Events in Music
#1 in the Charts
Jan 10 Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" reaches #1 on the UK pop charts
Jerry Lee Lewis
- Jan 23 "Body Beautiful" opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 60 performances
- Feb 4 "Oh, Captain!" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 192 performances
- Feb 21 "Portotino" opens at Adelphi Theater NYC for 3 performances
- Feb 22 "Portotino" closes at Adelphi Theater NYC after 3 performances
- Mar 12 3rd Eurovision Song Contest: Andre Claveau for France wins singing "Dors, mon amour" in Hilversum
- Mar 15 "Body Beautiful" musical closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 60 performances
Elvis Presley in the Army
Mar 24 Elvis Presley joins the army (serial number 53310761)
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Album Release
Jun 24 Nina Simone releases her debut jazz album "Little Girl Blue"
Nina Simone
Event of Interest
Aug 29 George Harrison joins The Quarrymen (Lennon-McCartney-Best-Sutcliffe)
George Harrison
Music Single
Aug 29 Cliff Richard and the Drifters release single "Move It", Richards debut single. Credited as 1st British Rock n Roll song.
Cliff Richard
- Sep 29 "Summertime Blues" by Eddie Cochran peaks at #8
- Oct 2 Musical show "Valmouth" 1st produced in London
- Oct 11 "Goldilocks" opens at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC for 161 performances
- Nov 5 "Maria Golovin" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 5 performances
- Nov 8 "Maria Golovin" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 5 performances
- Nov 11 "La Plume de Ma Tante" opens at Royale Theater NYC for 835 performances
- Dec 1 "Flower Drum Song" opens at St James Theater NYC for 602 performances
- Dec 22 "Whoop-Up" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 56 performances
- Dec 23 "Party with Comden & Green" opens at John Golden NYC for 38 performances
- Dec 25 Alan Freed's Christmas Rock & Roll Spectacular opens
- Dec 28 Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon & Theodore with David Seville) hits #1
Birthdays in Music
Birthdays 1 - 100 of 174
- Jan 1 Grandmaster Flash, [Joseph Saddler], American rocker (Message), born in NYC, New York
- Jan 2 Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Russian pianist
- Jan 11 Vicki Peterson, rock guitarist/vocalist (Bangles), born in Los Angeles, California
- Jan 17 Jez Strode, rocker (Kajagoogoo)
- Jan 24 Jools Holland, British musician and TV presenter, born in Blackheath, London
- Jan 25 Gary Brian Tibbs, rock bassist (Adam & The Ants, Roxy Music), born in London, England
- Jan 26 Anita Baker, singer (Giving You the Best That I Got), born in Toledo, Ohio
- Jan 26 B James Lowry, rocker (Boys Band)
- Jan 26 Norman Lamont Hassan, British reggae musician (UB40-Red Red Wine)
- Jan 27 Charles Waltz, rocker (Shooting Star)
- Jan 30 Rob van Zandvoort, Dutch rock vocalist/keyboardist (Jack of Hearts)
- Jan 31 Tom Schuman, pianist (Spyro Gyra-Morning Dance)
- Feb 3 Lee Crystal, rocker (Joan Jett & Blackhearts-Ashes in the Wind)
- Feb 7 Manuel Mijares, Mexican spanish vocalist (Maria Bonita)
- Feb 10 Michael Weiss, American musician, born NYC, New York
- Feb 12 Grant McLennan, Australian musician (The Go-Betweens), born in Rockhampton, Australia (d. 2006)
- Feb 16 Ice-T [Tracy Marrow], American rapper and actor (New Jack City, Tank Girl, Crazy Six), born in Newark, New Jersey
- Feb 18 Gar Samuelson, American drummer (d. 1999)
- Feb 21 Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Princeton NJ, country vocalist (This Shirt)
- Feb 23 David Sylvian, vocalist, guitarist (Japan), born in Beckenham, England
- Feb 23 Ria Brieffies, Dutch vocalist (Dolly Dots)
- Feb 24 Sammy Kershaw, Kaplan LA, country vocalist (Cadillac Style)
- Feb 24 Plastic Bertrand, Belgian singer
- Feb 28 Jeanne Mas, French singer and actress
- Mar 1 Nik Kershaw, singer/songwriter (Wouldn't it be Good)
- Mar 1 Chosei Komatsu, Japanese conductor
- Mar 8 Gary Numan, [Gary Webb], Hammersmith England, vocalist (Replicas)
- Mar 9 Martin Fry, English pop singer and rock vocalist (ABC-All of My Heart), born in Stretford, Lancashire
- Mar 22 Pete Wylie, rocker (Sinful), born in Liverpool, England
