April 1968 in Music History

Events in Music

Music Premiere

Apr 10 Musical "George M!", based on the life of Broadway star George M. Cohan, opens at Palace Theater NYC for 435 performances

Musical Finale

Apr 17 Betty Comden & Adolph Green and Jule Styne's musical "Fade Out-Fade In", featuring Carol Burnett, Dick Shawn, and Tina Louise, closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 271 performances

Apr 20 British rock band billed as "Roundabout" debuts in Kastrup, Denmark; after a brief tour of Scandinavia, they change their name to "Deep Purple"
Apr 21 22nd Tony Awards: "Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead" (play) & "Hallelujah, Baby!" (musical) win
Apr 23 "I'm Solomon" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 7 performances
Apr 25 "Half a Sixpence" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 512 performances
Apr 27 "Education of Hyman Kaplan" closes at Alvin NYC after 28 performances
Apr 29 "Hair" opens at Biltmore Theater NYC for 1750 performances

Birthdays in Music

Apr 1 Julia Boutros, Lebanese singer
Apr 3 Sebastian Bach [Bierk], Canadian heavy metal singer (Skid Row - "I Remember You"; "Psycho Love"), born in Freeport, Bahamas
Apr 5 Paula Cole, American pop singer ("I Don't Want To Wait"), born in Rockport, Massachussetts
Apr 6 Vanessa Lann, American composer (Dancing to an Orange Drummer), born in Brooklyn, New York
Apr 15 Ed O'Brien, British musician and songwriter (Radiohead - OK Computer), born in Oxford, England
Apr 19 Pascal Kleiman, French DJ, producer and musician, born in Toulouse, France
Apr 23 Stan Frazier, American drummer, record producer, and singer- songwriter (Sugar Ray, 1986-2012 - "Every Morning", born in Newport Beach, California
Apr 24 Aaron Comess, American drummer (Spin Doctors - "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong"), born in Phoenix, Arizona
Apr 28 Howard Donald, British pop musician (Take That - "Back For Good"), born in Droylsden, Lancashire, England
Apr 29 Carnie Wilson, American pop singer (Wilson Phillips - "Hold On"), born in Los Angeles, California
Apr 30 Paulo Jr, Brazilian pop bassist (Sepultura, Morbid Visions)

Deaths in Music

Apr 15 Borys Lyatoshynsky, Ukrainian composer, conductor, and teacher, known as the father of modern Ukrainian music, dies at 73
Apr 20 Marion Weeks, American silent film actress, and Ziegfield Follies singer and dancer, dies of stroke at 81
Apr 21 Norman Demuth, British composer and musicologist specializing in French works, dies at 69
Apr 22 Stephen H. Sholes, American record producer (Elvis) and label executive (RCA Victor, 1929-68), dies of a heart attack at 57

On This Day