Radio

The first public radio broadcast, a live performance of the opera Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni, is transmitted from The Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, USA.

Louise Bennett, poet, singer, songwriter and activist, is born in Kingston, Jamaica, Caribbean. Bennett will become a much-loved household name, nicknamed Miss Lou, in Jamaica. Apart from her many achievements in radio and on the stage, she will teach Harry Belafonte how to sing The Banana Boat Song, and will serve as an inspiration for Bob Marley.

Bent Fabricius-Bjerre is born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He will find international success as a jazz pianist and filmscore composer under the name Bent Fabric, notably for his hit single Alley Cat in 1961.

William DeBerardinis is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He will find fame as jazz trombonist Willie Dennis, best-known as a big band musician but also an influential bebop soloist.

The Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System [later to become CBS] goes on the air in America with forty seven radio stations.

Monty Rex Budwig is born in Pender, Nebraska, USA. As Monty Budwig, he will become a highly respectec West Coast jazz double bassist, working with Carmen McRae, Barney Kessel, Woody Herman, Red Norvo, Scott Hamilton, and Shelly Manne.

Benny Goodman And His Orchestra play on the CBS network's Camel Caravan radio show in The Fox Theatre, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

The Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian on guitar, play at Cocoanut Grove in The Ambassador Hotel, Los Anheles, California, USA. The show is broadcast live on the Mutual Radio Network.

Duke Ellington And His Orchestra play in the Panther Room at The Hotel Sherman, Chicago, Illinois, USA. The show is broadcast live on radio.

Popular vocalist and recording artist Irene Daye marries bandleader Charlie Spivak in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.

Jazz pianist Larry Green plays the seventh night of a ten-day engagement at Bill Green's Casino, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

The musical Madame Sherry is presented on radio variety show The Railroad Hour on NBC in the USA.

Bing Crosby makes a live open air broadcast of the Chesterfield Cigarettes Radio show from the Polo Grounds, Palm Springs, California, USA. He is heard singing Be My Life's Companion, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and Please Mister Sun, but it is likely that these songs were recorded in a studio and spliced into the live broadcast.

Jean Campbell, lead vocalist with The Keynotes, holds a birthday party at her flat in London, England, UK, Europe. Guests attending include Pearl Carr, Teddy Johnson, Alma Cogan, Joyce Fraser, Johnny Johnston and Dave Carey.

Tonight's edition of US radio show Best of All, features the songs of Richard Rodgers And Lorenz Hart.

Elvis Presley turns twenty, appears on the Louisiana Hayride radio show in Shreveport, Louisiana, and releases his third single, Milk Cow Blues Boogie, on Sun Records in the USA.

Billie Holiday appears on US tv's Steve Allen Show, singing My Man, Them There Eyes and Lover Man.

Ronnie Aldrich And The Squadronaires, featuring Cliff Townshend And His Swinging Saxophone, star in Music In The Air on Pan-European radio station Radio Luxembourg. Cliff Townshend's son will find fame as Pete Townshend, leader of rock band The Who.

Roy Hamilton, The Clovers, Dion And The Belmonts and Bobby Freeman play at the Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York City, USA.

Jerry Blaine, owner of Jubilee Records, testifies during the payola trial of radio deejay Alan Freed, in New York City, USA. Blaine admits having paid money to Freed in order to get his company's records played on Freed's radio show.

Lonnie Donegan, Cliff Richard and The Drifters appear at The Empire Pool Arena, Wembley, London, UK, in the Record Star Show.

It's Now Or Never by Elvis Presley is released in the UK on RCA Victor Records.

Sam Cooke plays the fifth night of a week at Sciolla's, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA.

Vocal quartet The Roomates record Band of Gold, Glory of Love, The Only Girl For Me, O Baby Love, and Never Knew, at Regent Sound Studios, New York City, USA, for Valmor Records.

Tommy Sanderson with Judd Proctor, Craig Douglas, Kenny Ball's Jazzmen, Valerie Masters and Johnny Duncan And His Blue Grass Boys appear on the radio show Easy Beat, presented by Brian Matthew, on the BBC Light Programme in the UK.

The Rabin Band, Barbara Kay, Colin Day, Ray Pilgrim, The Hound Dogs, Arthur Greenslade And His Swingin' Piano, Groovin' Don Sanford, Rockin' Rex Morris and The Razz-Ma-Tazzers provide live music on the BBC Light Programme radio show Go Man Go, a live broadcast from Portsmouth, England, UK, Europe.

Mike Preston, Doug Sheldon, The Ken-Tones and Harry Robinson's Band perform live in the BBC Light Programme radio show The Robinson Crew Show in London, England, UK, Europe.

Here's an aircheck from the Dick Biondi show for this day on WLS Radio in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

BBC studio manager, Vernon Lawrence, suggests to his manager, assistant department head Donald MacLean, that The Beatles should be given their own radio series. MacLean approves the idea, commissioning four programmes with an option for 11 more if it proves popular. The BBC will broadcast the first of the shows under the title Pop Go The Beatles, on June 4.

Roy Acuff attends his first major league baseball game in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. When The San Francisco Giants beat the Cardinals, 6-4, broadcaster Dizzy Dean brings Acuff into the booth and coaxes him into singing one verse of Wabash Cannonball.

A new fifteen minute Radio Luxembourg series, It's The Beatles, featuring The Beatles, has its first transmission in the UK.

The Rolling Stones and Georgie Fame And The Blue Flames tape live contributions to BBC radio show Blues And Rhythm, in London, UK. The show is hosted by Long John Baldry.

Elvis Presley finishes the recording of soundtrack songs for his upcoming movie, Girl Happy, at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

During the 10.30am BBC Radio news summary in the UK, announcer Roy Williams states that Ringo Starr of The Beatles "has had his toe nails successfully removed." It was actually his tonsils.

The Zombies record a live session for the BBC Radio show Easy Beat, in the BBC Playhouse Theatre, London, England, UK, Europe. It will be broadcast the following day.

John Lennon of The Beatles is interviewed at home in Surrey, England, UK, Europe, by BBC Radio One deejay Kenney Everett.

The Top 5 Singles on K-POI radio in Hawaii, USA, are as follows :



1. People Got To Be Free - The Rascals

2. Stoned Soul Picnice - The 5th Dimension

3. Turn Around Look At Me - The Vogues

4. Sweet Inspiration - The Sweet Inspirations

5. Dream A Little Dream Of Me - Mama Cass

The Top Ten Singles being played on WMCA Radio, New York City, USA, for the week beginning on this date are as follows :



1. People Got To Be Free - The Rascals

2. Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream

3. Turn Around Look At Me - The Vogues

4. Light My Fire - Jose Feliciano

5. Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf

6. Brown Eyed Woman - Bill Medley

7. Love Makes A Woman - Barbara Acklin

8. Classical Gas - Mason Williams

9. Stoned Soul Picnic - The 5th Dimension

10. You're All I Need To Get By - Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell.

John Fahey plays at Mother's, Birmingham, England, UK, Europe. DJ for the evening is John Peel.

The Zac Brown Band releases a new single, Chicken Fried, to radio in the USA on Live Nation.

Incubus play at the SWU Festival, Fazenda Maeda, Itu, Brazil, South America.

Gwen Stefani and her husband Gavin Rossdale, plus Pink and her husband Carey Hart attend the opening of the Museum of Contemporary Art's 'Art in the Streets' exhibition in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Wearing a sequinned mask, Lady Gaga performs the ceremony of crystal ball dropping in Times Square, New York City, USA.

Kasabian perform a brief live set at BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, London, England, UK.