This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1948.

Specific locations

* 1948 in British music * 1948 in Norwegian music

Specific genres

* 1948 in country music * 1948 in jazz

Events

January 10 Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war. * 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the be ...

– The

Amadeus Quartet The Amadeus Quartet was a string quartet founded in 1947 and disbanded in 1987, having retained its founding members throughout its history. Noted for its smooth, sophisticated style, its seamless ensemble playing, and its sensitive interpretat ...

gives its first recital under this name, at the

Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadin ...

in London. *

February 25 Events Pre-1600 * 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor. * 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II. ...

– First

Nice Jazz Festival The Nice Jazz Festival (, ), held annually since 1948 in Nice, on the French Riviera, is "the first jazz festival of international significance." At the inaugural festival, Louis Armstrong and his All Stars were the headliners. Frommer's calls i ...

with

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

Stéphane Grappelli Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997, born Stefano Grappelli) was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the firs ...

Claude Luter Claude Luter (23 July 1923 – 6 October 2006) was a jazz clarinetist who doubled on soprano saxophone. Luter was born and died in Paris. He began on trumpet, but switched to clarinet. He might be best known for being an accompanist to Sidne ...

Mezz Mezzrow Milton Mesirow (November 9, 1899 – August 5, 1972), better known as Mezz Mezzrow, was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist from Chicago, Illinois. He is remembered for organizing and financing recording sessions with Tommy Ladnier ...

and

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...

. It is during this first edition that

Suzy Delair Suzy Delair (born Suzette Pierrette Delaire; December 31, 1917 – March 15, 2020) was a French actress, dancer, singer, comedian and star of vaudeville. Early years Growing up in Montmartre, Delair was the daughter of a father who upholstered ...

sings for the first time the song "

C'est si bon "" (; ) is a French popular song composed in 1947 by Henri Betti with the lyrics by André Hornez. The English lyrics were written in 1949 by Jerry Seelen. The song has been adapted in several languages. History In July 1947, Henri Betti w ...

" to a cabaret where

ended his evening. *

March 20 Events Pre-1600 * 673 – Emperor Emperor Tenmu, Tenmu of Japan assumes the Chrysanthemum Throne at the Asuka, Yamato#Imperial Palaces, Palace of Kiyomihara in Asuka, Yamato, Asuka. *1206 – Michael IV of Constantinople, Michael IV Au ...

– Renowned Italian conductor

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orch ...

makes his television debut, conducting the

NBC Symphony Orchestra The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra conceived by David Sarnoff, the president of the Radio Corporation of America, especially for the conductor Arturo Toscanini. The NBC Symphony performed weekly radio concert broadcasts with Tosca ...

in the United States in a program featuring the works of

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

. *

April 3 Events Pre-1600 * 686 – Maya king Yuknoom Yich'aak K'ahk' assumes the crown of Calakmul. * 1043 – Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. * 1077 – The Patriarchate of Friûl, the first Friulian state, is created ...

– Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is played on television in its entirety for the first time in a concert featuring Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The chorus was prepared by Robert Shaw. *

April 21 Events Pre-1600 *753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date). * 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered ...

–

National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYO-GB) is the national youth orchestra of the United Kingdom, consisting of 164 members of ages 13 to 19 years. Their mission is to "give thrilling experiences of orchestral music to teenage musici ...

gives its first concert. *

May 20 Events Pre-1600 * 325 – The First Council of Nicaea is formally opened, starting the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church. * 491 – Empress Ariadne marries Anastasius I. The widowed '' Augusta'' is able to choose her ...

– The Second International Congress of Composers and Music Critics 1948 opens in Prague. *

June 5 Events Pre-1600 *1257 – Kraków, in Poland, receives city rights. *1283 – Battle of the Gulf of Naples: Roger of Lauria, admiral to King Peter III of Aragon, destroys the Neapolitan fleet and captures Charles II of Naples, Charles ...

– Opening of the first

Aldeburgh Festival The Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on Snape Maltings Concert Hall. History of the Aldeburgh Festival Th ...

