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Today In Music: A look back at pop music

By PENNY NELSON BARTHOLOMEW, United Press International
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(March 24)

Today's birthdays include the late singer Billy Stewart, who was born in 1937; War harmonica player Lee Oskar in 1946 (age 56); drummer Mike Kellie of Spooky Tooth in 1947 (age 55); April Wine bassist Steve Lang and Nick Lowe, both in 1949 (age 53); Supertramp bassist Dougie Thomson in 1951 (age 51); German pop singer Nena, whose real name is Gabriele Kerner, in 1960 (age 42); and Sharon Corr of The Corrs and rapper Mase, both in 1970 (age 32).

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Today's musical milestones:

In 1958, Elvis Presley, 23, was sworn into the U.S. Army as Pvt. Presley, serial number US-53310761.

In 1964, the British Top-10 singles chart was entirely British for the first time ever.

In 1965, Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman was knocked unconscious by an electric shock from a microphone stand during a concert in Denmark.

In 1973, a fan at a Lou Reed concert in Buffalo, N.Y., jumped on-stage and bit into Reed's posterior after screaming "Leather!" Afterwards, Reed commented, "America seems to breed real animals."

In 1984, Beach Boy Al Jardine married Mary Ann Helmandollar.

In 1992, a Chicago judge approved a court settlement offering refunds to those people who bought the music of or attended concerts by the lip-synching duo Milli Vanilli.

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In 1993, Elton John broke Elvis Presley's record of having a top-40 single every year for 23 years straight when "Simple Life" entered the top 40 -- making it 24 years in a row for John.

Also in 1993, singer Judy Collins went jogging with President Clinton but ran out of breath and hitched a ride with a limousine back to the White House.

In 1998, a judge in Leicester, England, sentenced British pop singer Mark Morrison to one year in jail for sending an imposter to perform his court-ordered community service. Morrison had been convicted in a 1995 nightclub brawl that left one man dead.

In 2000, a throat infection forced Latin pop star Enrique Iglesias to postpone his free concert at Universal's CityWalk Plaza Stage in Orlando, Fla.


Today's musical quiz:

When Elvis Presley became a G.I., his monthly earnings dropped by quite a bit. How much? Answer: Presley's pay dropped from $100,000 to $78 a month.

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