This Day In Music History- April 5

'Piper at the Gates of Dawn,' the debut album by Pink Floyd -- and the only one to feature Syd Barrett as bandleader -- was released in 1967.

"Instant Karma (We All Shine On)," credited to John Ono Lennon and produced by Phil Spector, hits #3 on the singles chart in 1970. The #1 album that week is "Let It Be," by the Beatles.

Crispian St. Peters ("Pied Piper") turns 64.

Billy Bland ("Let The Little Girl Dance") is 76.

Today in 1975, the song "Lovin' You" by Minnie Riperton topped the charts and stayed there for a week. She began recording as part of The Gems and then later with Rotary Connection. She had retired from the music scene in 1970 to raise a family when Stevie Wonder persuaded her to join his back-up group, Wonderlove. Wonder later produced Riperton's first solo album, "Perfect Angel" along with four more albums before she died of cancer on July 12th, 1979.

The late Tony Williams of the Platters ("Smoke Gets In Your Eyes") was born in 1928.

Agnetha Faltskog of ABBA ("SOS") is 58.

Gene Pitney ("Only Love Can Break A Heart") died of a heart attack while on tour in Wales in 2006.

Danny Rapp of Danny & the Juniors ("Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay") died of a self-inflicted gunshot in 1983.

In 1968, James Brown made a nationally-televised appeal for calm in the wake of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. after riots had broken out in 30 US cities.

Elvis Presley's "Double Trouble" movie debuted in 1967.

Layne Staley died of a drug overdose in 2002, eight years to the day after Kurt Cobain committed suicide. The Alice in Chains singer's body is not found until several days later.

In 1981, Canned Heat vocalist Bob "the Bear" Hite died from a heart attack in Venice, Calif at the age of 36. He helped bring the sound of American blues to rock music.

In 1993, construction began on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

1994 - Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) killed himself with a shotgun. He was found three days later. (what a waste)

REM made its debut at an Athens, GA, party under the name Twisted Kite in 1980.

Hollies’ founding member and vocalist Allan Clarke was born in 1942.

Mike McCready, a founding member of Pearl Jam (along with Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard) was born in 1965.

Also in 1965- Sonny Bono and his 18 year old wife Cher were signed to Atco Records.

In 1998, Drummer, Cozy (Collin) Powell was killed in a car accident on April 5th, after bad weather forced him to lose control on a highway. He had worked with Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Rainbow, Peter Green, Jeff Beck and Emerson, Lake and Powell. He was 50 years old.