Events in Music in 1971

Jan 6 Neil Young returns to his homeland of Canada for his first concert there since his pre-stardom days

Jan 15 George Harrison releases "My Sweet Lord" single in the UK

Jan 19 The Beatles' "Helter Skelter" is played at Charles Manson trial

Jan 20 John Lennon meets Yoko Ono's parents in Japan

Jan 20 Single "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye about police brutality is released

Jan 22 John Lennon and Yoko Ono record "Power to the People"

Feb 19 Paul McCartney releases "Another Day" in UK

Mar 5 "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin first played live at Ulster Hall, Belfast by Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones

Mar 11 Jim Morrison leaves for Paris to reorient himself emotionally and creatively and to avoid the jail sentence given to him in Miami. He will never return to the US.

Mar 14 Barbra Streisand appears on "The Burt Bacharach Special" on CBS TV

Mar 14 The Rolling Stones leave England for France to escape taxes

Mar 16 Muddy Waters wins his first Grammy Award

Mar 22 6th Academy of Country Music Awards: Merle Haggard and Lynn Anderson win

Mar 25 Tom Jones' "She's a Lady" goes gold

Jun 24 "McCabe and Mrs Miller" film by Robert Altman, starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie with songs by Leonard Cohen is released

Jun 25 Stevie Wonder releases "Where I'm Coming From"

Jun 29 Rolling Stones Mick Jagger & Keith Richards sentenced on drug offense

Aug 13 Paul & Linda McCartney release "Back Seat of My Car"