R.I.P. Ronald Wayne "Ronnie" Van Zant (LYNYRD SKYNYRD): January 15th, 1948 – October 20th, 1977
R.I.P. Cassie LaRue Gaines (LYNYRD SKYNYRD): January 9th, 1948 – October 20th, 1977
R.I.P. Steven Earl "Steve" Gaines (LYNYRD SKYNYRD): September 14th, 1949 – October 20th, 1977

Following a performance at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina, on October 20th, 1977 the band boarded a chartered plane with a faulty engine to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After running low on fuel the pilots attempted an emergency landing before crashing in a heavily forested area five miles northeast of Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray were killed on impact.

Happy 49th Birthday Fred Coury (CINDERELLA) - October 20th, 1967

Happy 71st Birthday Ric Lee (born Richard Lee; TEN YEARS AFTER) - October 20th, 1945

Happy 65th Birthday Alan Greenwood (FOREIGNER, JOE LYNN TURNER) - October 20th, 1951

R.I.P. Paul Vincent Raven (KILLING JOKE): January 16th, 1961 – October 20th, 2007

R.I.P. Phil Kennemore (Y&T): October 20th, 1953 - January 7th, 2011

Happy 51st Birthday Tom Naumann (SINNER, PRIMAL FEAR) - October 20th, 1965

Happy 18th Birthday BLACK SABBATH’s Reunion (live album) - October 20th, 1998

Happy 18th Birthday AEROSMITH’s A Little South Of Sanity (live album) – October 20th, 1998

More releases on this day:

Happy 7th Birthday
CONVERGE's Axe To Fall - October 20th, 2009

Happy 6th Birthday
AMBERIAN DAWN - End Of Eden - October 20th, 2010
ARCKANUM - Sviga Lae - October 20th, 2010