January 1
Buzz Clifford
begins tour to promote "Baby Sittin' Boogie."
January 2
Aretha Franklin launches her switch to secular music
at the Showboat in Philadelphia tonight.
January 4
Etta James is at the Counterpoint in Chicago.
Bobby Rydell appears on the Perry Como Show.
January 6
Bill Doggett headlines the weekly revue
at the Howard Theater in Washington, D.C. Also appearing are the
Drifters. Ruth Brown and Gary U.S. Bonds.
January 10
Buzz
Clifford sings "Baby Sittin' Boogie" on American
Bandstand.
January 11
Frankie
Avalon opens for Joey Bishop at the Dunes Hotel and Casini in Las
Vegas. Fats Domino begins a nine-day tour of Texas and
Oklahoma that grosses $50,000.
January 13
Sam
Cooke appears at New York's Apollo Theater with the Shells
opening for him. James Brown and the Famous Flames are at
the Howard Theater in Washington, D.C.
January 14
Saturday Prom features the Playmates and
Johnny and the Hurricanes.
January 14
Mickey and Sylvia appear on American
Bandstand. It is reported that Jerry Lee Lewis and the
American Federation of Musicians have reached an
agreement. Supposedly Lewis had owed the Union
$10,000 in back dues. In retalition the A.F.M had banned Lewis
from playing in Union controlled venues in Las Vegas.
January 20
Jerry Butler headlines the Regal
Theater in Chicago. Also appearing are Dee Clark, the Miracles,
the Shirelles and LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, Little
Anthony, Ben E. King and the Shells.
January 21
Dale Hawkins opens at the Rocket Room In Washington.
The Ventures perform on Saturday Prom.
January 24
Johnny Burnette sings "Little Boy
Sad" on American Bandstand.
January 25
Ricky Nelson sings "Your the Only
One" on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
January 26
Dodie Stevens, Bobby Rydell and Chubby
Checker complete a tour of Australia. Frankie Lymon sings
Silhouttes on American Bandstand.
January 27
Carla Thomas makes her television debut
on American Bandstand and performs "Gee Whiz (Look
at His Eyes)." Gene Vincent plays The Gaiety Ballroom
in Grimsby, Great Britain.
January 28
Brook Benton ends his month long tour in
Orlando, Florida. Saturday Prom is broadcast from the Winter
Carnival in St. Paul, Minnesota. Appearing are Freddy Cannon,
JoAnn Campbell, Buzz Clifford and the String-A-Longs.
January 31
Bobby Darin and Friends, an hour long
special, airs on NBC-TV.
Late January
The Everly Brothers are reported to be in Hollywood taking acting
classes.
Aretha Franklin is booked to play the Library portion of the
Playboy Club in Chicago.
Bill Doggett is at Pep's Musical Lounge in Philadelphia.
February 1
The Belmonts are American
Bandstand's musical guests.
February 1
The Show of Stars Bobby Rydell,
Chubby Checker and Dodie Stevens swing through Oahu,
Hawaii. Brook Benton, the Shirelles, Maxine Brown and the
Dynamics are at the Howard Theater.
February 4
Johnny Burnette under goes
an appendectomy at Hollywood Hospital. This will cause the
postponment of his European tour and an estimated lose of $10,000
in bookings.
February 6
Dion is a guest on American
Bandstand and sings "Havin' Fun."
February 7
Bobby Rydell in his
hometown of Philadelphia receives 1960s Outstanding Entertainer
Award from the Sons of Italy at Palumbo's resteraurant.
Early February
Johnny Tillotson begins a three week tour of Ohio, North
Carolina, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Fabian is at the Arenta
Coleseum in Manilla, Philippines.
Gene Vincent begins tour in London to begin a tour of England.
Bill Haley and His Comets are touring Mexico, but also visit
Chile, Peru and Ecuador.
February 8
The Ramrods perform
"(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" on American Bandstand.
February 10
Gene Pitney appears in
Montreal for two days.
February 11
Gene Pitney and the
Shirelles guest on Saturday Prom.
February 12
Bobby Rydell
begins a six week European tour. Paul Anka is on CBS-TV's Ed
Sullivan Show.
