16 January:CHERYL BENTYNE = American vocalist, member of The Manhattan Transfer {1979-present}
25 January:RICHARD FINCH = American composer, producer, engineer, and song arranger, member of K.C. and the Sunshine Band {1973-1981}
10 February:CARITA HOLMSTRÖM = Finnish pianist, singer and songwriter
18 February:JOHN TRAVOLTA = American actor, singer and dancer
27 February:NEAL SCHON = American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist, member of Journey {1973-present}
10 March:TINA CHARLES = English singer
16 March:
JULIAN MARSHALL = English songwriter and keyboard player, member of Marshall Hain {1978-1979}
NANCY WILSON = American musician, singer, songwriter, actress, and producer, member of Heart {1973–1995, 2002–present}
31 March:TONY BROCK = British rock drummer, who is best known as the drummer and occasional vocalist for the English group The Babys {1974–1981, 2013–present}
5 April:PETER CASE = American singer-songwriter and guitarist
13 April:JAMES MOLLICA bka JIMMY DESTRI = American musician, member of Blondie
17 April:MICHAEL SEMBELLO = American musician and songwriter
28 April:MICHAEL DAUGHERTY = American composer, pianist, and teacher
1 May:RAY PARKER, Jr. = American musician-guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer and actor
2 May:ANGELA BOFILL = American R&B and jazz singer-songwriter
11 May:JUDITH WEIR = British composer
18 May:REINHOLD HEIL = German-born film and television composer
20 May:JIMMIE HENDERSON = American musician, member of Black Oak Arkansas {1975–1979} = [died: 2016]
21 May:MARC RIBOT = American session guitarist and composer
31 May:VICKI SUE ROBINSON = American disco singer = [died: 2000]
3 June:DAN HILL = Canadian pop singer and songwriter
8 June:GREG GINN = American guitarist, songwriter, and singer, best known for being the leader of and primary songwriter for the hardcore punk band Black Flag {1976–1986, 2003, 2013–2014}
13 June:ROBERT DONALDSON = American musician, member of Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods {1965–1980; 1996–present}
15 June:TERRI GIBBS = American country music artist
20 June:MICHAEL ANTHONY = American musician, member of Van Halen {1974-2006}
10 July:NEIL TENNANT = British singer-songwriter and record producer, member of Pet Shop Boys
18 July:TOBIAS PICKER = American composer
11 August:JOE JACKSON = English singer, songwriter and composer
17 August:ERIC JOHNSON = American guitarist, songwriter and record producer
25 August:DECLAN PATRICK MacMANUS bka ELVIS COSTELLO English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer
14 September:BARRY COWSILL = American musician (drummer) and member of the musical group The Cowsills = [died: 2005]
17 September:JOËL-FRANÇOIS DURAND = French composer
28 September:GEORGE LYNCH = American hard rock guitarist and songwriter, member of Dokken
30 September:BARBARA TRZETRZELEWSKA bka BASIA = Polish singer-songwriter and record producer
3 October:STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN = American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer = [died: 1990]
9 October:JAMES FEARNLEY = English musician, member of The Pogues
10 October:DAVID LEE ROTH = American rock vocalist, musician, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality, member of Van Halen {1974-1985, 2006-present}
12 October:MICHAEL ROE = American record producer, songwriter, guitarist and singer, lead singer of The 77s
3 November:STUART LESLIE GODDARD bka ADAM ANT = English singer and musician, member of Adam and The Ants
4 November:CHRIS DIFFORD = English singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and founding member of Squeeze
10 November:MARIO CIPOLLINA = American musician, member of Huey Lewis and the News {1979-1995}
23 November:BRUCE HORNSBY = American pianist, singer and songwriter
11 December:JERMAINE JACKSON = American singer, member of The Jackson 5
25 December:
ROBIN CAMPBELL = English musician, member of UB40 {December 1978-present}
ANNIE LENNOX = Scottish singer, songwriter, political activist and philanthropist
date unknown:
GÉRARD BUQUET = French tubist, conductor and composer
MARTY DIECKMEYER = American musician (bass guitar and keyboards), member of Daniel Amos {1975-1982}
Timeline of Musical Events
14 January: First documented use of the abbreviated term "Rock 'n' Roll" to promote ALAN FREED'sRock 'n' Roll Jubillee, held at St. Nicholas Arena in New York, New York. Previously the genre term was just called "Rock and Roll"
1 February:JOHNNY "GUITAR" WATSON records "Space Guitar" pioneering reverb and feedback techniques on guitar
12 March:ARNOLD SCHOENBERG's opera Moses und Aron has its first performance in Hamburg (it is given a staged première on June 6 in Zurich).
