1969 in Music

Events 1 - 100 of 118

• Jan 2 "Fig Leaves Are Falling" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 4 performances

• Jan 4 "Fig Leaves Are Falling" closes at Broadhurst NYC after 4 performances
• Jan 5 "Maggie Flynn" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 82 performances

• Jan 6 Supremes release "I'm Livin' In Shame"
• Jan 11 "Hooked on a Feeling" by BJ Thomas peaks at #5
• Jan 12 "Golden Rainbow" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 355 performances
• Jan 12 Debut album of Led Zeppelin released first in the US
• Jan 22 "Celebration" opens at Ambassador Theater NYC for 110 performances
• Jan 26 "Red, White, & Maddox" opens at Cort Theater NYC for 41 performances

• Jan 30 The Beatles perform their last live gig, a 42 minute concert on the roof of Apple Corps HQ in London
• Feb 3 "Canterbury Tales" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater NYC for 122 performances
• Feb 4 Beatles appoint Eastman & Eastman, as general cousel to Apple
• Feb 6 Jerry Herman's "Dear World" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 132 performances

• Feb 17 "Cloud Nine" 9th studio album by The Temptations is released (Grammy Award Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group 1969, Billboard Album of the Year 1969)
• Feb 25 Beatles begin recording Abbey Road album
• Mar 1 "Red, White, & Maddox" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 41 performances
• Mar 1 After 88 weeks the Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Lonly Hearts Club Band drops off the charts

• Mar 16 Peter Stone & Sherman Edward's "1776" premieres at 46th St Theater NYC for 1217 performances
• Mar 18 "Come Summer" opens at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC for 7 performances
• Mar 22 "Come Summer" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 7 performances
• Mar 25 John Lennon and Yoko Ono stage their 1st bed-in for peace (Amsterdam)
• Mar 29 14th Eurovision Song Contest: Salome for Spain ("Vivo cantando"), Lulu of United Kingdom ("Boom Bang-a-Bang"), Lenny Kuhr of Netherlands ("De troubadour"), and Frida Boccara of France ("Un jour, un enfant") all win in Madrid

• Apr 26 "Celebration" closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 110 performances
• Apr 26 "George M!" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 435 performances
• Apr 28 4th Academy of Country Music Awards: Glen Campbell and Cathie Taylor win
• Apr 29 "Trumpets of the Lord" opens at Brooks Atkinson NYC for 7 performances
• May 3 "Trumpets of the Lord" closes at Brooks Atkinson NYC after 7 performances

• May 16 The Who's Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey charged with assault
• May 17 "My Wife, My Dog, My Cat" by Maskman & The Agents hits #92


• May 18 "Canterbury Tales" closes at Eugene O'Neill Theater NYC after 122 performances
• May 23 The Who release rock opera "Tommy"
• May 24 Beatles' "Get Back" single goes #1 & stays #1 for 5 weeks
• May 24 "Sugar, Sugar" single released by The Archies (Billboard Song of the Year 1969)
• May 26 John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin their 2nd bed-in for peace (Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal)
• May 31 "Dear World" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 132 performances
• May 31 "Gitarzan" by Ray Stevens peaks at #8
• May 31 John Lennon and Yoko Ono record "Give Peace a Chance"

• Jun 4 Beatles release "The Ballad Of John & Yoko" and "Old Brown Shoe" in the US
• Jun 4 Nicky Hopkins quits rock & rolls, Jeff Beck Group

• Jun 7 Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash combine on a Grand Ole Opry TV special
• Jun 7 Tommy James and the Shondells release "Crystal Blue Persuasion"

• Jun 8 Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor replaces Brian Jones
• Jun 9 Brian Jones leaves the Rolling Stones after developing a serious drug problem
• Jun 11 "The Ballad Of John & Yoko" by The Beatles hits #1 in UK
• Jun 13 Mick Taylor leaves John Mayall Band and joins The Rolling Stones

• Jun 20 200,000 attend Newport '69', then largest-ever pop concert in Northridge, California. Jimi Hendrix gets $120,000 to appear.
• Jun 21 Dmitri Shostakovich's 14th Symphony premieres in Moscow
• Jun 21 Zager & Evans release "In the Year 2525"

• Jun 27 50,000 attend Denver Pop Festival
• Jul 1 John Lennon and Yoko Ono are admitted to hospital after a car crash
• Jul 2 Leslie West & Felix Pappalardi form rock group Mountain
• Jul 3 78,000 attend Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island

