John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett

During an October 1977 appearance on the BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test, singer John Otway leaped across the stage, missed his footing, and fell off a stack of amplifiers directly onto his crotch. The Song: Otway and his musical partner, Wild Willy Barrett, were performing their single "Really Free" live on national television. The Fall: During a burst of manic energy, Otway tried a dangerous stage leap, crashed down into the equipment stack, and absorbed the entire impact of the fall with his most sensitive body parts. The Reaction: Wild Willy Barrett famously continued playing the guitar without even turning around to check on his injured bandmate Millions of viewers watched the painful accident live. Chart Success: The hilarious and chaotic moment turned into free publicity, helping push their single "Really Free" into the UK charts. A Long Career: Otway embraced his status as a comical underdog and built a massive, loyal cult following that lasts to this day.