Today in Music: a look back at pop music

(April 17)

Today's birthdays include promoter Don Kirshner, who was born in 1934 (age 69); Billy Fury in 1941 (age 62); Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann in 1946 (age 57); composer/musician Jan Hammer in 1948 (age 55); Michael Sembello in 1954 (age 49); Buzzcocks guitarist Pete Shelley in 1955 (age 48); former ABC saxophonist Stephen Singleton in 1959 (age 44); Liz Phair in 1967 (age 36); and Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham of the Spice Girls in 1974 (age 29).

Today's musical milestones:

In 1960, while on tour in Britain, Eddie Cochran was killed in a car accident in Chippenham, England, that seriously injured Gene Vincent. Cochran was 21. The last single released before his death was "Three Steps to Heaven."

In 1962, Tony Bennett recorded his first-ever song, titled "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."

In 1964, the Rolling Stones' first, self-titled album was released in England. It contained one original tune -- a Mick Jagger/Keith Richards composition titled "Tell Me."

In 1969, The Band -- previously a backing group for Bob Dylan and Ronnie Hawkins, when it was known as the Hawks -- made its solo concert debut at the Winterland in San Francisco.

In 1970, Paul McCartney's first post-Beatles solo album -- "McCartney" -- was released as he publicly announced the end of the Beatles.

Also in 1970, Johnny Cash performed at the White House for President Nixon, who asked Cash to play "Okie from Muskogee," "A Boy Named Sue" and "Welfare Cadillac."

In 1971, "Joy to the World" ("Jeremiah was a bullfrog...") by Three Dog Night hit the top of the charts and became the bestselling single of 1971. It was written Hoyt Axton, whose mother Mae had written a No. 1 hit 15 years earlier, Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel." The Axtons were the only mother and son songwriters to both score No. 1 hits.

In 1974, Sha Na Na guitarist Vinnie Taylor died from a heroin overdose in a hotel room in Charlottesville, Va. He was 25.

In 1980, Bob Marley and the Wailers performed at the inauguration of Prime Minister Robert Mugabe in the new African nation of Zimbabwe.

In 1986, guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan canceled his European tour. He feared reprisals against Americans from Libyan terrorists in the wake of the U.S. bombing of Libya two days earlier.

In 1991, songwriter Jack Yellen died at age 98. He wrote the lyrics for more than 130 popular songs -- including "Happy Days Are Here Again," "Rain Or Shine" and "Ain't She Sweet."

In 1993, several hundred youths rampaged in and outside Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita, Calif., after they couldn't get into a sold-out concert by rappers TLC and Paperboy. The incident prompted amusement park officials to announce there'd be no more rap concerts.

In 1995, R.E.M. announced the resumption of its world tour following drummer Bill Berry's recovery from surgery to repair a brain aneurysm.

In 1998, Linda McCartney died following a more than two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 56.

Today's musical quiz:

It's well known how the members of R.E.M. met in Athens, Ga., but do you know where lead singer Michael Stipe attended college before transferring to the University of Georgia? Answer: Southern Illinois University.