, founded by

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

Eric Crozier Eric Crozier OBE (14 November 19147 September 1994) was a British theatrical director, opera librettist and producer, long associated with Benjamin Britten. Early life and career Crozier was born in London and studied at the Royal Academy of Dra ...

and

Peter Pears Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears ( ; 22 June 19103 April 1986) was an English tenor. His career was closely associated with the composer Benjamin Britten, his personal and professional partner for nearly forty years. Pears' musical career started ...

. *Summer –

John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...

begins teaching at

Black Mountain College Black Mountain College was a private liberal arts college in Black Mountain, North Carolina. It was founded in 1933 by John Andrew Rice, Theodore Dreier, and several others. The college was ideologically organized around John Dewey's educational ...

in North Carolina. *

June 21 Events Pre-1600 * 533 – A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarius sails from Constantinople to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily (approximate date). * 1307 – Külüg Khan is enthroned as Khagan of the Mo ...

–

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

introduces the long-playing record album in a public demonstration''The First Long-Playing Disc''
Library of Congress (Congress.gov) (accessdate 21 June 2021) at the

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultze ...

in New York City. *

November 29 Events Pre-1600 * 561 – Following the death of King Chlothar I at Compiègne, his four sons, Charibert I, Guntram, Sigebert I and Chilperic I, divide the Frankish Kingdom. * 618 – The Tang dynasty scores a decisive victory over t ...

– First live telecast of a complete opera by the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

, of the opening-night performance of

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

's ''

Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. Th ...

'', starring

Ramón Vinay Ramón Vinay (August 31, 1911 – January 4, 1996) was a famous Chilean operatic tenor with a powerful, dramatic voice. He is probably best remembered for his appearances in the title role of Giuseppe Verdi's tragic opera '' Otello''. Biography ...

Licia Albanese Licia Albanese (July 22, 1909 – August 15, 2014) was an Italian-born American operatic soprano. Noted especially for her portrayals of the lyric heroines of Verdi and Puccini, Albanese was a leading artist with the Metropolitan Opera from 1940 ...

, and

Leonard Warren Leonard Warren (April 21, 1911 – March 4, 1960) was an American opera singer. A baritone, he was a leading artist for many years with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Especially noted for his portrayals of the leading baritone roles in ...

, on ABC-TV *December –

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

has his first television Christmas Special. *

Hans Werner Henze Hans Werner Henze (1 July 1926 – 27 October 2012) was a German composer. His large oeuvre of works is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Stravinsky, Italian music, Arabic music and jazz, as well as t ...

becomes musical assistant at the Deutscher Theater in Konstanz. *

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...

is voted the "Most Popular Male Vocalist" of the year by a ''Variety'' poll. *

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

becomes the first artist to use the technique of multi-track overdubbing (later popularized by

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, and his prototype ...

Mary Ford Mary Ford (born Iris Colleen Summers; July 7, 1924 – September 30, 1977) was an American vocalist and guitarist, comprising half of the husband-and-wife musical team Les Paul and Mary Ford. Between 1950 and 1954, the couple had 16 top-ten hi ...

). *

introduces the rpm LP ("long playing") record at New York's

, featuring 25 minutes of music per side, compared to the four minutes per side of the 78 rpm record, the previous standard for

gramophone record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...

s. *

Otis Rush Otis Rush Jr. (April 29, 1934 – September 29, 2018) was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. His distinctive guitar style featured a slow-burning sound and long bent notes. With qualities similar to the styles of other 1950s art ...

moves to Chicago and begins his musical career. *

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

and

Robert Craft Robert Lawson Craft (October 20, 1923 – November 10, 2015) was an American conductor and writer. He is best known for his intimate professional relationship with Igor Stravinsky, on which Craft drew in producing numerous recordings and books. ...

meet for the first time. *

Quartetto Cetra Quartetto Cetra (; ) was an Italian jazz vocal quartet established during the early 1940s and active until 1988. Career The band was based on the Mills Brothers and started performing under the name Quartetto Egie from the initials of the singers ...

dubs the choruses for the Italian release of Disney's ''

Dumbo ''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth Disney animated feature film, it is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, a ...

