Ronnie Van Zandt’s headstone was stolen from its gravesite in Florida on this day in 1982. It was found two weeks later. How old was the Lynyrd Skynyrd singer when he died in the plane crash?

Answer: 3 months shy of his 30th birthday

Here’s the rest of today’s Rock N’ Roll Diary!

• 1964: The Beatles arrived in Miami to tape their second Ed Sullivan appearance- over 7,000 screaming teenagers greeted them at Miami Airport!
• 1966: The Rolling Stones made a return appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show…Surprising, because Ed had vowed not to have the band on again.
• 1972: Led Zeppelin was forced to cancel a concert in Singapore when officials refused to allow them off the plane because of – get this – their long hair!
• 1982: Ronnie Van Zandt’s headstone, weighing over 300 pounds, was stolen from his gravesite in Orange Park, FL. It was found two weeks later.
• 1998: The Eagles sued the National Foundation to Protect America’s Eagles, claiming that the organization infringed on the band’s name and image.
• 2001: Bob Dylan won an Academy Award for his song “Things Have Changed” from the movie Wonder Boys.
• 2006: The University of New Hampshire banned Ram Jam’s “Black Betty” because school officials considered the song “theoretically racist.” The song had been used since 1977 as a rally song during hockey games. “Black Betty” was originally written by a black man – Leadbelly, back in the 1940s.
• Rummaging through the WZLX ticket stash…Jethro Tull was at the Boston Tea Party in 1969 for the 1st of 3 nights… And in 1982 Rod Stewart played the Garden.