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Jimmy Page Accepts Libel Settlement From Ministry Magazine
Ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has accepted a substantial libel settlement from Ministry Magazine, according to published reports. The English publication ran an article falsely claiming that Page had caused or contributed to the death of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham as he choked to death on his vomit.
According to BBC News, the August 1999 article stated that in September 1980, as Bonham was choking in Page's mansion after a drinking binge, Page was more interested in keeping Bonham's vomit off his bed than helping him. The article also claimed that Page donned "Satanist robes" and performed spells over Bonham's body. The magazine's publishers and editor Scott Manson acknowledged that these statements were not true.
The magazine apologized to Page and agreed to pay legal costs and undisclosed damages, the BBC reported. Page plans to donate the money to a charity, the Action of Brazil's Children Trust.
Ministry Magazine is published by the British house-music club Ministry of Sound, which also owns a dance music label with annual sales of more than 6 million records.
Page's latest release is "Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes: Live at the Greek," recorded in October 1999.
