Today in Music History: Happy Birthday to Robert Plant
August 20, 2015
Birthday Highlight:
Robert Plant is 67 today. Plant's career spans more than 40 years, including his time with Led Zeppelin and his work as a solo artist. Possessing a powerful and wide vocal range (including his trademark screams), Plant is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of popular music, and he has influenced singers such as Freddie Mercury and Axl Rose. In 2011, Rolling Stone readers voted him into the top position in the magazine's list of the best lead singers of all time. Plant's most recent album is his 2014 release, lullaby and … the Ceaseless Roar.
Also, Today In:
1966 - The Beatles, touring America for the last time, were forced to cancel and reschedule their performance in Cincinnati's open-air stadium, Crosley Field. Heavy rain (and no cover provided) made electrocution a virtual certainty if The Beatles had attempted to perform.
1975 - Bob Dylan released Slow Train Coming, an album of religious songs, including the Grammy Award-winning single, "Gotta Serve Somebody." The album alienated many of his longtime fans.
1977 - The Emotions started a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Best Of My Love."
1980 - John Lennon began recording his final album, Double Fantasy. It would be released on Nov. 17, 1980, by the newly formed Geffen Records and would win the 1982 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
1986 - Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen made his first live appearance with the band after losing an arm in a car accident, playing at the Monsters Of Rock Festival, in Castle Donington, England.
1988 - Steve Winwood went to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with his fifth solo album Roll With It. The title cut also topped the U.S. singles charts.
2000 - Janet Jackson went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Doesn't Really Matter."
2008 - The daughter of late country star Johnny Cash called the use of her father's name to endorse a U.S. presidential candidate "appalling." According to media reports, country star John Rich, appearing at a rally in Florida, implied that Cash would have backed Republican hopeful John McCain. Writing on her website, Roseanne Cash called the remarks "presumptuous," adding, "Even I would not presume to say publicly what I 'know' he thought or felt."
2013 - Lady Gaga asked her fans to stop sending online threats to her critics. The singer said she would not condone "hateful or abusive language" directed towards others, adding "this is not a healthy way to handle your emotions." Some of her fans had tweeted death threats to dance producer Deadmau5, who criticized Gaga's video collaboration with artist Marina Abramovic.
Birthdays:
Country singer Jim Reeves was born today in 1924.
Isaac Hayes was born today in 1942.
Phil Lynott, lead singer of Thin Lizzy, was born today in 1949.
Dimebag Darrell of Pantera was born today in 1966.
John Hiatt is 63.
Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit is 44.
Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Schuman is 30.