March 1931 in Music History

Events in Music

Mar 3 "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially becomes US national anthem by congressional resolution; lyrics by Francis Scott Key in 1814, set to John Stafford Smith's 18th century tune "The Anacreontic Song"

Music Recording

Mar 3 Cab Calloway records "Minnie the Moocher" (Jazz's 1st million seller)

Mar 25 Hal Kemp & his orchestra record Whistles, with Skinnay Ennis

Birthdays in Music

Mar 5 Anthony Hedges, British light music and orchestral composer (Humberside Cantata), born in Bicester, Oxfordshire, England (d. 2019)
Mar 5 Barry Tuckwell, Australian horn player (London Symphony, 1955-68), born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Mar 6 Carmen de Lavallade, American actress, dancer and choreographer (Aida), born in Los Angeles, California
Mar 7 C W Stubblefield, American restaurateur and music promoter, born in Navasota, Texas (d. 1995)
Mar 10 Georges Dor, Quebec author, playwright, singer and songwriter (d. 2001)
Mar 13 Rosalind Elias, American mezzo-soprano (Wagner's Die Walküre - "Grimgerde"; Barber's Vanessa - "Erika"), and opera director, born in Lowell, Massachusetts (d. 2020)
Mar 14 Phil Phillips [Baptiste], American singer-songwriter (Sea of Love), born in Crowley, Louisiana (d. 2020)
Mar 15 (Dominic Joseph) "D. J." Fontana, American drummer (Elvis Presley), born in Shreveport, Louisiana (d. 2018)
Mar 16 Betty Johnson, American pop and cabaret singer (Jack Paar Show; "I Dreamed"), born in Guilford County, North Carolina (d. 2022)
Mar 20 Antonio Tauriello, Argentine composer, pianist, and conductor, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Mar 20 Hal Linden [Harold Lipshitz], American actor (Barney Miller; Blacke's Magic), director, and musician, born in The Bronx, New York City
Mar 25 Paul Motian, American jazz drummer (Bill Evans Trio; Keith Jarrett), composer, and bandleader (Electric Bebop Band), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2011)
Mar 25 Tom Wilson, American record producer (Sun Ra; Bob Dylan; Simon & Garfunkel; Mothers of Invention; Velvet Underground), born in Waco, Texas (d. 1978)
Mar 27 Burt Collins, American jazz trumpeter, born in NYC, New York (d. 2007)
Mar 27 Yoriaki Matsudaira, Japanese composer, born in Tokyo
Mar 30 Harold Burrage, American blues and jazz singer, and pianist (Hi Yo Silver), born in Chicago, Illinois
Mar 30 Sándor Szokolay, Hungarian composer and pedagogue, born in Kunágota, Hungary (d. 2013)