Shostakovich' 2nd Piano Concert
Jan 2 Dmitri Shostakovich' 2nd Piano concert, premieres in NY
Gibson's 'Flying V'
Jan 7 Gibson Guitars receives US patent for their 'Flying V' electric guitar model; eventually used by Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan of T-Rex, Dave Davies of the Kinks, and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top
Great Balls of Fire
Jan 10 Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" reaches #1 on the UK pop charts
Music History
Feb 19 Carl Perkins leaves Sun Records for Columbia Records
- Feb 21 "Portotino" opens at Adelphi Theater, NYC; runs for 3 performances
- Feb 22 "Portotino" closes at Adelphi Theater NYC after 3 performances
- Mar 12 3rd Eurovision Song Contest: Andre Claveau for France wins singing "Dors, mon amour" in Hilversum
- Mar 15 "Body Beautiful" musical closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 60 performances
Elvis Presley in the Army
Mar 24 Elvis Presley joins the U.S. Army (serial number 53310761)
- Apr 3 Abe Burrows, Richard and Marian Bissell's comedy "Say, Darling" opens at ANTA Theater, NYC; runs for 332 performances
- Apr 13 12th Tony Awards: "Sunrise at Campobello" (play) and "The Music Man" (musical) win
- Apr 13 Classical pianist Van Cliburn (23) is the first American to win the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, USSR
- Apr 23 Robert Kurka's "The Good Soldier Schweik", with libretto written by Abe Meeropol, premieres at the New York City Opera
- May 12 "Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu" by Dicky Doo & The Don'ts hits #40
- May 19 "South Pacific" soundtrack album goes #1 & stays #1 for 31 weeks
- May 24 "New Girl in Town" closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 432 performances
- May 31 Dick Dale invents "surf music" with "Let's Go Trippin"
Music History
Jun 7 American songwriter and impresario Berry Gordy Jr. founds Tamla Records, precursor to Motown Records, in Detroit, Michigan
- Jun 9 Novelty song "The Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley hits #1
Music History
Jun 13 Frank Zappa graduates from Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, California
- Jun 16 "Flip Top Box" by Dicky Doo & The Don'ts hits #46
Little Girl Blue
Jun 24 Nina Simone releases her debut jazz album "Little Girl Blue"
- Jun 30 "No Chemise, Please" by Gerry Grenahan peaks at #24
King Creole
Jul 2 Musical drama Film "King Creole" starring Elvis Presley based on a novel by Harold Robbins premieres
Andy Williams Show
Jul 3 "Andy Williams Show" premieres on ABC (later on CBS & NBC)
Li'l Abner
Jul 12 Gene De Paul and Johnny Mercer's musical "Li'l Abner", adapted from Al Capp's hillbilly comic strip, closes at St James Theater, NYC, after 693 performances and 2 Tony Award wins
Five Finger Exercise
Jul 17 Peter Shaffer's musical "Five Finger Exercise" premieres in London
#1 in the Charts
Aug 4 The Billboard Hot 100 is published for the 1st time, with "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson at #1
- Aug 23 "Musical Marie" Ashton completes playing piano at the Plaza-Central cinema in England - a female record 133 hours
Move It
Aug 29 Cliff Richard and the Drifters release single "Move It", Richards debut single. Credited as 1st British Rock n Roll song.
Music History
Aug 29 Guitarist George Harrison (15) joins The Quarrymen, who later become The Beatles
Music History
Oct 16 Benjamin Britten's "Nocturne," premieres
- Nov 5 Gian Carlo Menotti's musical drama "Maria Golovin" opens at Martin Beck Theater, NYC; runs for 5 performances
- Nov 8 Gian Carlo Menotti's musical drama "Maria Golovin" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 5 performances
- Nov 11 "La Plume de Ma Tante" opens at Royale Theater NYC for 835 performances
- Dec 1 Liberty Records releases single "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" by David Seville and the Chipmunks; it becomes a #1 hit, and wins 3 Grammy Awards (Comedy Performance, Children's Recording, and Best Engineered),
Flower Drum Song
Dec 1 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Flower Drum Song", directed by Gene Kelly, and starring Miyoshi Umeki, opens at St James Theater, NYC; runs for 602 performances, winning a Tony Award
- Dec 22 "Whoop-Up" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 56 performances
- Dec 22 Christmas novelty single "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" by David Seville and the Chipmunks reaches #1 - the only holiday chart-topper until Mariah Carey’s "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 2019
"A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green"
Dec 23 Musical revue "A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green" opens at John Golden Theatre, NYC; runs for 38 performances
- Dec 28 "The Chipmunk Song" by the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon & Theodore with David Seville) hits #1
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