• Jul 5 Rolling Stones play a free concert in London's Hyde Park

• Jul 11 Rolling Stones release "Honky Tonk Woman"
• Jul 22 Aretha Franklin arrested for disturbing the peace in Detroit
• Jul 25 70,000 attend Seattle Pop Festival
• Jul 30 Barbra Streisand opens for Liberace at International Hotel, Las Vegas
• Aug 1 110,000 attend Atlantic City Pop Festival
• Aug 2 Bob Dylan makes surprise appearance at Hibbing HS Minn 10th reunion
• Aug 9 "Zorba" closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 305 performances

• Aug 16 Second day of the Woodstock rock festival in NY
• Aug 18 Woodstock Music & Art Fair closes with Jimi Hendrix / Band of Gypsys as the final act
• Aug 22 Beatles record a video for "Long & Winding Road"
• Aug 30 120,000 attend Texas International Pop Festival
• Aug 30 25,000 attend 2nd Annual Sky River Rock Festival, Tenino Wash
• Aug 31 25,000 attend New Orleans Pop Festival
• Sep 6 "Cabaret" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 1166 performances
• Sep 13 Plastic Ono Band's (John, Yoko & Eric Clapton) 1st live performance
• Sep 20 Virtual band Archies' single "Sugar Sugar" hits #1
• Sep 22 "Music Scene" debuts on ABC-TV
• Sep 23 Northern Star and Illinois Univ newspaper start rumors that Paul McCartney is dead
• Sep 26 The Beatles release "Abbey Road" album
• Oct 9 Supremes release "Someday We'll Be Together"
• Oct 10 "Jesus Christ Superstar" soundtrack album by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice is recorded

• Oct 15 3rd Country Music Association Award: Johnny Cash & Tammy Wynette wins

• Oct 19 J Bock and S Harnicks musical "Rothschilds" opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC for 505 performances
• Oct 22 Paul McCartney denies rumors of his death

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Birthdays 1 - 100 of 157

• Jan 3 Nikki Nelson, Topaz Lake Nev, country singer (Highway 101-Cry Cry Cry)
• Jan 5 Marilyn Manson, American musician & artist, born in Canton, Ohio

• Jan 8 Jeff Abercrombie, American bassist, born in Kenton, Tennessee
• Jan 8 Teresa Salguerio, Portuguese singer (Madredeus), born in Lisbon, Portugal
• Jan 14 Dave Grohl, American drummer (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), born in Warren, Ohio
• Jan 17 Tiësto [Tijs Michiel Verwest], Dutch DJ and record producer considered the "Godfather of EDM", born in Breda, Netherlands
• Jan 18 Jesse L. Martin, American actor & singer (Rent, The Flash), born in Rocky Mount, Virginia
• Jan 20 Nicky Wire, British musician (Manic Street Preachers), born in Blackwood, United Kingdom
• Jan 25 Jesse Harte, American heavy metal vocalist (Southgang-Tainted Angel)
• Jan 25 Kina Cosper, American singer, born in Detroit, Michigan
• Jan 27 Cornelius [Keigo Oyamada], Japanese musician and producer (Flipper's Guitar), born in Tokyo, Japan
• Jan 27 Michael Kulas, Canadian singer (James)
• Jan 29 Hyde [Hideto Takarai], Japanese singer, born in Wakayama
• Feb 1 Joshua Redman, American jazz saxophonist & composer, born in Berkeley, California
• Feb 1 Patrick Wilson, American musician (Drummer for Weezer), born in Norfolk, Virginia
• Feb 4 Duncan Coutts, Canadian bassist (Our Lady Peace)
• Feb 5 Bobby Brown, American singer-songwriter ("My Prerogative"), born in Roxbury, Massachusetts
• Feb 12 Meja [Meja Anna Pernilla Kullersten], Swedish singer-songwriter (How Crazy Are You?), born in Nynäshamn, Stockholm County
• Feb 12 Byron Stroud, Canadian bassist, born in New Westminster, Canada
• Feb 13 Ahlam [Ahlah Ali Al Shamsi], Bahraini singer, born in Manama, Bahrain
• Feb 15 Birdman [Bryan Williams], US record executive and rapper, born in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Feb 19 Burton C. Bell, American vocalist
• Feb 21 James Dean Bradfield, Welsh singer-songwriter (Manic Street Preachers), born in Pontypool, Wales
• Feb 21 Eric Wilson, American musician, born in Long Beach, California
• Feb 21 Corey Harris, American blues & reggae guitarist (The Blues miniseries, From Mississippi to Mali), born in Denver, Colorado
• Feb 22 Joaquín Cortés, Spanish dancer, born in Córdoba, Spain
• Feb 26 Hitoshi Sakimoto, Japanese composer, born in Tokyo, Japan
• Feb 27 Brad Vander Ark, American musician, born in Holland, Michigan
• Feb 28 Elisa Fiorillo, singer (Forgive Me For Dreaming)
• Feb 28 Patrick Monahan, American singer (Train)
• Mar 1 Dafydd Ieuan, Welsh drummer (Super Furry Animals)
• Mar 4 Jason Townsend, American artist and record producer
• Mar 5 MC Solaar, French rapper
• Mar 7 Warrel Dane, American singer (Nevermore)
• Mar 10 Ricky Seagall, rocker (Partridge Family)
• Mar 11 Soraya, Colombian-American singer (d. 2006)
• Mar 12 Graham Coxon, singer (Blur)
• Mar 15 Timo Kotipelto, Finnish musician
• Mar 19 Gary Jules, American singer and songwriter
• Mar 25 Cathy Dennis, English singer, songwriter, and actress
• Mar 28 James Atkin, rocker (EMF-Unbelievable), born in Birmingham
• Mar 28 Rodney Atkins, American country music singer-songwriter (Honesty), born in Knoxville, Tennessee
• Mar 30 Marco Foddis, pop drummer (Pestilence)
• Apr 11 Cerys Matthews, Welsh singer and songwriter (Catatonia), born in Cardiff, Wales
• Apr 11 Chisato Moritaka, Japanese singer, born in Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
• Apr 14 Martyn LeNoble, Dutch musician, born in Vlaardingen, Netherlands
• Apr 22 Craig Logan, Scotland, rock bassist (Bros Front, Bon Jovi-New Jersey)
• Apr 27 Mica Paris, British Rhythm & Blues singer (So Good), born in London
• Apr 27 Darcey Bussell, British ballerina (Strictly Come Dancing), born in London
• Apr 30 Joey Restivo, rocker (Linear-I Never Felt This Way, Lies), born in Brooklyn, New York
• Apr 30 Warren Defever, American musician, composer
• May 9 Amber [Marie-Claire Cremers], Dutch-born German singer-songwriter, born in Ubbergen, the Netherlands
• May 13 Buckethead [Brian Carroll], American underground guitarist, born in Los Angeles, California
• May 13 André Schmechta, German musician (X Marks the Pedwalk, Scarecrow), born in Germany
• May 14 Danny Wood, American musician (New Kids), born in Boston, Massachusetts
• May 15 Asalah Nasri, Syrian singer
• May 17 Alan Doyle, Canadian musician (Great Big Sea)
• May 18 Martika [Marta Marrero], Cuban-American singer (Toy Soldiers), born in Whittier, California
• May 24 Rich Robinson, American rocker (Black Crowes-Shake Your Money Maker), born in Atlanta, Georgia
• May 29 Chan Kinchla, Canadian musician (Blues Traveler)
• Jun 3 Hiroyuki Takami, Japanese musician
• Jun 5 Brian McKnight, American musician
• Jun 6 Douglas Lee Mitchell, Miles Mi, heavy metal artist (Southgang)
• Jun 9 Mitch McLee, [Douglas Lee Mitchell], Miles Mi, drummer (Southgang)
• Jun 11 Nancy Blogg, Swiss dancer (Josephine)
• Jun 11 Steven Drozd, American drummer (The Flaming Lips), born in Houston, Texas
• Jun 12 Zsolt Daczi, Hungarian rock guitarist (Omen, Bikini), born in Kiskunhalas, Hungary (d. 2007)
• Jun 13 Jamie Walters, American actor and singer (The Heights, Beverly Hills 90210), born in Boston, Massachusetts
• Jun 13 Søren Rasted, Danish musician (Aqua), born in Blovstrød
• Jun 14 MC Ren [Lorenzo Jerald Patterson], American rapper, born in Compton, California

