Your Arm's Too Short To Box With God
Jan 1 Alex Bradford, Vinnette Carroll, and Micki Grant's musical "Your Arm's Too Short To Box With God" closes at Lyceum Theatre, NYC, after 429 performances and 1 Tony Award
- Jan 2 Rhino Records releases their 1st album "Wildmania"
Sex Pistol's Final Tour
Jan 5 Start of the Sex Pistols final tour in Atlanta, Georgia
Sex Pistol's Final Concert
Jan 14 British punk rock band Sex Pistols hold what becomes their final concert at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, California
Sex Pistols Break Up
Jan 17 After a tumultuous final tour the Sex Pistols break up as a band, which is announced the following day
"Saturday Night Fever"
Jan 21 Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1 for 24 weeks
On The Twentieth Century
Feb 19 Cy Coleman, Betty Comden & Adolph Green's musical "On The Twentieth Century", starring John Cullum and Madeline Kahn, and Kevin Kline, and directed by Hal Prince, opens at the St. James Theatre, NYC; runs for 449 performances, wins 5 Tony and 4 Drama Desk Awards
People's Choice Awards
Feb 20 4th People's Choice Awards: John Wayne and Barbra Streisand (Motion Picture), and James Garner and Mary Tyler Moore (TV) win
Grammy Awards
Feb 23 20th Grammy Awards: "Hotel California" by The Eagles; Fleetwood Mac; Debbie Boone win
- Mar 1 "Timbuktu!" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 243 performances
- Mar 5 Revival of Jerry Herman's musical "Hello, Dolly!", starring Carol Channing, opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC; runs for 152 performances
- Mar 18 250,000 attend rock concert California Jam II in Ontario, California
- Mar 24 Wings release single "With a Little Luck"
Academy of Country Music Awards
Apr 12 13th Academy of Country Music Awards: Kenny Rogers and Crystal Gayle win
- Apr 12 Gyorgy Ligeti's opera "Le Grand Macabre" premieres in Stockholm
- Apr 16 "History of the American Film" closes at ANTA NYC after 21 performances
- Apr 22 23rd Eurovision Song Contest: Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta for Israel wins singing "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" in Paris
- Apr 30 "Elvis: The Legend Lives!", a one-man show starring Rick Saucedo, closes at Palace Theatre, NYC, after 101 performances [1]
Ain't Misbehavin
May 9 Musical review of Fats Waller songs "Ain't Misbehavin'" starring Nell Carter and Irene Cara, opens at Longacre Theater, NYC; runs for 1604 performances, winning 3 Drama Desk and 3 Tony Awards
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Jun 2 Columbia Records releases Bruce Springsteen fourth studio album "Darkness on the Edge of Town"
- Jun 4 "Working" closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 25 performances
Grease
Jun 16 Film "Grease" opens, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, based on the 1971 musical
Bad Boy
Jun 16 Ringo Starr releases album "Bad Boy"
Music History
Jun 17 "Cheeseburger In Paradise" by Jimmy Buffett peaks at #32
- Jun 19 "Best Little Whorehouse..." opens at 46th St NYC for 1577 performances
Evita
Jun 21 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical "Evita", starring Elaine Page, premieres at the Prince Edward Theatre, London
- Jun 28 UNICEF chooses rock group Kansas as Ambassadors of Goodwill
Music History
Jul 1 John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical "The Act", starring Liza Minnelli and directed by Martin Scorsese closes at Majestic Theater, NYC, after 233 performances
- Jul 9 Revival of Jerry Herman's musical "Hello, Dolly!", starring Carol Channing, closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC, after 152 performances
- Jul 13 BBC bans Sex Pistols "No One is Innocent"
Music History
Jul 25 John Lydon forms rock group Public Ltd Image
- Aug 11 "C'est Chic" second studio album by Chic is released featuring single "Le Freak" (Billboard Album of the Year 1979)
- Sep 10 "Timbuktu!" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 243 performances
- Sep 16 Grateful Dead perform in Cairo, Egypt
- Sep 20 Musical review "Eubie!", based on the songs of composer Eubie Blake, opens at Ambassador Theater, NYC; runs for 439 performances
Never Say Die
Sep 28 Metal band Black Sabbath release their 8th album "Never Say Die", last to feature Ozzy Osbourne before he was fired
Music History
Oct 6 Mick Jagger apologizes for racist lyrics in "Some Girls"
Country Music Association Awards
Oct 9 12th Country Music Association Awards: Dolly Parton, Crystal Gayle, and Don Williams win
Music History
Oct 9 John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical "Ballroom" premieres in NYC
- Oct 10 Aerosmith's Steve Tyler & Joe Perry injured by a cherry bomb
- Oct 10 British pop music magazine "Smash Hits" first published
52nd Street
Oct 11 Columbia Records releases "52nd Street", singer-songwriter Billy Joel's sixth studio album; it becomes his 1st chart-topper, and wins 3 Grammy Awards
Murder of Interest
Oct 12 Sid Vicious charged with murder of girlfriend Nancy Spungen
- Oct 13 "52nd Street" 6th studio album by Billy Joel is released (Grammy Award Album of the Year 1979)
Music History
Oct 17 US President Jimmy Carter presents Congressional Medal to singer Marian Anderson
- Oct 20 British ska-rock band The Police perform 1st US concert at CBGBs in NYC
- Oct 22 "King of Hearts" opens at Minskoff Theater NYC for 48 performances
- Oct 23 Punk rock singer Sid Vicious attempts suicide while at Riker's Detention Center in NYC
Music History
Oct 24 Keith Richards convicted of heroin possession in Toronto
- Nov 12 Gary William Friedman and Will Holt's musical "Platinum" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC; runs for 33 performances
Briefcase Full of Blues
Nov 28 Atlantic Records releases "Briefcase Full of Blues", the debut album by The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi); album tops the chart and becomes best-selling blues record of all-time
You Don't Bring Me Flowers
Dec 2 Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand's duet single "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" hits #1
Rosanne Cash
Dec 15 German label Ariola Records releases eponymous debut album "Rosanne Cash", produced by future husband Rodney Crowell
"A Broadway Musical"
Dec 21 Charles Strouse and Lee Adams' musical "A Broadway Musical" opens and closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater, NYC, after 1 performance
New Drummer for The Who
Dec 22 Kenney Jones becomes The Who's new drummer, replacing the deceased Keith Moon
"Les Miserables"
Dec 27 CBS Television's premiere of its version of "Les Misérables", starring Richard Jordan and Anthony Perkins
- Dec 30 Revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "The King & I" closes at Uris Theater, NYC after 719 performances
- Dec 31 "Magic Show" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 1859 performances
- Dec 31 "Runaways" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 199 performances
- Dec 31 The Runaways' band's last ever concert at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California
- Dec 31 Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California closes after 556 concerts; Final show is the Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and The Blues Brothers; program lasts for over 8 hours, with the Grateful Dead playing for nearly 6 hours; concert broadcast on local PBS TV station KQED, and simulcast by radio station KSAN-FM, after the show, the crowd was treated to a hot, buffet-style breakfast.
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