- Mar 23 El Duce [Eldon Wayne Hoke], American singer and drummer (The Mentors), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1997)
- Mar 28 Oran "Juice" Jones, American rocker (Curiosity, Here I Go Again), born in Houston, Texas
- Mar 31 Pat McGlynn, Edinburgh, rock guitarist (Bay City Rollers)
- Apr 1 D. Boon, American musician d. (1985)
- Apr 4 Cazuza, Brazilian poet, singer and composer, born in Rio de Janeiro (d. 1990)
- Apr 7 Tony Aire, rocker (Adventures-Sea of Love)
- Apr 10 Yefim Bronfman, Russian-born Israeli-American pianist, born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Apr 11 Stuart Adamson, Scottish rock vocalist and guitarist (Big Country-Wonderland), born in Manchester, England (d. 2001)
- Apr 12 Will Sergeant, English rock guitarist (Echo & Bunnymen - Killing Moon), born in Liverpool
- Apr 13 Randy Piper, heavy metal rocker (Wasp-Wildchild)
- Apr 15 Matt Reid, rock keyboardist (Berlin-Takes Your Breathe Away)
- Apr 18 Lee Pattinson, English rock bassist (Echo & Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here), born in Ormskirk,
- Apr 21 Mike Barson, rock keyboardist (Madness)
- Apr 23 Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Icelandic music composer
- Apr 24 Valery Lantratov, Russian ballet dancer, born in Moscow
- Apr 25 Fish, [Derek William Dick], Scottish vocalist (Marillion-Sugar Mice)
- Apr 29 Simon Edwards, rocker (Fairground Attraction-Find My Love)
- May 6 Lolita Flores, Spanish singer and actress
- May 12 Eric Singer, American drummer
- May 16 Glenn Gregory, English rock vocalist (Heaven 17), born in Sheffield, England
- May 17 Vincent Henar, Surinam bassist (Fra Fra Sound), born in Surinam
- May 18 Toyah Wilcox, rocker (I Want to Be Free), born in Birmingham, England
- May 20 Jane Wiedlin, Wisc, singer, guitarist (GoGos, Fur, Rush Hour)
- May 23 Shelly West, country singer (Red Hot, West by West), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- May 23 François Feldman, French singer
- May 25 Paul Weller, guitar (Jam-This is Modern World, Style Council)
- May 27 Neil Finn, New Zealand musician (Split Enz, Crowded House), born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand
- May 30 Marie Fredriksson, Ostra-Lj Swed, singer (Roxette-Must Have Been Love)
Prince (Rogers Nelson)
Jun 7 Prince [Rogers Nelson], American singer-songwriter and musician (1999, Purple Rain), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 2016)
Prince (Rogers Nelson)
- Jun 11 Kevin Wilkinson, English drummer (The Waterboys), born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire (d. 1999)
- Jun 12 Rebecca Holden, American actress and singer (Knight Rider), born in Dallas, Texas
- Jun 14 Brian David Willis, rock drummer (Quarterflash)
- Jun 16 Jóhannes Helgason, Icelandic guitarist (Þeyr)
- Jun 17 Jello Biafra [Eric Reed Boucher], American musician and activist (Dead Kennedys), born in Boulder, Colorado
- Jun 17 Derek Lee Ragin, American countertenor
- Jun 18 Daniels Koran, saxophonist (Atlantic Star-Touch a 4 Leaf Clover)
- Jun 20 Kelly Johnson [Bernadette], Edmonton, London, guitarist (Girlschool), (d. 2007)
- Jun 27 Jeffrey Lee Pierce, singer/songwriter (Gun Club)
- Jun 27 Magnus Lindberg, Finnish composer
- Jun 29 Leslie Browne, American ballerina (Turning Point), born in NYC, New York
- Jun 30 Esa-Pekka Salonen, Helsinki Finland, conductor (Giro)
- Jul 3 Aaron Tippin, singer (You've Got to Stand for Something), born in Pensacola, Florida
- Jul 4 Kirk Pengilly, Australian rocker (Inxs-Kiss the Dirt), born in Sydney, New South Wales
- Jul 5 Paul Daniel, British opera and symphony conductor
- Jul 8 Carlos Cavazo, rocker (Quiet Riot - Metal Health)
- Jul 8 Fred Young, singer (Kentucky Headhunters-Davy Crockett), born in Glasgow, Kentucky
- Jul 10 Béla Fleck, American musician
- Jul 11 Ray Dodds, rocker (Fairground Attraction-You Send Me)
Michael Flatley
Jul 16 Michael Flatley, Irish choreographer (Lord of Dance), born in Chicago, Illinois
Michael Flatley
- Jul 18 Nigel Twist, Manchester, rock drummer (Alarm-In the Summertime)
- Jul 19 David Robertson, American symphony orchestra conductor
- Jul 20 Mick MacNeil, Scottish musician (Simple Minds), born on the Isle of Barra
