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Today in Music: a look back at pop music

By United Press International
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(April 21)

Today's birthdays include Iggy Pop, whose real name is James Jewel Osterberg, who was born in 1947 (age 56); Paul Carrack of Mike and the Mechanics, formerly with Squeeze, as well as with Ace, in 1951 (age 52); and Robert Smith of The Cure in 1957 (age 46).

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Today's musical milestones:

In 1963, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones met for the first time at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, West London, England -- where the Stones were playing.

In 1969, Janis Joplin played at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

In 1974, Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton performed together for the last time.

In 1978, Sandy Denny -- lead singer of Fairport Convention -- died from a brain hemorrhage at age 37, four days after falling down the stairs.

In 1982, Joe Strummer -- frontman for The Clash -- disappeared for three weeks, causing the band to cancel a scheduled tour. He was found living on the streets of Paris.

In 1984, the soundtrack album from "Footloose" bumped Michael Jackson's "Thriller" off the top of the album charts after 37 weeks.

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In 1988, Mick Jagger testified in a White Plains, N.Y., courtroom in the unsuccessful copyright suit brought against him by a Bronx reggae musician.

In 1990, Amy Grant sued Marvel Comics for the unauthorized use of her likeness in a Dr. Strange comic.

In 1993, ex-Rolling Stone Bill Wyman married Californian Suzanne Accosta in southern France, where he owns a home. He was 56, she 33.

Also in 1993, authorities in Fort Bluff, Calif., credited Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann with saving the life of a teenage surfer caught in a riptide.

In 1994, Kurt Cobain's widow -- Courtney Love -- turned in the weapon he'd used to kill himself to a grass-roots anti-violence organization holding a guns-for-tickets trade-in program.

In 1996, the Sunday Times of London reported Paul McCartney was the 30th richest person in Britain, worth $630 million.

In 1997, an arrest warrant was issued after rapper Foxy Brown failed to show up for her scheduled trial on assault charges in Raleigh, N.C. The artist was accused of spitting at two female hotel workers in Jan. 1997.

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In 1998, Sonny Bono's widow, Mary, was sworn in to fill his congressional seat representing the Palm Springs, Calif., area in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1999, the Los Angeles Times quoted police sources saying Death Row Records founder and CEO Marion "Suge" Knight was a key suspect in the March 1997 slaying of rapper Notorious B.I.G. The newspaper reported that he was suspected of engineering the plot from behind prison bars. Two days later, the paper reported that Knight had refused to talk to the cops.


Today's musical quiz:

Did the Beatles ever send Elvis Presley a telegram? Answer: Yes. In 1965, the Fab Four wired Presley and congratulated him on the 10th anniversary of his being in show business.

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