Zacron Dead: Legendary Led Zeppelin III Cover Artist Zacron Dies (SLIDESHOW)

Zacron, the visual artist known for his iconic album cover for Led Zeppelin's seminal 1970 album "III," has passed away after a battle with bowel cancer. The artist, whose real name was Richard Drew, quietly passed away in January, but according to Classic Rock Magazine, his estranged family only recently learned of his death.

"III" cover art by Zacron

Zacron was born in Sutton, Surrey in 1943, growing up alongside fellow classmates Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. After Page left the Yardbirds to found the now infamous English rock band Led Zeppelin, the two childhood friends reconnected in 1969 when Zacron was commissioned to create cover art for the band's album, "III." After four months of work, Zacron debuted his collage of a final product, featuring a die-cut design equipped with a rotating panel that would turn to reveal the various psychedelic illustrations created by the artist.

Commenting on his album art, Zacron stated on his site: "An album cover is not sound packaging, but an area of visual communication, an opportunity to put visual art and audio art together in a joint arena." So in remembrance of Zacron's contribution to the art world, check out the slideshow below of memorable Led Zeppelin cover art designs, including the legendary one created by Zacron himself.