Events in Music in 1997

Jan 9 Heart attacks sends singer Frank Sinatra back to hospital

Jan 27 24th American Music Awards: Toni Braxton & Alanis Morissette win

Feb 26 39th Grammy Awards: "Change the World", Babyface, Beck, and LeAnn Rimes win

Mar 11 Beatle Paul McCartney knighted by Queen Elizabeth II

Mar 20 Cheryl L. West and Shelden Epp's musical "Play On!", an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" set in 1940s Harlem, featuring music of Duke Ellington, opens at Brooks Atkinson Theatre, NYC; runs for 61 performances

Mar 21 Film "Selena" is released based on the life of singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, starring Jennifer Lopez in her breakthrough role, directed by Gregory Nava

Mar 22 Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton's musical "Sunset Boulevard", based on the film, and starring Glenn Close closes at Minskoff, NYC, after 977 performances and 7 Tony Awards

Apr 30 Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert held at Carnegie Hall, NYC; performers include: Sting, Elton John, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Lyle Lovett, Bobby McFerrin, Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin and Zucchero

May 6 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: The Bee Gees; Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills and Nash; The Jackson Five; Joni Mitchell; Parliament-Funkadelic; The (Young) Rascals; Mahalia Jackson; Bill Monroe; and Syd Nathan

May 12 "It's Your Love" single released by Time McGraw and Faith Hill

May 28 Bob Dylan hospitalized in England with histoplasmosis (fungal lung infection)

Jun 27 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: The Prodigy, and Radiohead headline; other performers include Smashing Pumpkins, Ray Davies, Van Morrison, Sting, Beck, Phish, and Nancy Griffiths

Aug 7 Garth Brooks performs a free concert in NYC's Central Park for HBO, later releasing it as Garth: Live from Central Park

Aug 9 "Just to See You Smile" single released by Tim McGraw (Billboard Song of the Year 1998)

Aug 25 Welsh rock band Stereophonics release their debut studio album "Word Gets Around"

Sep 13 Elton John releases "Candle in the Wind 1997", a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales in the UK

Sep 29 Robbie Williams releases his first solo album "Life thru a Lens" features single "Angels"

Oct 4 Farm Aid 10 held in Tinley Park, Illinois; performers include Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Fogerty, Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Steve Earle, and The Allman Brothers

Nov 1 Expanded Negro Leagues Museum and the new American Jazz Museum open in Kansas City's historic 18th and Vine district

Nov 2 Rodgers & Hammerstein's television musical "Cinderella", starring Brandy Norwood, Whitney Houston, and Bernadette Peters premieres on ABC-TV

Nov 4 "Come On Over" 3rd studio album by Shania Twain is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1999)

Nov 18 Metallica release the album "ReLoad"

Dec 8 8th Billboard Music Awards: LeAnn Rimes & Spice Girls win

Dec 8 Revival of Neil Simon's comedy "The Sunshine Boys", starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randell, opens at Lyceum Theater, NYC; runs for 230 performance

Dec 14 Revival of Arthur Miller's dramatic play "A View From the Bridge", starring Anthony LaPaglia, Allison Janney, and Brittany Murphy. opens at the Criterion Theater, NYC; runs for 239 performance, wins 2 Tony and 4 Drama Desk Awards

Dec 15 "Spice World" movie directed by Bob Spiers and starring girl group the Spice Girls premieres in the UK