1959 in music

Events

• January 22 - Buddy Holly records some acoustic demos in his New York City apartment. These songs would be the last songs recorded by Holly. Songs included "Peggy Sue Got Married," "Crying, Waiting, Hoping," "Learning the Game," "What to Do," "That's What They Say" and "That Makes it Tough."
• February 3 - News of the February 2 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper becomes widely known. This date becomes known as "The Day The Music Died". Future country star Waylon Jennings was scheduled to be on the plane, but instead gave his seat up to the Big Bopper.
• February 7 - New Orleans blues and R&B guitarist Eddie Guitar Slim Jones[?] dies of pneumonia in New York City
• April 3 - The BBC bans the Coasters song "Charlie Brown" because of the word "spitball."
• April - The BBC reverses its earlier April 3 decision, and adds the Coasters song "Charlie Brown" to their playlist.
• April 24 - The Your Hit Parade[?] television series airs its last episode
• The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences[?] sponsors the first Grammy Award ceremony for music recorded in 1958.
• Berry Gordy, Jr.[?] founds Motown records[?].
• James Brown's musical career begins
• Carole King's musical career begins
• Roy Orbison signs with Monument Records

Albums Released

• Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
• Connie's Greatest Hits[?] - Connie Francis
• from the Hungry i[?] - The Kingston Trio[?]
• The Kingston Trio At Large[?] - The Kingston Trio[?]

Top Hits

• "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" - Buddy Holly
• "Raining In My Heart" - Buddy Holly
• "Peggy Sue Got Married" - Buddy Holly
• "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" - Buddy Holly
• "Sweet Nothin's" - Brenda Lee
• "A Teenager In Love" - Dion & the Belmonts
• "El Paso" - Marty Robbins
• "M.T.A" - The Kingston Trio[?]
• "A Worried Man" - The Kingston Trio[?]
• "Kansas City" - Wilbur Harrison[?]
• "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles
• "Lonely Boy" - Paul Anka
• "Love Potion Number Nine" - The Clovers[?]
• "La Bamba" - Ritchie Valens
• "Mack The Knife" - Bobby Darin
• "Poison Ivy" - The Coasters
• "Sleepwalk" - Santo & Johnny[?]
• "Stagger Lee" - Lloyd Price
• "Tall Oak Tree" - Dorsey Burnette
• "Venus" - Frankie Avalon[?]
• "Why" - Frankie Avalon[?]
• "Where the Boys Are" - Connie Francis
• "Lipstick On Your Collar" - Connie Francis
• "The Twist" - Hank Ballard
• "All For The Love Of A Girl" - Johnny Horton[?]
• "The Battle Of New Orleans" - Johnny Horton[?]

Births

• January 6 - Kathy Sledge[?], Sister Sledge
• January 7 - Kathy Valentine[?], The Go Go's
• January 8 - Paul Hester, Crowded House
• January 10 - Curt Kirkwood[?], Meat Puppets
• January 12 - Per Gessle, Roxette
• January 14 - Cas Smith[?], Madness
• January 14 - Geoff Tate[?], Queensryche
• January 28 - Dave Sharp[?], The Alarm[?]
• January 29 - Johnny Spampinato[?], NRBQ[?]
• January 30 - Jody Watley[?]
• February 3 - Lol Tolhurst[?], The Cure
• February 7 - Brian Travers[?], UB40
• February 14 - Ice-T
• February 15 - Ali Campell[?], UB40
• February 25 - Mike Peters[?], The Alarm[?]
• March 16 - Flavor Flav[?], Public Enemy
• March 27 - Andrew Farriss[?], INXS
• March 29 - Perry Farrell[?], Jane's Addiction
• March 31 - Angus Young[?], AC/DC
• April 10 - Brian Setzer, The Stray Cats
• April 10 - Babyface[?]
• April 21 - Michael Timmins[?], Cowboy Junkies[?]
• April 21 - Robert Smith, The Cure
• April 27 - Sheena Easton[?]
• May 3 - David Ball[?], Soft Cell
• May 4 - Randy Travis, country singer
• May 5 - Ian McCulloch, [?] Echo & The Bunnymen
• June 1 - Alan Wilder[?], Depeche Mode
• June 12 - John Linnell, They Might Be Giants
• June 19 - Mark DeBarge[?], DeBarge[?]
• June 22 - Alan Anton[?], Cowboy Junkies[?]
• June 24 - Andy McCluskey[?], Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark[?]
• July 3 - Stephen Pearcy[?], Ratt
• July 5 - Marc Cohn[?]
• July 9 - Marc Almond[?], Soft Cell
• July 11 - Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi
• July 11 - Suzanne Vega, American singer
• August 1 - Joe Elliott[?], Def Leppard
• August 9 - Kurtis Blow
• September 14 - Morten Harket[?], a-ha
• September 23 - Lita Ford
• October 4 - Chris Lowe[?], Pet Shop Boys
• October 13 - Marie Osmond[?]
• October 16 - Gary Kemp[?], Spandau Ballet
• October 23 - Weird Al Yankovic
• November 1 - Eddie MacDonald[?], The Alarm[?]
• November 5 - Bryan Adams
• November 27 - Charlie Burchill[?], Simple Minds
• November 29 - Steve Hindalong, The Choir, record producer
• December 4 - Bob Griffin[?], The BoDeans[?]

Deaths

• February 2 - rock and roll performers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper, in a plane crash outside Mason City[?], Iowa. The news isn't widely known until the next day - The Day The Music Died.
• February 7 - Eddie Guitar Slim Jones[?], blues guitarist
• February 14 - Baby Dodds, jazz musician
• May 14 - Sidney Bechet, jazz musician
• July 15 - Billie Holiday, jazz and blues singer.
• August 15 - Blind Willie McTell, blues singer.
• November 17 - Heitor Villa-Lobos, composer.

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1959

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1959