• Jun 17 Kevin Thornton, American vocalist (Color Me Badd-Want to Sex You Up)
• Jun 18 Pål Pot Pamparius, Norwegian musician (Turbonegro)
• Jun 23 Noa [Achinoam Nini], Israeli singer (There Must Be Another Way), born in Bat Yam, Israel
• Jun 24 Sissel Kyrkjebø, Norwegian singer
• Jun 26 Colin Greenwood, English musician (Radiohead), born in Oxford, England

• Jul 3 Kevin Hearn, Canadian musician (Barenaked Ladies), born in Grimsby, Ontario
• Jul 5 RZA [Robert Fitzgerald Diggs], American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan), born in NYC, New York
• Jul 6 Michael Grant, vocalist (Musical Youth)
• Jul 7 Nathalie Simard, French-Canadian singer, born in Île d'Orléans, Canada
• Jul 8 Sugizo [Yasuhiro Sugihara], Japanese guitarist and singer, born in Hadano, Kanagawa
• Jul 11 David Tao, Taiwanese singer-songwriter
• Jul 12 Jesse Pintado, American guitarist (Napalm Death) (d. 2006)
• Jul 20 Tobi Vail, American musician (Bikini Kill, The Go Team, The Frumpies)
• Jul 21 Emerson Hart, American musician (Tonic)
• Jul 22 Despina Vandi, Greek singer

• Jul 25 Trevor Peres, American metal guitarist (Obituary-The End Complete)
• Aug 2 Jan Axel Blomberg Norwegian musician (Dimmu Borgir, Winds, Mayhem)
• Aug 2 Richard Hallebeek, Dutch guitarist
• Aug 4 Max Cavalera, Brazilian rock vocalist/guitarist (Sepultura)
• Aug 6 Elliott Smith, American musician (d. 2003)
• Aug 8 Faye Wong, Hong Kong cantopop singer-songwriter and actress ( Chungking Express), born in Beijing, China
• Aug 11 Eddie Garcia, LA, actor/musician (Guys Next Door-I Was Made For You)
• Aug 11 Jonah Matranga, American singer
• Aug 17 Donald E Wahlberg Jr, rocker (New Kids-Hangin' Tough), born in Boston, Massachusetts
• Aug 18 Masta Killa, American rapper
• Aug 18 Everlast, American musician

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• Jul 26 "The 5th Dimension" lead vocalist Marilyn McCoo (25) weds fellow bandmate Billy Davis, Jr. (31)

• Dec 17 50m TV viewers watch singer Tiny Tim marry Miss Vicky, on "The Tonight Show"

• Jan 4 Paul Chambers, American jazz bassist, dies at 33
• Jan 4 Montague Fawcett Phillips, British composer, dies at 83
• Jan 9 Ladislav Vycpalek, composer, dies at 86
• Jan 10 John Brownlee, Australian tenor (b. 1900)
• Jan 16 Vernon Duke [Vladimir Alexandrovich Dukelsky], American composer and songwriter (Taking a Chance on Love), dies of lung cancer at 65
• Jan 17 Grazyna Bacewicz, composer, dies at 59
• Jan 23 Jaroslav Křička, Czech composer, dies at 86
• Jan 24 Pauline Hall, Norwegian composer, dies at 78
• Jan 25 Irene Castle, English dancer (b. 1887)
• Jan 27 Hanns Jelinek, Austrian composer, dies at 67
• Jan 31 Alexander Mikhaylovich Dzegelyonok, composer, dies at 77
• Feb 2 Giovanni Martinelli, opera singer (NY Met), dies at 83
• Feb 7 Bainbridge Crist, composer, dies at 85
• Feb 20 Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor/composer, dies at 85
• Feb 23 Joseph Messner, Austrian organist and composer, dies at 75
• Feb 27 John Boles, American singer and actor (Stella Dallas, Curly Top), dies at 73
• Mar 15 Miles Malleson, British writer and actor (Phantom of the Opera, Postman's Knock), dies at 80
• Mar 19 Theodor Schaefer, Czech composer, dies at 65
• Mar 25 Billy Cotton, British bandleader and entertainer, dies at 69
• Apr 8 Arthur Walter Kramer, American composer, dies at 78
• Apr 11 Ludvig Irgens-Jensen, Norwegian composer, dies at 74
• Apr 23 Krzysztof Komeda, Polish composer, dies at 37
• Apr 28 Johannes Rontgen, composer, dies at 70
• May 3 Imre Vincze, Hungarian composer, dies at 42
• May 19 Coleman Hawkins, US jazz musician/composer, dies
• May 23 Jimmy McHugh, American composer (Can't Give You Anything But Love), dies at 74
• May 30 Gaston Brenta, Belgian composer, dies at 66
• May 30 John Cipollini, guitarist, dies of ephysema at 45
• Jun 13 Ken Errair, American singer (Four Freshmen), dies in a plane crash at 39
• Jun 14 Wynonie Harris, American rhythm and blues singer, dies of cancer at 53
• Jun 16 Karl Hubert Rudolf Schiske, composer, dies at 53

