January 1961 in Music History

Events in Music

Jan 5 The Beatles perform with Paul McCartney on bass guitar for the 1st time, at Litherland Town Hall, in Lancashire, England
Jan 12 "Show Girl" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater NYC for 100 performances

Music History

Jan 15 Berry Gordy signs The Supremes to Motown Records

Jan 16 "Conquering Hero" opens at ANTA Theater NYC for 8 performances
Jan 21 "Conquering Hero" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 8 performances
Jan 21 Francis Poulenc's "Gloria" premieres in Boston< Massachusetts by Boston Symphony and Chorus Pro Musica under conductor Charles Münch

#1 in the Charts

Jan 26 "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley hits #1

Music History

Jan 27 Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli make debuts at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in "Il trovatore"; final curtain call lasts 35 minutes

Music Single

Jan 30 "I Fall to Pieces" single released by Patsy Cline (Billboard Song of the Year 1961)

Birthdays in Music

Jan 2 Orrett Rhoden, Jamaican concert pianist, born in Kingston, Jamaica
Jan 3 Erwin Blom, Dutch rock singer and guitarist (Eton Crop)
Jan 5 Iris DeMent, American country singer ("Our Town"), born in Paragould, Arizona
Jan 5 Piotr Baron, Polish jazz saxophonist and composer (Salve Regina; Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus), born in Wrocław, Poland
Jan 10 Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Italian concert violinist, born in Rome, Italy
Jan 13 Suggs [Graham McPherson], English singer-songwriter (Madness), born in Hastings, England
Jan 13 Wayne Coyne, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, and theremin player (The Flaming Lips - "Do You Realize??"), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jan 14 Mike Tramp [Trempenau], Danish heavy metal rocker (White Lion - "Mane Attraction"), born in Copenhagen Denmark
Jan 16 Jill Sobule, American singer-songwriter ("I Kissed a Girl"), born in Denver, Colorado
Jan 16 Paul Raven, English rock bassist (Killing Joke), born in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom (d. 2007)
Jan 22 Daniel Johnston, American musician and visual artist (Hi, How Are You), born in Sacramento, California (d. 2019)
Jan 26 Neil Taylor, British touring and session guitarist (Tears For Fears - "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"; Robbie Williams), born in Bristol, England
Jan 27 Gillian Gilbert, British rock keyboard and guitar player (New Order - "Round & Round"), born in Manchester, England
Jan 27 Margo Timmins, Canadian folk-rock singer (Cowboy Junkies - "Sweet Jane"; "Anniversary Song"), born in Montreal, Quebec
Jan 27 Martin Degville, British rock singer-songwriter (Sigue Sigue Sputnik - "Love Missile F-111"), born in Walsall, England
Jan 27 Tessa Niles, British session and touring singer (Eric Clapton; Duran Duran; Robbie Williams), born in Ilford, Essex, England
Jan 29 Eddie Jackson, American heavy metal rock bassist (Queensrÿche - "Silent Lucidity"), born in Robstown, Texas
Jan 31 Lloyd Cole, English rocker (Lloyd Cole and the Commotions), born in Buxton, Derbyshire

Deaths in Music

Jan 11 Elena Gerhardt, German mezzo-soprano singer (b. 1883)
Jan 13 Blanche Ring, American singer ("In The Good Old Summer Time"), and stage and screen actress, dies at 89
Jan 14 Henry Geehl, English composer, dies at 79
Jan 15 Francesco Maria Saraceni, Italian composer, dies at 49
Jan 16 Janos Viski, Hungarian composer, dies at 54
Jan 21 John Joseph Becker, American composer and conductor, dies a day before his 75th birthday