Happy birthday to the great Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, January 28 1945, in Bristol)

Robert was the drummer (and occasional vocalist) for the influential Soft Machine, a group that bridged the gap between jazz and psychedelic rock. In 1973, he drunkenly fell out of a 3rd story window during a party - an accident that left him paralysed from the waist down and subsequently confined to a wheelchair. During his recovery, he recorded his masterpiece, Rock Bottom) (produced by yesterday's birthday boy, Nick Mason). Unlike many of his peers, Wyatt has continued to create great music to this day.

Here's a young shirtless Robert in action with Soft Machine in '68: