17th May

The musical Milk And Honey, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, is playing at The Martin Beck Theater on Broadway, New York City, USA, during a run of 543 performances.

The stage musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, starring Rudy Vallee, is playing at the 46th Street Theater on Broadway, New York City, USA, during a run of 1,417 performances.

Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen enter the UK pop singles chart with The Green Leaves Of Summer which will peak at No7 during a 14-week run on the chart.

Lightnin' Hopkins plays at The Second Fret, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The concert is recorded and will be released as the album Hootin' The Blues.

Joan Baez plays at Carnegie Hall, New York City, USA.

Cliff Richard And The Shadows record It'll Be Me, Round And Round, and other tracks in EMI's Abbey Road Studios, London, UK.

Helen Shapiro plays the fourth night of two weeks at The Palladium, London, England, UK, Europe. Also on the bill are Matt Monro, Malcolm Mitchell And His Trio, Billy Dainty and Joan Turner. Orchestral support is supplied by the London Palladium Orchestra under the baton of Eric Tann.

Johnny Kidd And The Pirates play at The Cavern Club, Liverpool, UK.

Country songwriter and singer John D. Loudermilk records Calling Dr. Casey, with producer Chet Atkins at RCA Studio, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Personnel on the session include John D. Loudermilk on vocal and guitar, Joe Tanner on guitar, Henry Strzelecki on bass, Jimmy Isbell on drums, Norro Wilson harpsichord and leader, plus The Anita Kerr Singers, vocal chorus.

Brenda Lee has the first of three recording sessions in the USA, working on tracks which will appear on her album Brenda, That's All.

The Clefs Of Calvary record Save Me, Trouble Of This World and other tracks in their first session for Tru-Sound Records in New York City, USA. The group includes Lou Rawls and James Phelps.

Lightnin' Hopkins plays at The Second Fret, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The concert is recorded and will be released as the album Hootin' The Blues.

Hank Ballard And The Midnighters play the fourth of fourteen nights at The Roundtable Club, New York City, USA, supported by Dale Hawkins.

John D. Loudermilk records Calling Dr. Casey with producer Chet Atkins and backing vocals by The Anita Kerr Singers, for RCA Records at RCA Studio, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Jazz pianist Bill Evans records If You Could See Me Now for Riverside Records in New York City, USA.

Bobby Darin plays the fifteenth of twenty nights at The Copacabana, New York City, USA.

Country singer Jimmy Dean records Steel Men and Little Black Book, with producer Don Law, at Columbia Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Personnel on the session are Grady Martin, Billy Bird and Ray Edenton on guitars, Joe Zinkan on bass, Floyd Cramer on piano, Buddy Harman on drums and Jimmy Riddle on harmonica.

The Clefs Of Calvary record Save Me, Trouble Of This World and other tracks in their first session for Tru-Sound Records in New York City, USA.

Tracey Belland is born in Encino, California, USA. She will find success as Tracey Bryn of UK pop hitmakers Voice Of The Beehive.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet enters the UK pop singles chart with Unsquare Dance which will peak at No14 during a twelve-week run on the chart.

Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated plays its regular Thursday night residency at The Marquee, London, UK.

George Wilder, said to be New Zealand's greatest-ever prison escaper, makes the first of his daring escapes by scaling the 10m high wall of New Plymouth Prison. He will remain at liberty for 65 days, during which he will capture the attention of the New Zealand public when newspapers report several hair-raising escapes from the officers tasked with his capture. The Howard Morrison Quartet will be inspired by Wilder's exploits to write their controversial hit song The Wild(er) New Zealand Boy, a parody of the folk song The Wild Colonial Boy. Despite being banned by New Zealand's state owned broadcasters, The Wild(er) New Zealand Boy will go immediately to No1 in the charts and remain on top for ten weeks.

Neil Sedaka plays the twelfth of fifteen nights at The Holiday House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Bobby Darin plays the fifteenth of twenty nights at The Copacabana, New York City, USA.

Taking time out from his current British package tour, Jerry Lee Lewis headlines a bill at the Tower Ballroom, New Brighton, near Liverpool, UK, supported by Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas , The Undertakers and The Big Three.

Nut Rocker by B.Bumble And The Stingers reaches No1 in the Record Retailer chart of the best-selling singles in the UK.

Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated plays its regular Thursday night residency at The Marquee, London, UK.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet enters the UK pop singles chart with Unsquare Dance which will peak at No14 during a twelve-week run on the chart.

The state of Mississippi, USA, adopts Go Mississippi, written by William Houston Davis, as its state song.

A Picture Of You by Joe Brown enters the UK Pop Singles chart where it will peak at No2.

Ray Conniff, His Orchestra And Chorus record a medley of Christmas songs including We Three Kings and Deck The Halls, in CBS Recording Studio, 6121 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.