Today in Music: a look back at pop music

(Nov. 5)

Today's birthdays include the late Roy Rogers, who was born in 1912; Ike Turner in 1931 (age 71); Art Garfunkel in 1942 (age 60); the late Gram Parsons of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers in 1946; Peter Noone, "Herman" of Herman's Hermits, in 1947 (age 55); Rob Grill of the Grass Roots in 1948 (age 54); Air Supply guitarist David Moyse in 1957 (age 45); and Bryan Adams in 1959 (age 43).

Today's musical milestones:

In 1960, Johnny Horton was killed in an auto accident. He was 33.

In 1966, Simon and Garfunkel's "A Hazy Shade of Winter" was released.

In 1977, Ozzy Osbourne quit Black Sabbath for the first time. He would return and then leave again.

Also in 1977, Guy Lombardo died of a heart attack at age 75.

In 1979, George Michael and Andrew Ridgely's pre-Wham! band, The Executives, played its first live gig.

In 1984, Wham! released "Make It Big."

In 1986, Nigerian musician and dissident Fela Kuti launched a U.S. tour delayed by two years when he was jailed in his native country.

In 1988, 22 years after the group last topped the U.S. singles chart, the Beach Boys had a No. 1 hit with "Kokomo," from the soundtrack of the motion picture "Cocktail."

In 1989, Barry Sadler, the U.S. Army veteran who'd topped the U.S. singles chart for five weeks in 1966 with "The Ballad of The Green Berets," died at age 51. 14 months earlier, he'd been shot in the head during a robbery at his home in Guatemala and suffered brain damage.

In 1993, after the jury failed to reach a verdict, Los Angeles prosecutors said they'd seek to retry funk rocker Rick James on charges he imprisoned and tortured a woman at his home in July 1991.

In 1998, Whitney Houston unveiled new album, "My Love Is Your Love" (on Arista Records), at a New York City news conference. The CD was her first studio album in eight years.

Also in 1998, rock 'n' roll legend Fats Domino -- the 1998 winner of the National Medal of Arts -- was among the 21 people honored by President Clinton for contributions to American culture.

Topping the charts on this date:

Autumn Leaves - Roger Williams (1955), Sugar Shack - Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs (1963), Gypsy's, Tramps and Thieves - Cher (1971), Pop Muzik - M (1979).

Today's musical quiz:

What was Barry Sadler reportedly doing in Guatemala? Answer: Sadler was in Guatemala allegedly training Contra rebels fighting the leftist government of Nicaragua.