1960 in British music

Events

29 March – The 5th Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Royal Festival Hall, London, is won by France with the song "Tom Pillibi", sung by Jacqueline Boyer. The UK is placed second for a second successive year with "Looking High, High, High" sung by Bryan Johnson (brother and brother-in-law of last year's UK entrants).
15 March – Jussi Björling suffers a heart attack before a performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He goes on to perform, but dies six months later in Sweden.
April – Jack Good's new TV show, Wham!, is broadcast for the first time.
12 April – Sir Thomas Beecham returns to the UK from his last overseas conducting tour; he dies the following year.
17 April – Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Cochran's girlfriend Sharon Sheeley are injured in a car accident near Chippenham, Wiltshire. Cochran dies in a hospital in Bath, Somerset, from severe brain injuries.
20–28 May – The Beatles, as the Silver Beetles (uncredited), play their first ever tour, as a backing group for Johnny Gentle on a tour of Scotland.^[1] The lineup comprises John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Tommy Moore.
June – Tommy Steele marries former Windmill girl Ann Donoghue at St. Patrick's Church, Soho Square, London.^[2]
30 June – Opening of Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! at the New Theatre in London's West End. It is an immediate success which makes stars of Ron Moody and Georgia Brown.
July – The Shadows' instrumental Apache is released.
30 July – "Battle of Beaulieu": At a jazz festival at Beaulieu, Hampshire, fans of trad jazz come to blows with progressives.^[3]^[4]
1 August – The Beatles make their first appearance under this name in Hamburg, Germany. The band at this time comprises John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe on bass and Pete Best on drums.^[5]
August – Colin Davis makes his conducting début at the Proms in a programme of Britten, Schumann, Mozart and Berlioz.^[6]
21 September – Mstislav Rostropovich gives the UK premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto at the Royal Festival Hall, London. Benjamin Britten attends, and from their meeting they become firm friends, resulting in Britten composing several major works for the cellist.^[7]
December
- Adam Faith becomes the first pop star to be interviewed on the BBC's Face to Face.^[8]
- George Formby makes his final television appearance, on BBC's The Friday Show.
Ian Lake launches the Music of our Time Festival in London for hitherto unknown composers.^[9]

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31 January – George Benjamin, composer
3 February – Malcolm Martineau, pianist
4 February – Tim Booth, singer, dancer and actor (James)
11 February – Momus, born Nicholas Currie, songwriter
14 February – Jocelyn Pook, composer and viola player
19 February – Holly Johnson, singer (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
4 April – Jane Eaglen, dramatic soprano
23 April
- Steve Clark, rock guitarist (died 1991)
- Barry Douglas, classical pianist
26 April – Roger Taylor, drummer (Duran Duran)
29 April – Phil King, bassist
19 May – Yazz, born Yasmin Evans, pop singer
24 May – Guy Fletcher, keyboardist (Dire Straits)
1 June – Simon Gallup, bassist (The Cure)
2 June – Tony Hadley, singer (Spandau Ballet)
8 June – Mick Hucknall, singer and songwriter (Simply Red)
10 June – Mark-Anthony Turnage, composer
19 June – Luke Morley, guitarist, songwriter and producer (The Union, Terraplane and Thunder)
20 June – John Taylor, bass guitarist (Duran Duran)
3 July – Vince Clarke, songwriter (Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure)
19 July – Kevin Haskins, English-American drummer and songwriter (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets and Tones on Tail)
24 July – Pete Stollery, composer of electroacoustic music
14 August – Sarah Brightman, soprano singer and actress
8 September – David Steele, bassist (Fine Young Cannibals)
1 October – Peter Seabourne, composer
2 October – Django Bates, composer, multi-instrumentalist and band leader
3 October – Julian Grant, composer of opera, chamber music and music for children
5 October – Paul Heard, keyboardist (M People)
6 October – Richard Jobson, rock singer-songwriter (Skids), filmmaker and television presenter
18 November – Kim Wilde, singer
2 December – Rick Savage, bassist (Def Leppard)
22 December – Mark Brydon, guitarist, songwriter and producer

1960 in British music

Events

The Official UK Singles Chart

Number one singles

Albums

Classical music: new works

Opera

Film and Incidental music

Musical theatre

Musical films

Births

Deaths

See also

References

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