15 March: The Chords record "Sh-Boom" for Atlantic Records' Cat subsidiary.
25 March: At the 26th Academy Awards, FRANK SINATRA wins the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'From Here to Eternity', resuscitating his singing career in the process. At the same ceremony, BING CROSBY is nominated for Best Actor for his role in 'The Country Girl'.
12 April: BILL HALEY and His Comets record "Rock Around the Clock" in New York City for Decca Records.
20 May: "Rock Around the Clock" is released as the B-side of "Thirteen Women (and Only One Man in Town)". The song is only a moderate success until it is featured in the film 'Blackboard Jungle' the following year.
5 July:ELVIS PRESLEY has his first commercial recording session at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. He sang That's All Right (Mama) and Blue Moon of Kentucky.
16 October:ELVIS PRESLEY makes his first appearance on a radio program in Shreveport, Louisiana called the Louisiana Hayride.
Fall:
A cover version of BIG JOE TURNER's "Shake, Rattle and Roll" by BILL HALEY and His Comets becomes the first internationally popular rock and roll recording.
Record companies deliver 7 inch 45 rpm record singles to radio stations instead of 78s.
Lyric Opera of Chicago is founded.
PAT BOONE begins his recording career at Republic Records.
LES PAUL commissions Ampex to build the first eight track tape recorder, at his own expense.
The Drifters form.
The Isley Brothers make their first recordings, featuring only the three eldest brothers, O'KELLY Jr., RUDOLPH and RONALD.
The Newport Jazz Festival is established by George Wein.
São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra is founded.
Published Popular Music
"All Of You" = lyrics & music by COLE PORTER
"Annie Had a Baby" = lyrics & music by HENRY GLOVER & LOIS MANN
"A Blossom Fell" = lyrics & music by HOWARD BARNES, HAROLD CORNELIUS & DOMINIC JOHN
"Cara Mia" = lyrics & music by TULIO TRAPANI & LEE LANGE
"Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" = English lyrics by MACK DAVID, French lyrics by JACQUES LARUE; music by LOUIGUY
"Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)" = lyrics & music by IRVING BERLIN
"Cross Over The Bridge" = lyrics & music by BENNIE BENJAMIN & GEORGE DAVID WEISS
"Earth Angel" = lyrics & music by JESSE BELVIN, CURTIS WILLIAMS & GAYNEL HODGE
"Ev'ry Day of My Life" = lyrics & music by AL JACOBS AND JIMMIE CRANE
"The Finger Of Suspicion Points At You" = lyrics & music by PAUL MANN & AL LEWIS
"From The Vine Came The Grape" = lyrics & music by LEONARD WHITCUP & PAUL CUNNINGHAM
"Gilly, Gilly, Ossenfeffer, Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea" = lyrics & music by AL HOFFMAN & DICK MANNING
"Hearts Of Stone" = lyrics by EDDY RAY; music by RUDY JACKSON
"Hernando's Hideaway" = lyrics & music by RICHARD ADLER & JERRY ROSS
"He's A Tramp" = by SONNY BURKE, PEGGY LEE
"Hey There" = lyrics & music by RICHARD ADLER & JERRY ROSS
"The High and the Mighty" = lyrics by NED WASHINGTON; music by DIMITRI TIOMKIN
"Honeycomb" = lyrics & music by BOB MERRILL
"I Can't Tell A Waltz From A Tango" = by AL HOFFMAN, DICK MANNING
"I Could Be Happy With You" = lyrics & music by SANDY WILSON
"I Don't Hurt Anymore" = lyrics by JACK ROLLINS; music by DON ROBERTSON
