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Today In Music: A look back at pop music

By PENNY NELSON BARTHOLOMEW, United Press International
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(May 6)

Today's birthdays include Cleftones lead singer Herbie Cox, who was born in 1939; and Bob Seger in 1945 (age 57).

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Today's musical milestones:

In 1942, "White Christmas" by Irving Berlin was published. Just Bing Crosby's recording alone has sold more than 140 million copies.

In 1965, Keith Richards created the classic guitar riff that would become "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." He played it for Mick Jagger in a hotel room in Clearwater, Fla.

In 1967, Grateful Dead's self-titled debut album entered the national charts.

In 1973, Paul Simon launched his first solo tour since splitting up with Art Garfunkel with a concert in Boston.

In 1977, Led Zeppelin broke its own record for the biggest-ever attendance at a concert with a single headliner. More than 76,000 fans attended the show at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., exceeding the 57,000 at a Zeppelin concert in Tampa almost four years earlier. (That show, in turn, had taken the record from the 1965 Shea Stadium Beatles concert.)

In 1984, Spinal Tap -- the fictional band formed to star in a comedy neo-documentary -- played CBGBs in New York City.

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In 1992, Frederick's of Hollywood offered a $1,000 reward for the return of Madonna's bustier, which had been stolen from its lingerie museum during the Los Angeles riots.

Also in 1992, Bruce Springsteen performed for an invitation-only crowd at New York's Bottom Line.

And in 1992, 11 people were hurt -- none seriously -- when a man tossed a bomb into the crowd at a Skid Row concert in Kalamazoo, Mich.

In 1993, David Bowie announced he'd donate the royalties from his single "Black Tie White Noise" to a recreation center in South Central Los Angeles.

Also in 1993, IRS agents seized possessions from the Mississippi home of rockabilly pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis for failing to pay more than $1.6 million in overdue taxes.

In 1994, rapper Tupac Shakur was charged with violating his probation. The charges stemmed from two previous arrests -- in March and in April -- for carrying concealed and loaded weapons.

In 1995, dozens of Bon Jovi fans were injured in the rush for the gate at a concert in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur agreed to stage a benefit concert and perform community service in South Central Los Angeles after pleading guilty to possession of a concealed weapon.

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Also in 1996, Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville performed on the White House South Lawn. The concert was taped for later broadcast on PBS.

In 1997, Crosby Stills and Nash, the Jackson Five, the BeeGees, Buffalo Springfield, Joni Mitchell, the Young Rascals and Parliament-Funkadelic were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the first-ever Cleveland ceremony.


Today's musical quiz:

What's the name of Bob Seger's backing band? Answer: The Silver Bullet Band.

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