Year 1951 in Music History

• Jan 6 "Pardon Our French" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 100 performances

• Jan 29 "Where's Charley?" opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 56 performances

• Feb 10 "John and Marsha" by Stan Freberg, a parody of daytime soap operas which had only two voices repeating each other's names, peaks at #21 in the USA
• Feb 24 "Bless You All" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 84 performances
• Feb 25 "Michael Todd's Peep Show" closes at Winter Garden NYC after 278 performances
• Mar 10 "Where's Charley?" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 56 performances
• Mar 25 5th Tony Awards: "Guys & Dolls" (musical) and "The Rose Tattoo" (play) win

• Mar 30 1st performance of Walter Piston's 4th Symphony commissioned to mark the University of Minnesota's centennial, debuts by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Antal Doráti conducting
• Apr 18 "Make a Wish" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 102 performances
• Apr 19 "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 267 performances
• May 5 "Out of This World" closes at New Century Theater NYC after 157 performances
• May 14 Sammy Fain and Yip Harburg's musical "Flahooley" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 40 performances


• Jun 14 "Courtin' Time" opens at National Theater NYC for 37 performances
• Jun 17 "Flahooley" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 40 performances
• Jun 21 "17" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 180 performances
• Jun 30 "Victor Borge Show" last airs on NBC-TV
• Jul 14 "Courtin' Time" closes at National Theater NYC after 37 performances
• Jul 14 "Make a Wish" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 102 performances
• Jul 19 "2 in the Aisle" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 276 performances
• Jul 28 "Kiss Me, Kate" closes at New Century Theater NYC after 1077 performances

• Sep 11 Stravinsky's opera "Rake's Progress," premieres in Venice
• Sep 15 "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" closes at Ziegfeld NYC after 740 performances
• Sep 17 "Borscht Capades" opens at Royale Theater NYC for 90 performances
• Oct 8 "Music in the Air" opens at Ziegfeld Theater NYC for 56 performances

• Nov 12 "Paint Your Wagon" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 289 performances
• Nov 13 Janet Collins is the first 1st African-American dancer to appear at the Metropolitan Opera, in a production of Aida
• Nov 24 "17" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 180 performances
• Nov 24 "Music in the Air" closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 56 performances

• Dec 2 "Borscht Capades" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 90 performances

• Dec 8 "Tree Grows in Brooklyn" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 267 performances
• Dec 11 "The Wild Side of Life" single recorded by Hank Thompson and His Brazos Valley Boys (Billboard Song of the Year 1952)
• Dec 24 1st televised opera (Amahl & Night Visitor)

Birthdays 1 - 100 of 262

• Jan 4 Pete Haycock, British blues-rock guitarist, vocalist, and composer (Climax Blues Band - "Couldn't Get It Right"), born in Stafford, England (d. 2013)
• Jan 6 Kim Wilson, American musician (Fabulous Thunderbirds), born in Detroit, Michigan
• Jan 8 Paul Dresher, American composer, born in Los Angeles, California
• Jan 9 Crystal Gayle, American country singer ("Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue"; "One From The Heart"), born in Paintsville, Kentucky
• Jan 12 Chris Bell, American rock guitarist (Big Star), born in Memphis, Tennessee
• Jan 12 Larry Hoppens, American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist (Orleans - "Still the One"; "Dance With Me"), born in Long Island, New York (d. 2012)

