Today in Music: a look back at pop music

(March 5)

Today's birthdays include British singer/actor Murray Head, who was born in 1946 (age 57); reggae singer/songwriter Eddy Grant in 1948 (age 55); Dire Straits keyboardist Alan Clark in 1952 (age 51); and the late Andy Gibb was born in 1958.

Today's musical milestones:

In 1960, Sgt. Elvis Presley was discharged from the U.S. Army after a two-year hitch.

In 1963, country singer Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash near Camden, Tenn. She was 30.

In 1971, Aretha Franklin, King Curtis and Tower of Power opened at the Fillmore West in San Francisco for a three-night stand that yielded two albums -- "Aretha Live at the Fillmore West," which included a guest appearance by Ray Charles, and "King Curtis and the Kingpins Live at the Fillmore West."

In 1982, John Belushi died from a drug overdose. He was 33.

In 1993, Paul McCartney kicked off his "New World Tour" in Perth, Australia.

In 1994, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain came out of a drug-and-alcohol-induced coma at a Rome hospital.

In 1996, it was announced that Metallica, Soundgarden and the Ramones would headline Lollapalooza '96. The Ramones -- which had previously announced it was disbanding -- said the festival would be the group's "swan song."

Also in 1996, a Rock Concert Safety Survey by the Chicago-based Crowd Management Strategies said six people had been killed and nearly 700 injured at rock concerts and festivals worldwide in 1995.

In 1997, the throat problems of Space lead singer Tommy Scott forced the British band to cancel its Los Angeles concert. The show was the group's first date on the next leg of its U.S. tour.

In 1998, Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher was arrested in Brisbane, Australia. He allegedly had broken a fan's nose with a headbutt after the fan took his picture.

Also in 1998, Ozzy Osbourne's daughter made the winning $16,000 bid at a charity auction and bought a day with the teen pop trio Hanson for her 13-year-old younger sister.

Today's musical quiz:

Murray Head played the traitor on this "divine" recording that later was made into a Broadway play and a motion picture. What? Answer: The original recording of "Jesus Christ, Superstar." Head sang the part of Judas and had a Top-40 single in 1971 with the album's title track.