• Jun 27 Richard Vance Maxfield, composer, dies at 42
• Jun 29 Shorty Long [Frederick Earl Long], American soul singer/pianist (Here Comes the Judge), dies at 29
• Jun 29 Veselin Stoyanov, Bulgarian composer, dies at 67
• Jun 30 Jan Evangelista Zelinka, composer, dies at 76
• Jul 3 Brian Jones [Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones], English musician (Rolling Stones), drowns to death at 27
• Jul 3 Hermann Grabner, composer, dies at 83
• Jul 5 Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist (Rubinstein-1905), dies at 85
• Jul 7 Gladys Swarthout, US mezzo-soprano (La Gioconda), dies at 69
• Jul 9 Pierre Capdevielle, composer, dies at 63
• Jul 20 Roy Hamilton, American singer (You'll Never Walk Alone), dies at 40
• Jul 25 Douglas Stuart Moore, composer, dies at 75
• Jul 28 Ernst Tittel, Austrian organist and composer, dies at 59
• Jul 28 Frank H Loesser, US songwriter/composer (Guys & Dolls), dies at 59
• Jul 28 Gabriel von Wayditch, composer, dies at 80
• Jul 28 Frank Loesser, American songwriter and composer (Most Happy Fella), dies at 59
• Aug 2 Clarence Dickinson, American composer, dies at 96
• Aug 7 Joseph Kosma, composer, dies at 63
• Aug 7 Russ Morgan, American orchestra leader (Welcome Aboard), dies at 65
• Aug 18 Laci Boldemann, Swedish composer, dies at 48
• Aug 31 Ottmar Gerster, German composer (rector of the Liszt Music Academy in Weimar), dies at 72
• Sep 1 William Flanagan, composer, dies at 46
• Sep 5 Henk Bijvanck, Dutch composer, dies at 59
• Sep 5 Mitchell Ayres, orchestra leader (Hollywood Palace), dies at 58
• Sep 5 Josh White, American blues, folk and gospel musician, dies at 55
• Sep 18 Rudolph Wagner-Regeny, composer, dies at 66
• Oct 3 Skip James, American blues musician (b. 1902)
• Oct 4 Natalino Otto, Italian singer (b. 1912)
• Oct 22 Giovanni Martinelli, Italian opera singer (NY Met), dies on 84th birthday
• Oct 23 Tommy Edwards, rocker, dies at 47
• Oct 24 Otto Jochum, German composer, dies at 71
• Oct 27 Jaime Pahissa, composer, dies at 89
• Oct 30 Pops Foster, American musician (b. 1892)
• Oct 31 Hugo Pfister, Swiss composer, dies at 55
• Nov 4 Ferenc Szabó, Hungarian composer (Lúdas Matyi, Légy jó mindhalálig), dies at 66
• Nov 12 Louis van Tulder, Dutch tenor (Kantoorkruk to high C), dies at 77
• Nov 18 Leon Jongen, Belgian composer, dies at 85
• Nov 18 Ted Heath, British musician and bandleader (b. 1902)
• Nov 22 Acario Cotapos, Chilean composer, dies at 80
• Dec 1 Magic Sam, American blues guitarist and singer (b. 1937)
• Dec 4 Alceo Toni, Italian composer, dies at 85
• Dec 8 Vincenzo Davico, composer, dies at 80
• Dec 10 Franco Capuana, composer, dies at 75
• Dec 10 Leigh Harline, composer, dies at 62
• Dec 31 Salvatore Baccaloni,Italian opera singer and actor (Merry Andrew, Rock-a-Bye Baby), dies at 69

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