"I Got A Woman" = lyrics & music by RAY CHARLES & RENALD RICHARD
"I Left My Heart In San Francisco" = lyrics by DOUGLAS CROSS; music by GEORGE CORY
"If I Give My Heart to You" = lyrics & music by JIMMY BREWSTER, JIMMIE CRANE & AL JACOBS
"I'll Walk With God" = lyrics by PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER; music by NICHOLAS BRODSZKY
"I'm Not At All In Love" = lyrics & music by RICHARD ADLER & JERRY ROSS. Introduced by JANIS PAIGE in the musical 'The Pajama Game'
"In Other Words" (aka "Fly Me To The Moon") = lyrics & music by BART HOWARD
"In Paris and in Love" = lyrics by LEO ROBIN; music by SIGMUND ROMBERG. Introduced by JEAN MAIRE and DAVID ATKINSON in the musical 'The Girl in the Pink Tights'
"Let Me Go, Lover!" = lyrics & music by JENNY LOU CARSON & AL HILL
"The Little Shoemaker" = English lyrics by JOHN TURNER & GEOFFREY PARSONS, French lyrics by AVRIL LAMARQUE; music by RUDI REVIL
"Mambo Italiano" = lyrics & music by BOB MERRILL
"Mister Sandman" = lyrics & music by PAT BALLARD
"Misty" = lyrics by JOHNNY BURKE; music by ERROL GARNER
"My Son, My Son" = lyrics by BOB HOWARD; music by MELVILLE FARLEY & EDDIE CALVERT
"The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" = lyrics & music by SID TEPPER & ROY C. BENNETT
"Only You (and You Alone)" = lyrics & music by BUCK RAM & ANDE RAND
"Open Up Your Heart (And Let the Sunshine In)" = lyrics & music by STUART HAMBLEN
"Papa Loves Mambo" = lyrics & music by AL HOFFMAN, DICK MANNING & BIX REICHNER
"Pledging My Love" = lyrics & music by FERDINAND WASHINGTON & DON ROBEY
"The Poor People of Paris" = English lyrics by JACK LAWRENCE, French lyrics by RENE ROUZAUD; music by MARGUERITE MONNOT"La Goulante du Pauvre Jean"
"Release Me" = lyrics & music by EDDIE MILLER & W. S. STEVENSON
"River of No Return" = lyrics by KEN DARBY; music by LIONEL NEWMAN from the film 'River of No Return'
"Shake, Rattle And Roll" = lyrics & music by CHARLES CALHOUN
"Sh-Boom" = lyrics & music by JAMES KEYES, CLAUDE & CARL FEASTER, FLOYD F. MCRAE & JAMES EDWARDS
"Sincerely" = lyrics & music by HARVEY FUQUA & ALAN FREED
"Sisters" = lyrics & music by IRVING BERLIN
"Skokiaan" = lyrics by TOM GLAZER; music by AUGUST MUSARURWA
"Smile" = lyrics by JOHN TURNER & GEOFFREY PARSONS; music by CHARLES CHAPLIN
"Steam Heat" = lyrics & music by RICHARD ADLER & JERRY ROSS
"There Once Was a Man" = lyrics & music by RICHARD ADLER & JERRY ROSS. Introduced by JOHN RAITT and JANIS PAIGE in the musical 'The Pajama Game'
"This Ole House" = lyrics & music by STUART HAMBLEN
"Three Coins In The Fountain" = lyrics by SAMMY CAHN; music by JULE STYNE
"Tweedle Dee" = lyrics & music by WINFIELD SCOTT
"What a Dream" = lyrics & music by CHUCK WILLIS
"Whither Thou Goest" = lyrics & music by GUY SINGER
"Wonderful, Wonderful Day" = lyrics by JOHNNY MERCER; music by GENE DE PAUL from the film 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'
"Work With Me, Annie" = lyrics & music by HANK BALLARD
"Young And Foolish" = lyrics by ARNOLD B. HORWITT; music by ALBERT HAGUE from the 1955 musical 'Plain and Fancy'
Classical Music
JEAN BARRAQUÉ
Sequence
ARNOLD BAX
Autumn Legend
BORIS BLACHER
Viola Concerto
PIERRE BOULEZ
Le Marteau sans Maître
HAVERGAL BRIAN
Symphony No. 10
GEORGE CRUMB
String Quartet
MARIO DAVIDOVSKY