• Jan 15 Peter Collins, British sound engineer and record producer (Rush; October Project; Jermaine Stewart), born in London
• Jan 16 Richard "Rick" Thompson, American funk-disco guitarist (B. T. Express - "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)")
• Jan 19 Martha Davis, American rock singer-songwriter (Motels-Only the Lonely, Shame), born in Berkeley, California
• Jan 20 Ivan Fischer, Hungarian conductor and composer, born in Budapest, Hungary
• Jan 22 Dick Sims, American Hammond B-3 organist (Bob Seger; Eric Clapton), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma (d. 2011)
• Jan 26 Andy Hummell, American rock bassist (Big Star, 1971-73), born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (d. 2010)
• Jan 26 David Briggs, Australian rock guitarist (Little River Band, 1976-81 - "Lonesome Loser"), born in Melbourne, Australia
• Jan 26 Christopher North, American rock keyboardist (Ambrosia - "The Biggest Part Of Me"), born in San Francisco, California
• Jan 27 Brian Downey, Irish rock drummer (Thin Lizzy - "The Boys Are Back in Town"), born in Dublin, Ireland
• Jan 27 Seth Justman, American rock keyboardist (J Geils Band-Centerfold), born in Washington, D.C.
• Jan 28 William "Billy Bass" Nelson Jr, American funk-rock-soul bassist (Funkadelic), born in Plainfield, New Jersey
• Jan 29 Stevie "Keys" Roseman, American session and touring rock keyboardist (Journey), born in Oakland, California
• Jan 29 Gegham Grigorian, Armenian operatic tenor, and artistic director (Yerevan Opera, 2000-07), born in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union (d. 2016)
• Jan 30 Andy Anderson, English drummer (Cure), born in Essex, England
• Jan 30 Phil Collins, English drummer & singer (Genesis-Against All Odds), born in Chiswick, England
• Jan 31 KC [Harry Wayne Casey], American disco and funk singer-songwriter and producer (KC & the Sunshine Band - ""That's the Way (I Like It)"; "Get Down Tonight"), born in Opa-locka, Florida
• Jan 31 Phil Manzanera, English rock guitarist and record producer (Roxy Music - "Love Is The Drug"; "Avalon"), born in London, United Kingdom
• Jan 31 Dave Benton, Aruban-born musician, born in Oranjestad, Aruba
• Feb 1 Clide "Sonny" Landreth, American blues and zydeco slide guitar player, born in Canton, Mississippi
• Feb 2 Alphonso Johnson, American jazz bassist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Feb 4 Dariush Eghbali, Iranian singer and musician, born in Tehran, Iran
• Feb 5 Elizabeth Swados, American composer and playwright (1972 TONY), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 2016)
• Feb 6 Margo [Margeret Catherine O'Donnell], Irish singer, born in County Donegal, Ireland
• Feb 9 Dennis "D.T." Thomas, American R&B saxophonist (Kool & Gang - "Celebration")
• Feb 9 David Pomeranz, American singer, composer, lyricist, and writer for musical theater ("On This Day"), born in New York City
• Feb 12 Gil Moore, Canadian hard rock drummer and vocalist (Triumph) and recording studio owner (Metalworks), born in Toronto, Ontario
• Feb 13 Greg Fulginiti, American recording & mastering engineer, born in North Wildwood, New Jersey
• Feb 14 Michael Doucet, singer & musician (Beausoleil)
• Feb 14 Sylvain Sylvain [Mizrahi], Egyptian-American rock guitarist (New York Dolls), born in Cairo, Egypt (d. 2021)
• Feb 15 Melissa Manchester, American pop singer (Don't Cry Out Loud), born in The Bronx, New York
• Feb 16 Super Chikan [James Johnson], American blues guitarist (Chikadelic), born in Darling, Mississippi
• Feb 19 Alan Merrill [Allan Sachs], American vocalist and songwriter (The Arrows -"I Love Rock 'n' Roll"), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 2020)
• Feb 20 Kathy Baillie, American country vocalist (Baille Boys-Oh Heart), born in Morristown, New Jersey
• Feb 20 Randy California [Wolfe], American guitarist (Spirit), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1997)
• Feb 20 Patrice Fisher, American jazz, pop, and Celtic harpist, and teacher, born in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Feb 21 Vince Welnick, American rock keyboardist (The Tubes - "Talk To Ya Later"; Grateful Dead, 1990-95), born in Phoenix, Arizona (d. 2003)
• Feb 27 Steve Harley, English rocker (Come Up & See Me), born in Kent, England
• Feb 28 Bill Cratty, American modern dancer and choreographer, born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 1998)
• Mar 1 Scott Ross, American-French harpsichordist (recorded all 555 sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1989)
• Mar 3 Lindsay Cooper, English musician and composer (Henry Cow, News from Babel)
• Mar 3 Rustee Allen, American funk and jazz fusion bass guitar player ( Sly and the Family Stone, 1972-75), born in Monroe, Louisiana
• Mar 4 Chris Rea, English rock guitarist, songwriter, and singer ("Fool (If You Think It Is Over)"), born in Middlesbrough, England
• Mar 4 Linda Yamamoto, Japanese singer
• Mar 6 Walter Trout, American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter (Canned Heat; Bluesbreakers), born in Ocean City, New Jersey
• Mar 7 Francis Rocco Prestia, American musician (Tower of Power)
• Mar 9 Zakir Hussain, Punjabi tabla virtuoso, composer, producer (Global Drum Project), and film actor, born in Mahim, India
• Mar 11 Katie Kissoon [Farthing], Trinidadian-British pop singer ("Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Chip"), and session and touring backing vocalist (Van Morrison; Eric Clapton; Roger Water; Mark Knopfler), born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
