Today In Music: A look back at pop music

(Oct. 31)

Today's Halloween birthdays include folk singer/songwriter Tom Paxton, who was born in 1937 (age 64); Argent guitarist Russ Ballard in 1947 (age 54); Bernard Edwards of Chic in 1952; Tony Brook of the Babys in 1953 (age 48); Simply Red's Tony Bowers in 1956 (age 45); U2 drummer Larry Mullen in 1961 (age 40); The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr in 1963 (age 38); Bow Wow Wow singer Annabella Lwin in 1965 (age 36); Adam Horovitz, a.k.a. King Ad-Rock, of the Beastie Boys in 1966 (age 35); and Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, in 1968 (age 33).

Today's musical milestones:

In 1964, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez performed a Halloween show at New York's Philharmonic Hall.

In 1967, Rolling Stone Brian Jones was sentenced to nine months in jail after being convicted of drug possession.

In 1968, political rockers MC5 recorded the band's first album, "Kick Out the Jams," live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom.

In 1970, Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas married actor Dennis Hopper.

In 1975, Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was released in England.

Also in 1975, the Marshall Tucker Band played a benefit in Atlanta for the presidential candidacy of Jimmy Carter.

In 1980, Annabelle Lwin of Bow Wow Wow celebrated her birthday onstage at London's Rainbow Theater. Also on stage: a backing vocalist named Lt. Lush, later known as Boy George.

In 1983, "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood was released.

In 1988, at a Halloween party, pop singer Debbie Gibson held a seance in an attempt to contact Liberace and Sid Vicious.

In 1993, Blind Melon lead singer Shannon Hoon was arrested after stripping off his clothes and urinating into the audience during a concert in Vancouver, Canada.

In 1995, James Brown arrested and charged with domestic violence after his wife accused him of beating her at their Aiken, S.C., home.

Also in 1995, Frank Zappa look-a-likes roamed Manhattan, N.Y., in a promotional stunt for a new Zappa 54-track compilation album.

In 1996, a Geffen Records spokeswoman confirmed that guitarist Slash had left Guns N' Roses. Creative differences were cited as the reason for the departure.

Also in 1996, after 13 weeks atop the Billboard singles chart, "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" by Los Del Rios dropped to number four. It tied with Boyz II (to) Men's "End of the Road" as the second-longest single atop the Hot-100.

And in 1996, Porno For Pyros's Halloween concert was broadcast live over the Internet from the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

In 2000, John Prine's new album, "Souvenirs," was released. All of the tracks were new studio re-recordings of his classic tunes.

Also in 2000, Go-Gos singer/songwriter Jane Wiedlin released a new solo album, "Kissproof World," on her own label, Painful Discs.

And in 2000, rapper-turned-actor Will Smith became a father for the third time when his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, gave birth to the couple's second child -- a girl. The couple also has a son and Smith has a boy from a previous marriage.

Today's musical quiz:

U2 once opened for themselves. True? Answer: Yes. In Nov. 1987, the band pretended to be the country-rock group The Dalton Brothers and opened the show at the L.A. Coliseum.