Events in Music in 1997

Jan 9 Heart attacks sends 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 & LeAnn Rimes wins

Feb 27 "Last Night of Ballyhoo" opens at Helen Hayes Theater NYC
Feb 27 Singer Sade (Helen Folasade) arrested in Jamaica for disobeying a police officer
Mar 1 "Mandy Patinkin in Concert" opens at Lyceum Theater NYC

Mar 20 "Play On!" opens at Brooks Atkinson Theater NYC for 61 performances
Mar 22 "Sunset Boulevard" closes at Minskoff NYC after 977 performances
Mar 23 "Mandy Patinkin in Concert" closes at Lyceum Theater NYC
Mar 25 "Barrymore" opens at Music Box Theater NYC for 240 performances
Mar 25 "Life After Death" 2nd studio album by The Notorious B.I.G. is released (Billboard Song of the Year 1997)
Mar 26 "Annie" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC
Mar 27 "Young Man From Atlanta" opens at Longacre NYC for 85 performances
Apr 2 "Doll's House" opens at Belasco Theater NYC
Apr 3 "Dream-Johnny Mercer Musical" opens at Royale NYC for 109 performance
Apr 6 "3 Sisters" closes at Criterion Theater NYC
Apr 13 "American Daughter" opens at Cort Theater NYC for 88 performances
Apr 20 "Gin Game" opens at Lyceum Theater NYC for 144 performances
Apr 20 "Present Laughter" closes at Walter Kerr Theater NYC
Apr 23 32nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, and Patty Loveless win
Apr 24 "Steel Peer" opens at Richard Rodgers Theater NYC for 76 performances
Apr 26 "Life" opens at Barrymore Theater NYC
Apr 27 "Little Foxes" opens at Vivian Beaumont NYC for 56 performances
Apr 27 "Stanley" closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC

Apr 28 "Jekyll & Hyde" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC
Apr 29 "Candide" opens at Gershwin Theater NYC for 103 performances
Apr 30 "London Assurance" opens at Criterion Theater NYC for 72 performances
May 3 42nd Eurovision Song Contest: Katrina and the Waves for United Kingdom wins singing "Love Shine a Light" in Dublin

May 6 Michael Jackson & Bee Gees inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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

May 28 Bob Dylan hospitalized in England with histoplasmosis

May 31 "Once Upon a Matress" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 187 performances
Jun 8 "Young Man From Atlanta" closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 85 performances
Jun 15 "Little Foxes" closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC after 56 performances
Jun 16 31st Music City News Country Awards: Alan Jackson & LeAnn Rimes
Jun 19 "Forever Tango!" opens at Walter Kerr Theater NYC
Jun 21 "Defending the Caveman" closes at Helen Hayes NYC after 671 performances
Jun 25 Jamaica issues a warrant for singer Sade, who fails to report to court on charges of failure to obey a cop who signaled her to stop
Jun 28 "Master Class" closes at Golden Theater NYC after 601 performances
Jun 28 "Steel Peer" closes at Richard Rodgers Theater NYC after 76 performances
Jun 29 "American Daughter" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 88 performances
Jun 29 "London Assurance" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 72 performances
Jul 6 "Dream-Johnny Mercer Musical" closes at Royale NYC after 109 performances
Jul 25 Rocker Rick Danko gets suspended sentence in Japan for drug smuggling
Jul 27 "Candide" closes at Gershwin Theater NYC after 103 performances
Jul 27 "Victor/Victoria" closes at Marquis Theater NYC after 738 performances

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)

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

Sep 13 "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" single is released in the UK by Elton John
Sep 22 Elton John releases "Candle in the Wind 1997", a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales in the US
Sep 24 31st Country Music Association Award: Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood & George Strait win

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

Sep 30 "Too Close" single released by Next (Billboard Song of the Year 1998)
Oct 4 Farm Aid 10 concert in Texas cancelled due to weak ticket sales and moved to Illinois
Oct 16 "Side Show," opens at Richard Rodgers Theater NYC for 91 performances
Oct 19 "Annie" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC
Oct 23 "Triumph of Love" opens at Royale Theater NYC
Oct 30 "The Cherry Orchard" opens at Martin Beck Theater, NYC
Nov 2 "Barrymore" closes at Music Box Theater NYC after 240 performances

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

Nov 6 "Proposals" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 76 performances
Nov 9 "Cherry Orchard" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC
Nov 9 "Scarlet Pimpernel" opens at Minskoff Theater NYC
Nov 10 "Jackie - An American Life" opens at Belasco Theater NYC
Nov 13 "Lion King" opens at New Amersterdam Theater NYC
Nov 16 "1776" closes at Criterion Theater NYC
Nov 18 70s glam-rock star Gary Glitter (real name Paul Gadd) arrested by British police in child porn probe

Nov 18 Metallica release the album "ReLoad"

Nov 18 "Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture" album is released by Sony Music Soundtrax
Nov 19 "Eugene Onegin" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC
Nov 19 "Old Neighborhood" opens at Booth Theater NYC
Nov 20 "Ivanov" opens at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC for 51 performances
Nov 24 "Street Corner Symphony" opens at Brooks Atkinson NYC for 79 performances
Nov 25 "Sevens" 7th studio album by Garth Brooks is released (Grammy Award Best Country Collaboration with Vocals 1998, Billboard Album of the Year 1998)
Nov 30 "Eugene Onegin" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC
Dec 3 "1776" opens at Gershwin Theater NYC
Dec 4 "Diary of Anne Frank" opens at Music Box Theater NYC