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 1st solo single "My Sweet Lord" single in the UK; tops the charts in 15 countries, and becomes subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit

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 Tamla Records releases Marvin Gaye's single "What's Going On" about police brutality, from the album of the same name

Jan 22 John Lennon and Plastic Ono Band record "Power to the People" at his Ascot Sound Studio

Feb 10 Royal Albert Hall bans scheduled concert featuring Frank Zappa

Feb 10 "Tapestry", second album by Carole King, is released (Grammy Award Album of the Year 1972)

Feb 19 Paul McCartney releases single "Another Day" in UK

Feb 19 Progressive rock band Yes release their break-through third studio album "The Yes Album"

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 re-orient himself emotionally and creatively, and to avoid the jail sentence given to him in Miami, Florida. He never returns 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 22 6th Academy of Country Music Awards: Merle Haggard and Lynn Anderson win

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

Apr 4 Stephen Sondheim's "Follies" opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 524 performances, then most expensive Broadway musical at the time

Apr 9 Ringo Starr releases single "It Don't Come Easy" in the UK

May 16 Benjamin Britten's opera "Owen Wingrave" premieres in Aldwych, London

Jun 1 "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" opens at the John Golden Theatre, NYC; runs for 31 performances

Jun 20 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: David Bowie headlines; other performs include: Joan Baez, Hawkwind, Melanie, Traffic, Fairport Convention, and Quintessence

Jun 21 50,000 attend Celebration of Life, rock concert in McCrea, Louisiana; performers included Chuck Berry; Stephen Stills; WAR; John Sebastian; and Delaney and Bonnie

Jun 22 Reprise Records releases "Blue", Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell's 4th studio album [1] [2]

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 single "Where I'm Coming From"

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

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

Oct 12 Rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice opens at Mark Hellinger on Broadway, NYC for 711 performances

Oct 20 "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death" musical by Melvin Van Peebles opens at Barrymore Theater, NYC; runs for 325 performances

Nov 1 Family Productions releases "Cold Spring Harbor", singer-songwriter Billy Joel's debut studio album; a mastering error caused music to be sped up