Today in Rock History – 4th AUGUST:

BIRTHDAYS
1901: Louis Armstrong
1947: Klaus Schulze (Tangerine Dream)
1952: Marie Ni Bhraonain (Clannad)
1963: Sami Takamaki a.k.a. Sam Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks)
1969: Max Cavalera (Sepultura)

EVENTS
1967: Pink Floyd released their debut album, ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn‘.
1975: Rainbow released their debut album, ‘Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow’.
1975: Led Zeppelin‘s Robert Plant and his wife were badly injured in a car crash, while on holiday in Rhodes.
1980: John Lennon began recording his final album, ‘Double Fantasy’, at The Hit Factory, New York.
1984: Prince started a 24-week run at the top of the US album charts with ‘Purple Rain’.
2005: Death of blues singer / guitarist, James Milton Campbell a.k.a. Little Milton [aged 70].
2007: Death of singer / songwriter / producer, Lee Hazlewood [aged 78].
2014: Death of guitarist & co-writer of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”, Jake Hooker (Jerry Mamberg) of Arrows [aged 61].

49 years ago, a car accident in Greece left Robert Plant with a broken ankle and elbow, which wouldn’t fully heal for another two years (his wife, Maureen, was even more seriously injured, and their two children also had fractures and bruises). Plant was confined to a wheelchair and all Led Zeppelin tour dates were cancelled. Instead the band went into the studio and recorded the almighty ‘Presence‘ album ~ every cloud has a silver lining!