Today in Rock History – 31st AUGUST:

BIRTHDAYS
1944: Roger Dean (Artist for Yes)

Happy 80th Birthday to Roger Dean! Roger has been my favourite artist ever since I got hold of my first YES LP (‘Close to the Edge’), way back in the mid-1970s. I love how he takes inspiration from nature and music to create his own amazing, fantastical worlds for us all to enjoy. It was a real honour to meet the man in 2003, when YES toured Australia.
1945: George Ivan Morrison a.k.a. Van Morrison
1948: Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions)
1963: Richard Earl “Reb” Beach (Winger / Alice Cooper Band / Dokken / Whitesnake)

EVENTS
1974: Traffic made their last live performance at the annual UK Reading Festival.
1980: Ken Hensley and Uriah Heep parted company.
1991: Metallica started a 4-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with, ‘Metallica’.
2014: Death of singer / songwriter, Jimi Jameson of Survivor & Cobra [aged 63].
2018: Death of Mike Kennedy, drummer for George Strait [aged 59].

Happy Birthday, Van the Man ~ 79 today! He has written and performed such a wealth of fine songs, here is one of his signature numbers…