham in a very personal way."

Weaver told BBC News that he got to know Bonham through his wife Beryl, one of Bonham's wife Pat's sisters.

"When people at work said, 'What's he like?' I said, 'He's my brother-in-law," Allan said. "'We just go down the pub and have a couple of pints and have a good laugh and everything, do things together'."

Weaver added that it was "a shame" to see Bonham's clothes stored away, explaining: "People want to see them, I'd rather they go out for people to see rather than just being stored away," he said. "I've got the memories that people can't take away from me of actually being with John and doing other things, so that's what's special to me."

For more information, click here.

John Bonham died on September 25, 1980 of pulmonary edema which is fluid accumulation in the lungs. He was 32 years old.

In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page was asked why the band didn't take time to heal and rebuild itself following Bonham's passing in 1980.

"LED ZEPPELIN wasn't a corporate entity," he replied. "LED ZEPPELIN was an affair of the heart. Each of the members was important to the sum total of what we were. I like to think that if it had been me that wasn't there, the others would have made the same decision. And what were we going to do? Create a role for somebody, say, 'You have to do this, this way?' That wouldn't be honest."

He continued: "There were attempts [at reunion] that didn't work — trying to push it together in a hurry. That's why the [2007] show had to be done with such intent — rehearsing as much as we could so Jason [Bonham's son] felt he was part of the band as opposed to a novelty. He was filling big shoes, and we needed all of that."

Jason Bonham revealed in a 2012 interview that LED ZEPPELIN singer Robert Plant's emotional difficulties continuing the band without Jason's dad ultimately ended any hoped-for reunion of the group's surviving members.

"It wasn't just [Robert] going, 'I don't want to do it,' there were other things going on," Jason explained. "He told me, 'It doesn't matter how great you are on the drums, Jason. I love you to bits, and you play absolutely amazing. But John was the drummer in LED ZEPPELIN, and John was part of me and Jimmy and John Paul [Jones, LED ZEPPELIN bassist]. We shared something very, very special. I struggle sometimes just thinking about trying to create some magic again when he's not there. He was a very, very dear friend of mine, that I miss every day.'"