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 wekly 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' Boogieon 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 Fabulous 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 "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 Musicasl Lounge in Philadelphia.
February 1 The
Belmonts are American Bandstand's musical guests.
February 3 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.
Februay 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 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 23 Elvis Presley headlines two shows at the Ellis Auditorium in Memphis. These are his first concerts since 1957 and raise $50,00 for charities in Memphis and Tupelo.
February 27 Fats Domino begins a wek at Sciolla's Club in Philadelphia.
March 3 Bobby Rydell ends European Tour In England. James Brown is at the Apollo. 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 Rochelles and the Candles. LaVern Baker headlines the Apollo
March 13 The Capris sing "There's A Moom Out Tonight" on American Bandstand.
Mid-March
Danny and the Juniors begin 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 24 Bobby Rydell is playing the Lotus Club in Washington, D.C.
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 when the USS Arizona 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 Paramount in Newark, New Jersey features the Shrelles, the Olympics, Shep and the Limelites and Lenny Miles.
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 Note, 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, and Chubby Checker. Also 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 4 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 7 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 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 11 Jerry Butler, Dee Clark, Maxine Brown, and the Marcels are at the Howard Theater.
April 15 The Ray Charles revuse 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. JoAnn Campbell is on American Bandstand.
April 20 Paul Evans and Johnny Preston open for six days at the Armata Coliseum in Manila, Philippines, that wil 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 ayt 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 sufferred 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.