Politics

Charlie Poole And The North Carolina Ramblers record White House Blues for Columbia Records in New York City, USA. The song tells the story of the assassination of US President McKinley from the perspective of Mrs. McKinley.

Bob Crosby And His Orchestra play at The Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

In response to popular demand, Paul Robeson gives a repeat performance of Ballad For Americans on CBS Radio and shortly afterwards records the cantata with The American People's Chorus for Victor Records.

Anselmo Sacasas And His Royal Havana Orchestra are playing at The Colony Club, Chicago, Illinois, USA, with The Four Senators.

The Buchanan Brothers record Atomic Power, in New York City, USA. The song is inspired by the World War II bombing of Hiroshima.

The Irving Berlin musical comedy Call Me Madam is presented on Broadway at The Imperial Theatre, New York City, USA, during a run of 644 performances.

Gene McDaniels is playing during a ten day residency at The Village Vanguard, Greenwich Village, New York City, USA.

The Berlin Wall is erected overnight, closing off the Western part of Berlin, Germany, Europe, from the Eastern part. This action will inspire the song West Of The Wall, by Toni Fisher which will reach No1 in the Australian Top Twenty singles chart in 1962.

Connie Francis and Mike Clifford appear on tv's Ed Sullivan Show in New York City, USA. During this edition of the show, there is also an appearance by The All-America football team, who are seen dancing with eleven girls. The team features one black player, Bobby Bell, and the show specifically hires a black girl, Myrna White, to dance with him. When Sullivan learns that hundreds of letters criticising the decision have been sent to Jet magazine, he defends the segment, saying, "What's wrong with having Myrna White dance with Bobby Bell? Bell is a fine young man, two-time All-American, and any girl would be proud to dance with him." (White is subsequently hired as a permanent member of the show's chorus line, making her the first permanent negro chorus girl on television.)

The Belgian Government refuses a work permit to rock'n'roller Vince Taylor because of violence which erupted at his recent show in the Palais Des Sports, Paris, France, Europe.

Welsh rock band Tommy Scott And The Senators have their first major tv appearance, on the show Donald Peers Presents in the UK. Their vocalist will become better known as Tom Jones.

Odetta plays during two weeks of shows at The Prince Charles Theatre, London, England, UK, Europe.

The New Christy Minstrels play at The White House, Washington DC, USA, for President Lyndon Johnson. One of those Minstrels is Gene Clark, later to become a founder member of The Byrds.

The yacht Potomac, formerly owned by president Franklin D. Roosevelt of the USA, is bought for $55,000 by Elvis Presley.

In poet Kenneth Rexroth’s regular column in the San Francisco Examiner, he declares, among other things, that "Bob Dylan's songs are a cry of anguished moral outrage against the mess the oldies persist in making out of a world in which all men could be guaranteed lives of peace and modest comfort if only the will existed."

Phil Ochs plays at The Riverboat, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

US folk singer Jesse Winchester adopts Canadian citizenship to avoid being drafted into the US Army.

Country Joe And The Fish play the last of three nights at the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, California, USA.

Anita Bryant sings at The Congressional Wives Prayer Group in Washington DC, USA.

Country Joe And The Fish play the first of three nights at the Fillmore West, San Francisco, California, USA.

A white mob, enraged over school integration, attacks a school bus filled with black students in Destrehan, Louisiana, USA. During the attack, thirteen-year old white student Timothy Weber is shot dead. Gary Tyler, one of the black students aboard the bus, is arrested, tried by an all-white jury and, despite shaky evidence, sentenced to death by electric chair. He will only escape the death penalty when, in 1977, the United States Supreme Court declares Louisiana's death penalty to be unconstitutional. Tyler's sentence is then commuted to life imprisonment without parole. Gil Scott-Heron will be inspired to sing about Tyler in the song Angola, Louisiana, on his 1978 album Secrets. UB40 will include a song, Tyler, on their 1980 debut album, Signing Off. Chumbawamba's 2008 song Waiting For The Bus is also inspired by Tyler's plight.

As he crosses the Russian-Polish border, David Bowie’s collection of Nazi books and memorabilia is confiscated by border guards. He comments to the customs officials that the UK “could benefit from a Fascist leader”.

Abraham Beame, mayor of New York City, USA, hosts a luncheon for The Bee Gees at Gracie Mansion, to mark their charitable donations to the Police Athletic League Organisation.

Dead Kennedys, Pink Section, Contractions, Anti-Bodies, Symptoms and others play in a benefit concert at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, California, USA, to raise funds for Jello Biafra of anarcho-punk-rock band The Dead Kennedys' attempt to be elected as Mayor Of San Francisco, California, USA.

Billboard magazine reports that Patti Davis, daughter of US President Ronald Reagan, has recorded an album at PRT Studios in London, England, UK, Europe, for Runaway Records.

Two Italian officials [former deputy mayor, Cesare De Piccoli, and superintendent of historic buildings, Maurizia De Min] go on trial in Venice, Italy, charged with allowing a Pink Floyd concert to go ahead in the city in July 1989 despite the damage it was likely to cause. Fans who flocked to see the British rock group perform on a floating stage off St. Mark's Square in July 1989 left 200 tons of rubbish in their wake and damaged historic buildings by climbing onto roofs and balconies.

The website run by political activist rock band Rage Against the Machine is closed, allegedly by the Secret Service in the USA, who are angered that the group has voiced opinions which are not in line with the US government's views of the World Trade Center attack.

US President George W. Bush delivers his War On Terror speech to a joint session of Congress in Washington DC, USA. Numerous songs will be inspired by the War On Terror, notably My Name Is Liar (2016) by Norwegian band Highasakite.

Santana and Andy Hui play at The Hong Kong Harbour Fest, part of a government-underwritten HK$1 billion program of high profile concerts running for almost a month, intended to help revive the economy of Hong Kong after the SARS epidemic.

Former Midnight Oil lead singer Peter Garrett wins the seat of Kingsford Smith, Sydney, Australia, Oceania, for the Labor Party.

Tony Christie is awarded the freedom of the city of Amarillo, Texas, USA, by Mayor Trent Sisemore. Christie's huge hit single, (Is This The Way To) Amarillo, prompted thousands of hits on Amarillo's tourist website and encouraged visits to the town.

Big And Rich play live at a rally sponsored by human rights agencies in Washington DC, USA, to call attention to genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.

In an interview in The Times newspaper, Bob Dylan praises the ability of US president Barack Obama to "make you feel and think at the same time".

Charley Pride, Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss And Union Station play at The White House, Washington DC, USA, as part of an educational workshop about country music.

On the North American leg of her World Tour 2012, Madonna plays at The Staples Centre, Los Angeles, California, USA. During the show, she dedicates a song to Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani child activist shot in the head and neck one day earlier by a masked member of the Taliban.

Laibach play at KOKO, London, UK.

Brian Harvey, former frontman for 90s boyband East 17 arrives outside Downing Street, London, England, UK, demanding to speak with Prime Minister David Cameron. He succeeds only in speaking to police officers outside Number 10 while holding a ring binder. He apparently claimed to have "evidence of how much money the government had stolen from him".

Madonna announces on Instagram that she will take part in the 1 Million Women's March in Washington DC, USA, on January 21 - the first day of Donald Trump's Presidency. Already committed to the march are Katy Perry, Cher and Zendaya.