• Mar 12 Jack Green, Scottish musician (T. Rex, 1973-74; The Pretty Things, 1974-76), born in Glasgow, Scotland
• Mar 16 Ray Benson, American country singer (House of Blue Lights), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Mar 16 Ritchie Teeter, American drummer (The Dictators, 1976-79; Twisted Sister, 1980-81) (d. 2012)
• Mar 17 Scott Gorham, American rock guitarist (Thin Lizzy - "Jailbreak"; "21 Guns"), born in Glendale, California
• Mar 18 Bill Frisell, American jazz guitarist, composer, and band leader, born in Baltimore, Maryland
• Mar 19 Derek Longmuir, Scottish rock drummer (Bay City Rollers - "Saturday Night"), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
• Mar 20 Guy Perry [Adrian Peritore], American rock guitarist (Motels, 1982-87 - "Only the Lonely"; "Suddenly Last Summer"), born in Brooklyn, New York
• Mar 20 Jimmie Vaughan, American blues-rock guitarist (Fabulous Thunderbirds - "Wrap It Up"), born in Dallas, Texas
• Mar 21 Russell Thompkins Jr, American soul tenor, lead singer (Stylistics - "Betcha by Golly, Wow"; "You Make Me Feel Brand New"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Mar 21 Conrad Lozano, American rock bass player (Los Lobos - "Will The Wolf Survive"), born in Los Angeles, California
• Mar 22 Howard Reitzes, American rocker (Iron Butterfly). born in Southgate, California
• Mar 23 Karen Young, American disco singer ("Hot Shot"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1991)
• Mar 23 Phil Keaggy, American rock and contemporary Christian music acoustic and electric guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist (Glass Harp), born in Youngstown, Ohio
• Mar 24 Dougie Thompson, Scottich bassist (Supertramp - "Bloody Well Right"), born in Glasgow, Scotland
• Mar 25 Bob Pelander, American rock keyboardist/vocalist (Michael Stanley Band, 1976-87), born in Cleveland, Ohio
• Mar 25 Maisie Williams, British vocalist (Boney M), born in Brades, Montserrat, British West Indies
• Mar 28 Karen Kain, Canadian ballerina, born in Hamilton, Canada
• Mar 28 Matti Pellonpää, Finnish actor and musician, born in Helsinki, Finland (d. 1995)
• Mar 31 Henry Spinetti, Welsh session and touring drummer (Eric Clapton, Joan Armatrading, Gerry Rafferty, Katie Melua), born in in Cwm, Monmouthshire, Wales
• Apr 1 Henry Gross, American guitarist (Sha Na Na, 1969-70), and singer-songwriter ("Shannon"), born in Brooklyn, New York
• Apr 4 Steve Gatlin, American country singer (Gatlin Bros-Broken Lady), born in Olney, Texas
• Apr 5 Everett Morton, Nevisian-born English drummer and percussionist (English Beat), born in Saint Kitts, West Indies
• Apr 6 Ralph Cooper, Australian drummer (Air Supply - "All Out of Love")
• Apr 7 Janis Ian [Janis Eddy Fink], American singer-songwriter and folk musician ("At Seventeen"; "Society's Child"), born in NYC, New York
• Apr 7 John Dittrich, American country music drummer (Restless Heart - "Wheels"; "The Bluest Eyes In Texas"), born in Union, New Jersey
• Apr 8 Mel Schacher, American bassist (Grand Funk Railroad - "Some Kind of Wonderful"'; "We're An American Band"), born in Owosso, Michigan
• Apr 9 Andrzej Krzanowski, Polish classical composer and accordionist (The Wind Carries the Echo Across a Wood Clearing), born in Bielsko-Biała, Poland (d. 1990)
• Apr 11 Robbie House, American country-rockabilly guitarist (Snuff - "Bad, Bad, Billy")
• Apr 11 Paul Fox, English musician and singer (The Ruts), born in United Kingdom (d. 2007)
• Apr 12 Jakson Spires, American rock drummer (Blackfoot), born in Raleigh, North Carolina
• Apr 13 Max Weinberg, American rock drummer (E Street Band; Conan O'Brien Show), born in Newark, New Jersey
• Apr 13 Peabo Bryson, American R&B, soul, and pop vocalist ("Show and Tell"; "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love"; "A Whole New World"), born in Greenville, South Carolina
• Apr 14 Matima Kinuani Mpiosso, Zairean musician (d. 1996)
• Apr 14 Julian Lloyd Webber, English cellist (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire), born in London
• Apr 16 John Bentley, English bass guitarist (Fabulous Poodles), born in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England
• Apr 16 Björgvin Halldórsson, Icelandic singer, born in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
• Apr 16 Mordechai Ben David, American Jewish singer, born in Brooklyn, New York
• Apr 20 Luther Vandross, American soul singer, songwriter ("Endless Love"; "Dance With My Father"), and vocal arranger (David Bowie - Young Americans), born in NYC, New York (d. 2005)
• Apr 20 Steve Nathan, American rock and country session pianist, Hammond organ, and keyboard player (Muscle Shoals' FAME studio; Nashville's A-Team), born in Buffalo, New York
• Apr 21 Nicoel Barclay, rocker
• Apr 21 Robert Gotobed, English drummer (Wire)
• Apr 22 Paul Carrack, English rock singer (Ace - "How Long"; Mike + The Mechanics - "The Living Years"; Squeeze - "Tempted"), born in Sheffield, England
• Apr 24 Nigel Harrison, British rock bassist and songwriter (Blondie, 1978-82 - "One Way Or Another"), born in Stockport, Cheshire, England
• Apr 27 Paul "Ace" Frehley, American rock guitarist (Kiss; Frehley's Comet), born in The Bronx, New York
• May 2 John "Jo" Callis, British punk-rock songwriter and musician (The Rezillos; The Human League), born in Rotherham, England
• May 3 Christopher Cross [Geppert], American singer-songwriter ("Arthur's Theme"; "Think Of Laura"; "Sailing"), born in San Antonio, Texas

