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Today In Music: A look back at pop music

By PENNY NELSON BARTHOLOMEW, United Press International
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(Jan. 17)

Today's birthdays include Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, who was born in 1948 (age 54); Sheila Hutchinson of the Emotions in 1953 (age 49); country's Steve Earle in 1955 (age 47); Paul Young in 1956 (age 46); Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles in 1957 (age 45); and Berlin bassist/singer John Crawford in 1960 (age 42).

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Today's musical milestones:

In 1969, Led Zeppelin released its first album.

In 1970, the Doors recorded the band's "Absolutely Live" double album at the Felt Forum in Los Angeles.

Also in 1970, "Bag One" -- an exhibition of erotic lithographs by John Lennon -- opened in London. Two days later, police closed the show and confiscated eight prints deemed obscene.

In 1972, Highway 51 South -- also known as Bellvue St. -- in Memphis was renamed Elvis Presley Blvd.

In 1984, Linda McCartney was arrested on marijuana possession charges at London's Heathrow airport on her return from Barbados, where she and her ex-Beatle husband Paul had been fined just days earlier for the same thing.

In 1990, The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, the Four Seasons, the Four Tops, Hank Ballard, the Platters and the Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ray Davies commented: "Rock and roll has become respectable. What a bummer."

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In 1991, a jury in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., acquitted the New York band Too Much Joy of obscenity charges stemming from a performance of 2 Live Crew songs.

In 1994, the wife of Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach gave birth to the couple's second child, a boy they named London Siddhartha Halford Bach.

In 1995, Billy Joel and his entourage at a hotel in Osaka, Japan, were awakened by the powerful earthquake that rocked nearby Kobe. The musicians were unhurt. Joel donated the proceeds from his Osaka concert to earthquake relief.

Also in 1995, Paul Simon's father, professional musician Louis Simon, died at age 79.

In 1996, no-shows David Bowie, Jefferson Airplane lead singer Grace Slick, and Pink Floyd founders Roger Waters and Syd Barrett marred the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York.

Also in 1996, Steve Krass -- lead singer of the Detroit-based punk rockers Feisty Cadavers -- died three days after being shot in the head during a robbery. He was 32.

In 2000, country superstar Garth Brooks was the big winner at the 27th annual American Music Awards. Other winners included country/pop sensation Shania Twain, hip-hop artist Lauryn Hill, Santana and the Backstreet Boys.

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Today's musical quiz:

Who did Mick Taylor replace when he joined the Rolling Stones in 1969? Answer: Brian Jones.

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