August 20, 1988 – Iron Maiden headline the Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington with Kiss, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, Guns N’ Roses and Helloween.  Two fans die during Guns N’ Roses’ set when they slip in the mud and a crowd surge pushes them beneath others.

Classic Rock Birthdays

August 20, 1948 – Robert Plant, vocals (Led Zeppelin)
August 20, 1966 – Dimebag Darrell (born Darrell Lance Abbott), guitar (Pantera, Damageplan) (d. 2004)
August 20, 1949 – Phil Lynott, vocals, bass (Thin Lizzy) (d. 1986)
August 20, 1970 – Fred Durst (born William Frederick Durst), vocals  (Limp Bizkit)
August 20, 1942 – Isaac Hayes, vocals (d. 2008)
August 20, 1952 – Doug Fieger, vocals, guitar  (The Knack) (d. 2010)
August 20, 1934 – “Sneaky Pete” Kleinow, guitar (Flying Burrito Brothers, session musician) (d. 2007)
August 20, 1952 – John Hiatt, vocals, guitar
August 20, 1941 – Dave Brock, vocals, guitar (Hawkwind)

12 Most Influential Live Classic Rock Albums

Rock Remembrances

August 20, 2020 – Frankie Banali, co-founder and drummer of Quiet Riot, dies of pancreatic cancer.  He was 68. Banali was a successful session player in Los Angeles prior to creating Quiet Riot with lead singer Kevin DuBrow, who has also passed away. Quiet Riot was the first heavy metal band to reach the #1 position on the Billboard chart with Metal Health, which went on to sell over 10 million copies and spur the growth of metal music in the U.S. 

August 20, 2009 – Larry Knechtel, bassist and keyboardist of Bread, dies of a heart attack in Yakima, Washington.  He was 69.  Knechtel was also a member of a collective of musicians called The Wrecking Crew who did session work for many of the major artists at the time.  In 1970 he won a Grammy Award for his piano work on “Bridge over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel.  He also played the guitar solo on Bread’s hit “The Guitar Man”.

Backstage Access:
The Hidden Secret Musicians of Our Legendary Hits