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• Jan 3 Ferdinand [Fred] Barlow, French composer, dies at 69
• Jan 10 Athos Palma, Argentine composer, dies at 59
• Jan 19 Constantin C. Nottara, Romanian composer, dies at 60
• Jan 22 Eastwood Lane, American composer, dies at 71
• Feb 9 Eddy Duchin, American pianist and bandleader (Eddy Duchin Orchestra), dies of acute myelogenous leukemia at 41
• Feb 10 Joseph Bovet, composer, dies at 71
• Feb 17 Nikoghayos Fadeyi Tigranyan, Armenian composer, dies at 94
• Feb 20 Howard Brockway, American composer, dies at 80
• Mar 6 Ivor Novello [David Ivor Davies], Welsh composer, writer and actor (Keep the Home Fires Burning, The Truth Game), dies at 58
• Mar 8 John Winter Thompson, composer, dies at 83
• Mar 20 Kathleen Lockhart Manning, American composer, dies at 60
• Mar 22 Willem Mengelberg, Dutch conductor (Concertgebouw Orchestra, NY Philharmonic 1922-30), dies at 79
• Mar 25 Sidney “Big Sid” Catlett, American jazz drummer (Louis Armstrong), dies of a heart attack at 41
• Apr 1 Clement D'Hooghe, Belgian composer, dies at 51
• Apr 2 Simon Barere, Russian pianist, dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 54 while performing Grieg's Piano Concerto at Carnegie Hall
• Apr 6 Halfdan Cleve, Norwegian composer, dies at 71
• Apr 12 Harold Vincent Milligan, American musician and composer, dies at 62
• Apr 25 Jerzy Fitelberg, Polish composer, dies at 47
• Apr 26 John Alden Carpenter, American composer (Sea Drift), dies at 75
• May 17 Karl Heinrich David, composer, dies at 66
• May 20 Jan Ingenhoven, Dutch composer and conductor, dies at 74
• May 29 Dimitrios Levidis, Greek composer, dies at 66
• May 29 Josef Bohuslav Foerster, Czech organist and composer, dies at 91
• May 29 Robert Kahn, German composer, dies at 85
• Jun 4 Serge Koussevitzky, Russian-American conductor (Boston Symphony, 1924-49), dies at 76
• Jun 17 Carl Vogler, Swiss composer, dies at 77
• Jun 23 Armin Knab, German composer (Wunderhorn), dies at 70
• Jul 6 Josef Hüttel, Czech composer, dies at 57
• Jul 9 Jorgen Bentzon, Danish composer, dies at 54

