Music History on May 21

  • 1892 Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera "I Pagliacci" premieres in Milan

Hooray for What!

1938 Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's anti-war musical "Hooray for What!", starring Ed Wynn and directed by Vincente Minnelli, closes at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC, after 200 performances

  • 1941 Singer Johan Heesters visits Dachau concentration camp

House of Flowers

1955 Harold Arlen and Truman Capote' musical "House of Flowers" closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 165 performances

Music History

1959 Jules Styne and Stephen Sondheim's musical "Gypsy", starring Ethel Merman and Jack Klugman, opens at Broadway Theatre (later transferring to the Imperial), NYC; runs for 702 performances

Music History

1960 Leontyne Price becomes the first African American to sing the lead at Teatro alla Scala in Milan in "Aida"

  • 1966 "Downtown" by Mrs Miller hits #82
  • 1966 "Time for Singing" opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 41 performances
  • 1966 James Goldman's stage drama "The Lion in Winter", starring Robert Preston, Rosemary Harris, and Christopher Walken, closes at the Ambassador Theatre, NYC, after 92 performances, and a Tony Award win for Harris
  • 1966 Louie Louie by The Kingsmen reentered the chart & hits #97
  • 1967 "Sing, Israel Sing" closes at Brooks Atkinson NYC after 14 performances

What's Going On

1971 Marvin Gaye' eleventh album "What's Going On" is released; considered the best album off all-time by critic surveys in Rolling Stone (2020); The Guardian (1997); and New Music Express (1985)

Lost in the Stars

1972 "Lost in the Stars" based on the novel "Cry the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 39 performances

  • 1977 Albert Innaurato's stage comedy "Gemini" opens at the Little Theatre, NYC; runs for 1,819 performances
  • 1977 Electric Light Orchestra releases "Telephone Line" in the UK; it would peak in the Top 10 in the UK and US

Musical Finale

1977 Revival of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's musical "Fiddler on the Roof", starring Zero Mostel, closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 167 performances

#1 in the Charts

1977 Stevie Wonder's single "Sir Duke", a tribute to Duke Ellington and other musical influences of Wonder's, begins a 3-week run at #1

Music History

1980 "Star Wars Episode V - Empire Strikes Back", produced by George Lucas opens in cinemas in UK and North America

Music History

1981 Reggae musician Bob Marley receives a Jamaican state funeral

  • 1983 "Bang The Drum All Day" single by Todd Rundgren hits #63

#1 in the Charts

1983 David Bowie's "Let's Dance" single goes #1

  • 1988 "Da'Butt" by EU hits #35

Music History

1988 Weird Al Yankovic's "Fat" (a parody of Michael Jackson's "Bad") hits #99

You're Makin' Me High

1996 "You're Makin' Me High" single released by Toni Braxton (Grammy Award - Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, 1997)

  • 2005 50th Eurovision Song Contest: Helena Paparizou for Greece wins singing "My Number One" in Kiev

Music History

2013 American singer-songwriter Carole King receives Library of Congress Gershwin Prize at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Music History

2015 Flavor Flav is arrested near Las Vegas on charges including speeding and driving under the influence

Music History

2017 BTS wins the Top Social Artist at the Billboard Awards, becoming the first K-pop group to win any Billboard Award

Josh Freese Joins the Foo Fighters

2023 Rock band Foo Fighters introduce new drummer Josh Freese in a live stream event promoting new album and tour