- Jul 24 Mick Karn [Andonis Michaelides], English musician (Japan), born in Nicosia, Cyprus (d. 2011)
- Jul 25 Henk Wanders, Dutch bassist (Frank Boeijen Group)
- Jul 25 Thurston Moore, US guitarist/songwriter (Sonic Youth)
- Jul 26 Angela Hewitt, Canadian classical pianist
- Jul 30 Kate Bush, English singer-songwriter (Wild Things, Wuthering Heights), born in Plumstead, England
- Jul 30 Kevin Mahogany, American jazz vocalist (Double Rainbow), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 2017)
- Jul 31 Bill Berry, American drummer (R.E.M.), born in Duluth, Minnesota
- Aug 1 Rob Buck, American musician (10,000 Maniacs) (d. 2000)
- Aug 3 Cindy Nixon, singer (Girls Next Door-Don't Be Cruel), born in Nashville, Tennessee
- Aug 6 Randy DeBarge, rock vocalist/bassist (Debarge), born in Grand Rapids Michigan
- Aug 6 Simon Francken, Dutch bassist (Ivy Green)
- Aug 7 Bruce Dickinson, heavy metal rocker (Iron Maiden-Run to Hills)
- Aug 8 Chris[sie Boy] Foreman, rock guitarist (Madness)
- Aug 9 Greg Chaisson, heavy metal rocker (Badlands-Dreams in the Dark)
- Aug 13 Feargal Sharkey, Irish rocker (The Undertones), born in Derry, Northern Ireland
Weddings in Music
Wedding of Interest
Aug 15 Singer Buddy Holly weds receptionist Maria Santiago
Buddy Holly
Deaths in Music
- Jan 1 David Broekman, musican (Think Fast), dies at 55
- Jan 11 Alec Rowley, English composer, dies at 65
- Jan 12 Arthur Shepherd, composer, dies at 77
- Mar 14 Eugeen Van de Velde, Flemish musicologist/critic/composer, dies at 64
- Mar 25 Emerson Whithorne, composer, dies at 73
- Mar 25 Tom Brown, American dixieland jazz trombonist, dies at 69
W. C. Handy
Mar 28 W. C. Handy, American composer and musician known as the "Father of the Blues" (Memphis Blues, St Louis Blues), dies of bronchial pneumonia at 84
W. C. Handy
- Apr 7 Judge Jackson, composer, dies at 75
- Apr 7 Klimenty Arkad'yevich Korchmaryov, composer, dies at 58
- Apr 10 Chuck Willis, rocker, dies at 30
- May 19 Bruno Sturmer, composer, dies at 65
- May 28 Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský, Slovak composer, dies at 77
- Jun 6 Lily Theresa Strickland, composer, dies at 71
- Jun 16 Jose Pablo Moncayo Garcia, composer, dies at 45
- Jun 23 Edvard Armas Jarnefeldt, composer, dies at 88
- Jul 1 Rudolf von Laban, Czech/Ger choreographer (modern dance), dies at 78
- Jul 13 Karl Erb, German tenor, dies on 81st birthday
- Jul 15 Julia Lennon, mother of Beatle John, dies in an auto accident
- Jul 30 Alexander Albrecht, composer, dies at 72
- Aug 5 Joseph Holbrooke, English pianist/composer (3 Blind Mice), dies at 80
- Aug 9 Felipe Boero, composer, dies at 74
- Aug 14 Big Bill Broonzy, rocker, dies of cancer at 65
- Aug 15 William L C "Big Bill" Broonzy, US blues singer/guitarist, dies at 65
- Aug 17 Florent Schmitt, French composer/critic (Jardin Secret), dies at 87
- Aug 21 Stevan Hristic, composer, dies at 73
- Aug 21 Walter Schumann, American choral director (Ford Show) and composer (Rhenish), dies at 44
- Aug 24 Kenneth Leighton, composer, dies at 28
- Aug 24 Leo Blech, German composer and conductor, dies at 87
- Aug 26 Ralph Vaughan Williams, English composer (Hugh the Drover), dies at 85
- Aug 28 Nikolay Semyonovich Golovanov, composer, dies at 67
- Sep 11 Robert Lach, Austrian composer, dies at 84
- Sep 29 Aarre Merikanto, Finnish composer, dies at 65
- Oct 13 Alexander Moiseyevich Veprik, Russian composer, dies at 59 (b. 1899)
- Oct 14 Jean Poveigh, composer, dies at 82
- Oct 24 Martin Shaw, English composer, dies at 83
- Nov 2 Adam von Ahn Carse, composer, dies at 80
- Nov 3 Harry Revel, movie composer (Sitting Pretty, Gay Divorcee), dies
- Nov 6 Francis George Scott, Scottish composer, dies at 78
- Nov 27 Artur Rodzinski, Polish conductor/composer, dies at 66
- Dec 1 Patricia "Boots" Mallory, American dancer and actress (Handle With Care), dies from chronic throat disease at 45
- Dec 6 Erwin Bodky, German-American composer, dies at 62
- Dec 26 Harry Redman, American composer, writer, and artist, dies on 89th birthday
- Dec 29 Doris Humphrey, US dancer/choreographer (Dances of Women), dies at 63
- Dec 31 Gustav Hermann Unger, German composer, dies at 72