Events in Music History in 1959

"It Doesn't Matter"

Jan 5 Buddy Holly releases his last record "It Doesn't Matter"; he is killed in a plane crash 29 days later

Motown Founded

Jan 12 Berry Gordy Jr.'s Tamla Records (later Motown) begins operating in Detroit, Michigan

Founder of Motown Records and Songwriter Berry Gordy

Jan 17 "Say, Darling" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 332 performances
Jan 22 Buddy Holly makes his last recordings in his NYC apartment, alone with an acoustic guitar; he tapes five songs including "Peggy Sue" and "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", which were embellished, overdubbed, and released posthumously by Coral Records

Moscow-Tsjerjomoesjki

Jan 24 Dmitri Shostakovich's operetta "Moscow, Cheryomushki" premieres in Moscow

A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Jan 24 Musical revue "A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green" closes at John Golden Theatre, NYC after 38 performances

"Pittsburgh" Symphony

Jan 30 Paul Hindemith's symphony "Pittsburgh" premieres

Feb 2 Buddy Holly's last performance at Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa [1]
Feb 3 "The Day the Music Died" plane crash kills musicians Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, J. P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper), and the pilot. near Clear Lake, Iowa
Feb 5 Albert Hague and Dorothy Fields' musical "Redhead", starring Gwen Verdon and Richard Kiley, opens at the 46th Street Theatre, NYC; runs for 455 performances and wins 6 Tony Awards
Feb 7 Mark Charlap and Norman Gimbel's musical "Whoop-Up", starring Julienne Marie and Sylvia Syms, closes at Shubert Theater, NYC, after 56 performances

Hendrix Plays First Gig

Feb 20 Jimi Hendrix (16), rock and roll guitarist, plays his first gig in the Temple De Hirsch synagogue basement, Seattle; fired from the band after the 1st set due to "wild" playing

Feb 28 "Goldilocks" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 161 performances

Sydney Opera House

Mar 2 Ceremony to mark the start of construction of the Sydney Opera House at Bennelong Point, Sydney

Mar 7 "Bells Are Ringing" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 925 performances
Mar 9 "Juno" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 16 performances
Mar 9 The Coasters' single "Charlie Brown" peaks at #2 on the Billboard Top 100
Mar 11 4th Eurovision Song Contest: Teddy Scholten for Netherlands wins singing "Een beetje" in Cannes

First Impressions

Mar 19 George Weiss, Bo Goldman, and Glenn Paxton musical "First Impressions", adapted from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", starring Polly Bergen; Farley Granger, and Hermione Gingold, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 84 performances

Mar 21 "Juno" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 16 performances
Apr 11 Yip Harburg, Fred Saidy, and Harold Arlen's musical "Jamaica", starring Lena Horne, closes at Imperial Theater, NYC, after 558 performances
Apr 16 Musical revue "A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green" return engagement opens at John Golden Theatre, NYC; runs for 44 performances
Apr 23 "Destry Rides Again" opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 472 performances
Apr 24 Netherland Dance Theater opens (Rudi of Dantzig & Cut Flier)

First Grammy Awards:

May 4 First Grammy Awards: Perry Como & Ella Fitzgerald win

May 11 "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" by Edd Byrnes & Connie Stevens hits #4

Once Upon A Mattress

May 11 Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer's musical "Once Upon A Mattress", starring Carol Burnett and directed by George Abbott, opens at Phoenix Theatre, NYC, later transferring to the Alvin Theater; runs for 244 performances

Music History

May 12 "Nervous Set" opens at Henry Miller's Theater NYC for 23 performances

May 18 "Castin' My Spell" by The Johnny Otis Show hits #52
May 18 "Judy" by David Seville hits #86
May 18 "Russian Band Stand" by Spencer & Spencer hits #91

Music History

May 21 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

May 23 Musical revue "A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green" return engagement closes at John Golden Theatre, NYC, after 44 performances

May 28 Johnson & Bart's musical "Lock Up Your Daughters" premieres in London
May 30 "Nervous Set" closes at Henry Miller's Theater NYC after 23 performances
May 30 George Weiss, Bo Goldman, and Glenn Paxton musical "First Impressions", adapted from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", starring Polly Bergen; Farley Granger, and Hermione Gingold, closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 84 performances
Jun 22 "Along Came Jones" by The Coasters peaks at #9

Music History

Jun 22 "Class" the first hit by Chubby Checker peaks at #38 in the US

West Side Story

Jun 27 Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Jerome Robbins' musical "West Side Story" closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 734 performances and 2 Tony Award wins

Conductor and Composer Leonard Bernstein

Choreographer, Director and Theater Producer Jerome Robbins

Music History

Jul 22 Benjamin Britten's "Missa Brevis" in D premieres

Living' Doll

Jul 31 Cliff Richard and the Shadows have their 1st British No. 1 single with "Living' Doll" (biggest British single of 1959)

Aug 4 "Billy Barnes Revue" opens at John Golden Theater NYC for 87 performances

Music History

Sep 11 Composer and jazz orchestra leader Duke Ellington wins NAACP's Springarn Medal for his musical achievements

Jazz Musician and Composer Duke Ellington

Music History

Sep 13 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu meets 24-year-old Elvis Presley at a party at his home in Bad Nauheim, Germany

Businesswoman and Actress Priscilla Presley

Oct 4 Dmitri Shostakovich's 1st Cello concert premieres in Leningrad
Oct 7 "Happy Town" opens at 84th St Theater NYC for 5 performances

Pillow Talk

Oct 7 "Pillow Talk" film directed by Michael Gordon and starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson is first released

Oct 8 Michael Flanders and Donald Swann's musical review "At the Drop of a Hat" opens at John Golden Theater, NYC; runs for 216 performances
Oct 10 "Happy Town" closes at 84th St Theater NYC after 5 performances
Oct 17 "Billy Barnes Revue" closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 87 performances
Oct 22 Bob Merrill's musical "Take Me Along" opens at Shubert Theater, NYC; runs for 448 performances
Oct 24 US premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich's 1st Cello concert
Nov 2 Musical "Girls against the Boys" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 16 performances
Nov 13 The Academy of St Martin in the Fields' first professional concert takes place in London
Nov 14 "Girls against the Boys" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 16 performances

The Sound of Music

Nov 16 "The Sound of Music" musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, opens at Lunt Fontanne Theater, NYC; runs for 1443 performances

Benny and Nixon Duet

Nov 21 Entertainer Jack Benny (violin) and US Vice-President Richard Nixon (piano) play their famed duet

Fiorello!

Nov 23 Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's musical "Fiorello!", about New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia, directed by George Abbott, and starring Tom Bosley, opens at Broadhurst Theater, NYC; runs for 796 performances, winning 3 Tony Awards

Musical Theater Lyricist Sheldon Harnick

Nov 25 Mary Rodgers & Marshall Barer's musical "Once Upon A Mattress", starring Carol Burnett and directed by George Abbott, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC, after starting off-Broadway at the Phoenix Theatre, later moves to St. James
Nov 29 2nd Grammy Awards: "Mack The Knife", Bobby Darin win
Dec 7 "Saratoga" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 80 performances
Dec 14 The album "Time Out" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet is released, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard pop albums chart, and becomes the first jazz album to sell a million copies.