Concertino for Percussion and String Orchestra
ERNO DOHNÁNYI
American Rhapsody
ROSS LEE FINNEY
Second Piano Trio
GERALD FINZI
Cello Concerto opus 40 in A minor
ANDRÉ FLEURY
Messe pour la fête de tous les saints
ARMSTRONG GIBBS
Dale and Fell
HOWARD HANSON
Symphony No. 5, Sinfonia Sacra
ANDREW IMBRIE
Violin Concerto
ALEMDAR KARAMANOV
Symphony No. 1
ARAM KHACHATURIAN
Spartacus, ballet
GYÖRGY LIGETI
String Quartet No. 1, Metamorphoses Nocturnes
DARIUS MILHAUD
West Point Suite
WALTER PISTON
Symphony No. 5
EDMUND RUBBRA
Sixth Symphony, Op. 80 and Viola Concerto, Op. 75
ROGER SESSIONS
Idyll of Theocritus
ROBERT SIMPSON (composer)
String Quartet No. 3
IGOR STRAVINSKY
In Memoriam Dylan Thomas
VIRGIL THOMSON
Concerto for Flute, Strings, Harp and Percussion
ERNST TOCH
String Quartet No. 13, Op. 74
HENRI TOMASI
Concerto for Horn
EDUARD TUBIN
Symphony No. 6
EDGARD VARÈSE
Déserts (1950-54)
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Tuba Concerto in F minor
STEFAN WOLPE
Symphony for 24 Instruments
Opera
JACK BEESON
Hello, Out There
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
The Turn of the Screw (opera)
AARON COPLAND
The Tender Land
PAUL HINDEMITH
Neues vom Tage (revision)
BOHUSLAV MARTINU
Mirandolina
JEROME MOROSS
The Golden Apple
WILLIAM WALTON
Troilus and Cressida
Musical Theatre
AFTER THE BALL
(Music, Lyrics and Book: Noël Coward)
London production opened at the Globe Theatre on June 10 and ran for 188 performances
THE BOY FRIEND
(Sandy Wilson)
Broadway production opened at the Royale Theatre on September 30 and ran for 485 performances
BY THE BEAUTIFUL SEA starring Shirley Booth
(Music: Arthur Schwartz Lyrics: Dorothy Fields)
Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on April 8 and transferred to the Imperial Theatre on October 2 for a total run of 268 performances
CAN-CAN
London production opened at the Coliseum on October 14 and ran for 394 performances
London production opened at the Westminster Theatre on July 28 and ran for 134 performances
FANNY
Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre on November 4 and transferred to the Belasco Theatre on December 4, 1956 for a total run of 888 performances
THE GIRL IN PINK TIGHTS
Broadway production opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on March 5 and ran for 115 performances
THE GOLDEN APPLE
Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on April 20 and ran for 125 performances
HAPPY HOLIDAY
(Music: George Posford Lyrics & Book: Eric Maschwitz and Arnold Ridley)
London production opened at the Palace Theatre on December 22 and ran for 31 performances
HOUSE OF FLOWERS
Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on December 30 and ran for 165 performances
ON YOUR TOES
Broadway revival opened at the 46th Street Theatre on October 11 and ran for 64 performances
THE PAJAMA GAME
(Richard Adler and Jerry Ross)
Broadway production opened at the St. James Theatre on May 13 and transferred to the Shubert Theatre on November 24, 1956 for a total run of 1063 performances
PAL JOEY
(Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: John O'Hara)
London production opened at Princes Theatre on August 4 and ran for 245 performances
PETER PAN
Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on October 20 and ran for 152 performances