February 15
While relaxing Jackie Wilson is
shot by a female fan who then attempts suicide. Wilson claims he
was trying to take the gun when it went off. The bullet hits him
in the stomach. He is taken to Roosevelt Hospital. The bullet is
in a position where it can't be removed and is left lodged in his
back Billy
Ward and the
His Dominoes are at Miami's Eden Roc Hotel.
Mid-February
The Bombers, formerly the Jive Bombers, are at the
Pillow Talk in New York City.
February 17
The Coasters, Ike and
Tina Turner, Chuck Jackson and the Capris are at Washington's
Howard Theater.
February 19
Bill
Black's Combo appears on The Ed Sullivan Show. In London,
Bobby Rydell appears on British TV's Sunday Night at the
Palladium. Dave "Baby" Cortez is at
the Randolph Social Club in Philadelphia.
February 21
The
Shirelles sing "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and
"Dedicated To the One I Love" on American
Bandstand.
February 22
Ray
Charles sings "Georgia on My Mind" on NBC-TV's Perry
Como Show.
February 23
Elvis Presley headlines two shows
at the Ellis Auditorium in Memphis. These are his first concerts
since 1957 and raise $50,000 for charities in Memphis and Tupelo.
February 24
Sam Cooke is at the Apollo
for a week. Opening acts are Little Anthony and the Imperials and
Aretha Franklin. Brook Benton begins a sixteen day tour of
England. Bobby Rydell is the headliner at France's first annnual
rock and roll festival, Festival du Rock.
February 27
Fats Domino begins a week at
Sciolla's Club in Philadelphia.
March 3
Bobby Rydell ends his
European tour In England. James Brown is at the Apollo and
Sam Cooke at the Royal Theater in Baltimore. Jimmy Charles
headlines the Howard Theater. Also on the bill are the Bobettes,
the Clovers, the Vibrations and Jimmy Jones.
Early March
Chuck Berry is touring around Jamaica in the British
West Indies.
Gene Pitney is touring the West Coast.
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys are at Riverside Hotel in Reno.
The Poni-Tails are appearing at the Holiday Inn and Casino
in Reno.
March 7
Sam Cooke is at the Howard
Theatre along with the Rochelle and the Candles. LaVern
Baker headlines the Apollo.
March 13
The Capris sing "There's A Moom Out Tonight" on American
Bandstand.
MidMarch
Danny and the Juniors begin a European Tour.
The Coasters are appearing at the Summit in Holywood.
March 15
Gene McDaniels performs "A Hundred Pounds of
Clay" on American Bandstand.
March 16
The Echoes sing "Baby Blue" on American
Bandstand.
March 17
Chubby Checker headlines Chicago's Regal Theater. Also on the
bill are Joe Jones, the Drifters, Maxine Brown, Chuch Jackson,
Jimmy Charles and the Blue Notes. Sam Cooke goes to the British
West Indies for concerts in Jamaica, Kingston, Trinidad and
Montego Bay. Ticket sales are estimated at $45,000
March 20
Elvis starts work on Blue Hawaii.
March 23
In Honolulu to film Blue Hawaii,
Elvis performs a benefit show with all the proceeds going to
build a memorial to the sailors from the USS Arizona when it was
sunk at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This will be Presley's
last live concert and raises $52,000. A major rock and roll show
at the
In Paramount in Newark, New
Jersey features the Shirelles, the Olympics, Shep and the
Limelites and Lenny Miles.
March 24
Bobby Rydell is playing the Lotus Club in
Washington, D.C.
March 28
The Larks and Chuck Jackson are guests on American
Bandstand.
March 29
Today is declared Brenda Lee Day by Decca
Records and Governor Ernest Vandiver of Georgia. A 125,000 copies
are sold of "Emotions" today.
March 31
Jocko's Rocketship Revue at the
Apollo Theater features Clyde McPhatter. the Blue Notes, Baby
Washington, Shep and the Limelites, Bobby Freeman and the Larks.
Bob Luman is discharged from the Army.
April 2
The Biggest Show
of Stars for 61 begins at the Uline Arena in Washington, DC.
The tour includes headliners Fats Domino, the Shirelles, Chubby
Checker, the Drifters, Bo Diddley, Ben E. King, the Shells and
Chuck Jackson.
April 3
Jimmy Jones performs
at the Asbury Park Covention Hall in New Jersey.
