Music History on February 17

Un Ballo in maschera

1859 Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Un Ballo in maschera" premieres in Naples

Madama Butterfly

1904 Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly" premieres at La Scala in Milan, Italy

Robinson Crusoe Jr

1916 Sigmund Romberg, James Hanley, Harold R. Atteridge and Edgar Smith's musical "Robinson Crusoe Jr", featuring Al Jolson, opens at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC; runs for 139 performances

Music History

1921 Arthur Honegger's chamber piece "Pastorale D'ete" premieres

  • 1927 Deems Taylor's opera "The King's Henchman", with libretto by Edna St. Vincent Millay, premieres at the Metropolitan Opera, NYC

Face the Music

1932 Irving Berlin and Moss Hart's musical "Face the Music" opens at the New Amsterdam Theatre, NYC; runs for 165 performances

  • 1967 Parlophone releases the Beatles' double "A" side single "Penny Lane" & "Strawberry Fields" in the UK
  • 1969 "Cloud Nine" 9th studio album by The Temptations is released (Grammy Award Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group 1969, Billboard Album of the Year 1969)

Music Recording

1969 Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash record an album; it is never released

Music Concert

1972 Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti receives record 17 curtain calls after his performance in "La fille du régiment" at New York's Metropolitan Opera

Rock 'n' Roll

1975 A&M Records releases John Lennon's sixth studio album, "Rock 'n' Roll" album, cover songs of early rock numbers

  • 1976 Cliff Jones' theatrical rock opera "Rockabye Hamlet", starring Beverly D'Angelo, opens at Minskoff Theater, NYC; runs for 7 performances

Music History

1977 Kalakuta Republic, commune of Nigerian musician and activist Fela Kuti, burnt to the ground by soldiers in Lagos

#1 in the Charts

2002 'Always On Time' by R&B artist Ja Rule featuring Ashanti starts a two-week run at #1 on the US singles chart.

  • 2002 Westlife go to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'World Of Our Own.' The Irish boy band's 10th UK No.1 single.

If I Ain't Got You

2004 "If I Ain't Got You" single released by Alicia Keys (Grammy Award Best Female R&B Vocal Performance 2005, Billboard Song of the Year 2004)