Music History on January 13

Wagner's "Parsifal"

1882 Richard Wagner completes his final opera "Parsifal"

  • 1903 Rhodes Opera House burns in Boyertown, Pennsylvania killing 170

Bartók's "Kossuth"

1904 Béla Bartók's symphonic poem "Kossuth" premieres by the Budapest Philharmonic Society in Budapest

  • 1914 Emmerich Kelman, y Catherine Chisholm Cushing and E.P. Heath operetta "Sari" opens at the Liberty Theatre, later transferring to the New Amsterdam Theatre, NYC; runs for 151 performances
  • 1914 Industrial Workers of the World leader and songwriter Joe Hill arrested for murder during a robbery

Prokofiev's 5th Symphony

1945 Sergei Prokofiev's 5th Symphony premieres by the USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Prokofiev, in the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory

  • 1948 1st country music TV show, "Midwestern Hayride", premieres on WLW-T in Cincinnati, Ohio
  • 1949 "Along 5th Avenue" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 180 performances

"The Twist"

1962 Chubby Checker's song "The Twist", credited with starting the Twist dance craze, goes to #1 in the charts two years after first reaching number one spot

Music History

1962 Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's musical "Do Re Mi" starring Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker, closes at the 54th Street Theater, NYC, after 400 performances

  • 1967 London/Decca Records release Rolling Stones' single "Let's Spend the Night Together"
  • 1968 "Hallelujah, Baby!" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 293 performances
  • 1968 "Illya Darling" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 320 performances

Cash Performs at State Prison

1968 Johnny Cash performs for inmates at Folsom State Prison in Folsom, California; show is recorded for live album release

  • 1971 Joseph Kookoolis and Scott Fagan's rock opera musical "Soon" closes at Ritz Theater, NYC, after 3 performances
  • 1973 Jerry Blatt and Lonnie Burstein's musical "Tricks", based on Molière's classic “The Pranks of Scapin” and starring René Auberjonois, closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 8 performances
  • 1976 Sarah Caldwell is 1st woman to conduct at NYC Metropolitan Opera House as she led orchestra in a performance of "La Traviata"
  • 1980 Judd Woldin's musical "King of Schnorrers", based on Israel Zangwill's novel, closes at Playhouse Theater, NYC, after 63 performances
  • 1998 "Patti LaBelle On Broadway" opens at St James Theater NYC

Pete Townshend Arrested

2003 Rock musician Pete Townshend of The Who is arrested in London on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children. He is later cleared.

Wahlberg Donates Fee

2018 American actor Mark Wahlberg donates his $1.5M re-shoot fee for the film "All The Money In The World" to "Time's Up" movement after revelation co-star Michelle Williams was only paid $1000