April 2
Fabian returns to
South Side High in Philadelphia to receive his high school
dipolma. He graduates with a B+ average,
April 5
The Paris Sisters
sing "Be My Boy" on American Bandstand.
April
The Poni-Tails are at
the Twin Coaches Lounge in Pittsburgh. Gene Pitney is
on American Bandstand
April 8
Ray Charles begins a
twenty stop tour at the McCormick Place in Chicago. His two days
in Chicago gross $34,000 with tickets costing up to $4.00
April 10
Del Shannon performs
"Runaway" on American Bandstand.
April 11
Jerry Butler,
Dee Clark, Maxine Brown, and the Marcels are at the Howard
Theater.
April 12
James Darren appears
on Bob Hope's NBC-TV special. Darren sings "Gidget Goes
Hawaiian" and "Wild About That
Girl." Freddy Cannon is on American
Bandstand.
April 15
The Ray
Charles revue stops at Detroit's Music Hall and then Cleveland
Music Hall grosses $22,000 on $4.00 tickets.
Mid-April
Duane Eddy is on location in Tuscon, Arizona filming
Thunder of Drums.
April 17
Dion
appears at the Casino Royal in Washington. Neil
Sedaka is at the Blinstrub's Club in Philadelphia. Jo Ann
Campbell is on American Bandstand.
April 20
Paul Evans and Johnny Preston open for six days at the Armata
Coliseum in Manila, Philippines, that will draw 36,000 fans A
brief swing through Australia follows. In all, they are seen by
100,000. Pat Boone's TV special features Fabian.
April 21
Ernie-K-Doe, Jimmy Jones and Freddie Scott
appear at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Music Hall. The Flamingos, the
Olympics and the Dells are at Chicago's Regal Theater for a week.
April 25
Johnny Maestro sings "Model
Girl" on American Bandstand.
April 27
The Roomates sing "Glory of
Love" on American Bandstand.
April 28
The Biggest Show of Stars for 61
stops in St. Louis and the next day at Chicago's McCormick Place.
The two dates brings in $25,000. The Flamingos, Jerry Butler, the
Miracles, Maxine Brown, the Vibrations and Shep and the Limelites
are at the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia.
Late April
Sam Cooke appears for a week at the Flame Show Bar in
Detroit.
May 1
Bobby Rydell makes his debut
as a nightclub performer at Sciolla's Club in Philadelphia.
Danny and the Juniors are at Casino Royal in Washington,
DC for a week. Neil Sedaka sings "Litle Devil" on American
Bandstand. Johnny Preston is in Philadelphia to begin a 30
day tour to promote "I Feel
Fine."
May 3
Fats Domino plays the Syria
Mosque in Pittsburgh.
May 4
Neil Sedaka begins a
tour of the Philippines and Australia. Paul Revere and the
Raiders make their national TV debut on American Bandstand and
sing "Like Long Hair."
May 5
Ral Donner is
on American Bandstand.
Early May
Bobby Darin is touring Japan.
May 8
For his 21st birthday Ricky
Nelson is granted his wish to be called professionally
Rick. Fat Domino is performing at the Showboat in
Philadelphia. Gene McDaniels begins a tour in Minneapolis
to promote his new album.
May 10
Danny and the Juniors are on
American Bandstand.
May 12
Gene McDaniels opens at the
Village Vanguard in New York City.
May 13
Sam Cooke has a SRO for his
show at the Keil Auditorium. Also appearing are Hank Ballard and
the Midnighters, Clyde McPhatter, Aretha Franklin and the
Olympics. Gene Vincent returns to England. He becomes the first
American to appear on the British variety television program Thank
Your
Lucky Stars.
Mid-May
Jerry Lee Lewis is performing every Sunday at Lil' Rebel
Room in Memphis while he is on vacation at his home in Hernando,
just across the state line in Mississippi.
Freddy Cannon is recuperating from tonsillectomy.
Jackie Wilson is leaving the hospital after recovering from the
gunshot wound he suffered on 2/15/61
May 17
Dion is at the International
Club in New York City.
May 19
Jerry Lee Lewis is at the
Regal theater in Chicago.
May 21
Gene Vincent begins an eight
day tour through South Africa.
May 23
Little Caesar and the Romans
sing "Those Oldies But Goodies" on American
Bandstand.