Music History
Jan 9 Heart attacks sends singer Frank Sinatra back to hospital
- Jan 9 Krzysztof Penderecki's choral symphony "Seven Gates of Jerusalem" premieres in Jerusalem, Israel
- Jan 10 "Rehearsal" closes at Criterion Theater NYC
- Jan 26 "Ideal Husband" closes at Barrymore Theater NYC after 308 performances
- Jan 27 "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" opens at Gershwin NYC
Music Awards
Jan 27 24th American Music Awards: Toni Braxton & Alanis Morissette win
Grammy Awards
Feb 26 39th Grammy Awards: "Change the World", Babyface, Beck, and LeAnn Rimes win
- 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; runs for 16 performances
- Mar 8 11th Soul Train Music Awards: Curtis Mayfield, and Babyface win
Knighthood
Mar 11 Beatle Paul McCartney knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
Theater Premiere
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
Film Release
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
Musical Finale
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
- 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" second studio album by The Notorious B.I.G. is released (Billboard Song of the Year 1997)
- Mar 26 "Annie" opens at Martin Beck Theater New York City, and runs for 239 performances.
- 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 Theatre, NYC; runs 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 Kandor and Ebb's musical "Steel Pier" opens at Richard Rodgers Theater,NYC; runs 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 the Square 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
Music Concert
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 3 42nd Eurovision Song Contest: Katrina and the Waves for United Kingdom wins singing "Love Shine a Light" in Dublin
Hall of Fame
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 11 "Play On!" closes at Brooks Atkinson Theatre NYC after 61 performances
Music Single
May 12 "It's Your Love" single released by Time McGraw and Faith Hill
- Jun 1 "Once Upon a Mattress" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 188 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 win
- 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 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 Kandor and Ebb's musical "Steel Pier" 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 (The Band) 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
Music Concert
Aug 7 Garth Brooks performs a free concert in NYC's Central Park for HBO, later releasing it as Garth: Live from Central Park
Music Single
Aug 9 "Just to See You Smile" single released by Tim McGraw (Billboard Song of the Year 1998)
- Aug 14 "1776" opens at Criterion Theater NYC
Album Release
Aug 25 Welsh rock band Stereophonics release their debut studio album "Word Gets Around"
Music Release
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
Album Release
Sep 29 Robbie Williams releases his first solo album "Life thru a Lens" features single "Angels"
Farm Aid Concert
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
Sports History
Nov 1 Expanded Negro Leagues Museum and the new American Jazz Museum open in Kansas City's historic 18th and Vine district
- Nov 2 "Barrymore" closes at Music Box Theater NYC after 240 performances
Television Premiere
Nov 2 Rodgers & Hammerstein's television musical "Cinderella", starring Brandy Norwood, Whitney Houston, and Bernadette Peters premieres on ABC-TV
Album Release
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 "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 Theatre, NYC; runs 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
Music Awards
Dec 8 8th Billboard Music Awards: LeAnn Rimes & Spice Girls win
Music History
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
Theater Premiere
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
Film Premiere
Dec 15 "Spice World" movie directed by Bob Spiers and starring girl group the Spice Girls premieres in the UK