• Jul 19 Max Ettinger, Jewish-German composer (Jiddische Requiem), dies at 77
• Aug 11 Ebbe Hamerik, Danish composer, dies at 52
• Aug 15 Artur Schnabel, Austrian pianist (Reflections on Music), dies at 69
• Aug 21 Leonard Constant Lambert, English composer (Rio Grande), dies at 45
• Sep 3 Robert Hernried, Austrian born American composer and conductor, dies at 67
• Sep 9 Cecil Gray, Scottish composer and music critic, dies at 56
• Sep 9 Gibson Gowland, British actor (Greed, Blind Husbands, The Phantom of the Opera), dies at 74
• Sep 10 Giuseppe Mulè, Italian composer, dies at 66
• Sep 14 Fritz Busch, German conductor, dies at 61
• Sep 15 Jacinto Guerrero, Spanish musician and composer, dies at 56
• Sep 17 Jimmy Yancey, American boogie-woogie jazz and blues pianist, dies (somewhere between 50 and 57 - birth year documentation uncertain)
• Oct 23 Charles Cyril "Charlie" Creath, American jazz trumpeter, saxophonist, accordionist, and bandleader, dies at 60
• Nov 5 Agrippina J Vaganova, Russian ballet dancer/pegagoge, dies at 72
• Nov 5 Bedrich Antonin Wiedermann, Czech organist and composer, dies at 67
• Nov 9 Resurreccion Maria de Azkue, composer, dies at 87
• Nov 9 Sigmund Romberg, Hungarian/American composer (Blossom Time), dies at 64
• Nov 13 Nikolai Medtner, Russian pianist and composer (Skazi), dies at 71
• Nov 13 Hugo Leichtentritt, composer, dies at 77
• Nov 13 Nikolai Karlovich Metner, composer, dies at 71
• Nov 18 Václav Kálik, Czech composer, dies at 60
• Nov 18 Will Vodery, African-American composer, dies at 66
• Nov 20 Thomas Quinlan, English opera impresario, dies at 70
• Dec 1 Felix Petyrek, composer, dies at 59
• Dec 12 Mildred Bailey, American jazz singer (b. 1907)
• Dec 13 Selim Palmgren, Finnish pianist and composer (Daniel Hjort), dies at 73
• Dec 15 María Grever, Mexican-American composer ("What A Difference A Day Makes" / "Cuando vuelva a tu lado"), dies at 66
• Dec 22 Powell Weaver, American composer, dies at 61
• Dec 23 Alfrēds Kalniņš, Latvian composer, dies at 72