August 8, 1961 David Evans is born in East London. He later becomes The Edge as a member of U2.
August 3, 1961 Lee Rocker, upright bass player in The Stray Cats, is born Leon Drucker in Long Island, New York.
July 29, 1961 Dick Clark presents his very first Caravan of Stars revue at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, featuring The Jive Five, The Shirelles, and Clarence "Frogman" Henry.
July 26, 1961 Singer-songwriter Gary Cherone is born in Malden, Massachusetts. Best known for his work in the band Extreme, he joins Van Halen for one album: Van Halen III, released in 1997.
July 21, 1961 The Supremes release "Buttered Popcorn," produced by Motown boss Berry Gordy. It sells poorly, and is the last Supremes single with Florence Ballard on lead vocals.
July 20, 1961 The Beatles, known as The Beat Brothers, get some press in the British paper Mersey Beat, which announces their first record deal.
July 20, 1961 The Leslie Bricusse - Anthony Newley musical Stop The World - I Want To Get Off premieres in London.
July 10, 1961 Bobby Lewis's "Tossin' And Turnin'" hits #1 for the first of seven weeks.
July 8, 1961 Toby Keith is born Toby Keith Covel in Clinton, Oklahoma. He works in the oil fields and for a rodeo company before launching his music career in his 30s. His pre-music life informs many of his songs, including "Beer For My Horses," inspired by his rodeo days.
June 21, 1961 The Hayley Mills movie The Parent Trap (with her hit "Let's Get Together") opens in theaters.
June 18, 1961 Alison Moyet is born Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet in Billericay, Essex, England. After singing in blues bands, she teams with Vince Clarke to form Yazoo, which has hits with "Only You" and "Situation." In 1984 she puts out her first solo album, Alf, which goes to #1 in the UK.
June 18, 1961 Would-be riders of the Hudson Belle, a popular excursion boat that travels up and down the Hudson River, break into a stampede after learning that some of them are holding fraudulent tickets. The next day, a young Bob Dylan hears about the story and writes "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues."
June 14, 1961 Culture Club lead singer Boy George is born George Alan O'Dowd in Eltham, London, England. He starts wearing makeup and women's clothes in secondary school, a look he adapts with Culture Club to provide a striking visual presence that gets lots of attention on MTV. The band has a run of hits in the early '80s that includes "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?," "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and "Karma Chameleon."
June 14, 1961 After a performance at the Majestic Theatre in Newcastle, England, Gene Vincent is mobbed by admirers who accidentally push him down a flight of stairs, where he is knocked out.
June 14, 1961 Patsy Cline gets in a nasty car accident in Nashville, when she is thrown through the windshield. She is hospitalized for about a month, during which time she is visited by the woman who will become her protégé: Loretta Lynn.
June 14, 1961 Elvis Presley's 7th movie, Wild In The Country, premieres in his hometown of Memphis.
June 10, 1961 Identical twins Kim and Kelley Deal are born in Dayton, Ohio. Together, they form The Breeders; Kim is also the bass player in the Pixies.
June 4, 1961 El DeBarge is born Eldra Patrick DeBarge in Detroit, Michigan. He will become the lead singer of his family's group, DeBarge.
May 29, 1961 Melissa Etheridge is born in Leavenworth, Kansas. Her 1988 self-titled debut album makes an impact with songs like "Bring Me Some Water" and "Like the Way I Do," but her fourth album, Yes I Am, takes her to a new level in 1993 with the hits "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window."
May 29, 1961 Ricky Nelson's "Travelin' Man" hits #1 in the US, his second and last chart-topper ("Poor Little Fool" hit #1 in 1958).
May 22, 1961 Ernie K-Doe's "Mother-in-Law," written by Allen Toussaint, hits #1 in America.
May 20, 1961 Haircut 100 lead singer Nick Heyward is born in Beckenham, Kent, England.
May 17, 1961 New age singer Enya is born Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin in Dore, Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland. "Eithne" is pronounced "Enya," so she goes with that spelling to avoid confusion.
April 29, 1961 The renown tenor Luciano Pavarotti makes his opera début in the role of Rodolfo in La Bohème by Puccini in the Italian town of Reggio Emilia.
April 24, 1961 Bob Dylan makes his professional recording debut when he plays harmonica on the Harry Belafonte recording of "Midnight Special." Dylan makes $50 for the session.
April 13, 1961 At the third annual Grammy Awards, the comedy album The Button-Down Mind Of Bob Newhart wins Album Of The Year, beating out albums by Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte and Nat King Cole. The Grammys, which have yet to introduce a rock category, choose another comedy album for the award two years later: The First Family by Vaughn Meader.
April 12, 1961 Ray Charles is the big winner at the third annual Grammy Awards, winning four trophies, including the award for Best Male Vocal for "Georgia On My Mind."
April 11, 1961 Doug Hopkins (lead guitarist, songwriter for the Gin Blossoms) is born in Seattle, Washington, but will be raised in Tempe, Arizona.
April 11, 1961 Bob Dylan plays for the first time at Gerde's Folk City in Greenwich Village, opening for John Lee Hooker and performing a new song entitled "Blowin' In The Wind."
April 5, 1961 On The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet episode "A Question of Suits and Ties," Ricky Nelson sings "Travelin' Man" in what could be considered the first music video.More
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