''. *

Gabriel von Wayditch Gabriel von Wayditch (28 December 1888, Budapest28 July 1969 New York City) was a Hungarian-American composer whose output consisted primarily of 14 grand operas. The son of Dr. Aloysious (Lajos) von Wayditch von Verbovac (Verbovác), a nobleman ...

begins work on his last opera ''The Heretics'', which is still not completed when he dies in 1969. However, he completed the piano score of the massive 8.5 hour work, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's longest opera. *

Bruno Maderna Bruno Maderna (21 April 1920 – 13 November 1973) was an Italian conductor and composer. Life Maderna was born Bruno Grossato in Venice but later decided to take the name of his mother, Caterina Carolina Maderna.Interview with Maderna‘s thr ...

meets

Hermann Scherchen Hermann Scherchen (21 June 1891 – 12 June 1966) was a German conductor. Life Scherchen was born in Berlin. Originally a violist, he played among the violas of the Bluthner Orchestra of Berlin while still in his teens. He conducted in Riga ...

for the first time: a fundamental encounter. *

John Serry Sr. John Serry Sr. (born John Serrapica; January 29, 1915 – September 14, 2003) was an American concert accordionist, arranger, composer, organist, and educator. He performed on the CBS Radio and Television networks and contributed to Voic ...

meets his mentor, the composer

Robert Strassburg Robert Strassburg (August 30, 1915 – October 25, 2003) was a leading American conductor, composer, musicologist and music educator of the twentieth century. His studies in music were completed under the supervision of such leading composers a ...

for the first time.

Albums released

*''The Jolson Album Vol. 2'' –

*''

Christmas Songs by Sinatra ''Christmas Songs by Sinatra'' is the name of the third studio album by the American singer Frank Sinatra. It was released in 1948 as a 78 rpm album set and a 10" LP record (CL 6019) featuring a collection of eight holiday songs. A compilation a ...

'' –

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

*'' Selections from Road to Rio'' –

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (January ...

*''

Concierto de Aranjuez The ''Concierto de Aranjuez'' (, "Aranjuez Concerto") is a classical guitar concerto by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is by far Rodrigo's best-known work, and its success established his reputation as one of the mos ...

'' —

Regino Sainz de la Maza Regino Sainz de la Maza y Ruiz (7 September 1896 – 26 November 1981) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer. Biography Sainz de la Maza was born in Burgos. At ten, he got his first guitar and started his musical studies with Santiago L ...

and the

Orquesta Nacional de España The Orquesta Nacional de España (Spanish National Orchestra) is a symphonic orchestra that is based in Madrid, Spain. History Although the orchestra originated as of 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, it was legally founded in 1940, by the mergin ...

Top popular records

The following songs appeared in The Billboard's 'Best Selling Retail Records', 'Records Most-Played On the Air' and 'Most Played Juke Box Records' charts, starting November 1947 and before December 1948. Each week fifteen points were awarded to the number one record, then nine points for number two, eight points for number three, and so on. This system rewards songs that reach the highest positions, as well as those that had the longest chart runs. The total of a song's complete chart run is determined (never cutoff at the end of December, as in The Billboard's year-end lists), then the three Popular charts are combined, with that number determining a record's year-end rank. Regional charts determine the 11-25 rankings each week, and records that failed to score on the main chart were ranked by highest position. If a record only scored on one or two of the popular charts, it will obviously rank lower than a national hit on radios and juke boxes. Additional information from other sources is reported, but not used for ranking. This includes dates obtained from the "

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

" website, chart performance from ' Most Played Juke Box Race Records', 'Most Played Juke Box Folk (Hillbilly) Records', 'Cashbox', and other sources as noted.

The Billboard's Top Race Records

The following songs appeared in The Billboard's Most-Played Juke Box Race Records and Best-Selling Retail Race Records charts, starting November 1947 through November 1948. Each week twenty points were awarded to the number one record, then fourteen points for number two, thirteen points for number three, and so on. This system rewards songs that reach the highest positions, as well as those that had the longest chart runs. Also see Billboard Top Race Records of 1948.

Published popular music

* " 'A' You're Adorable" words and music:

Buddy Kaye Jules Leonard "Buddy" Kaye (January 3, 1918 – November 21, 2002) was an American songwriter, lyricist, arranger, producer, and author. His songs were recorded by top performers, including Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washingto ...

, Fred Wise &

Sidney Lippman Sidney Lippman (March 1, 1914 – March 11, 2003) was a composer and songwriter. He wrote the music for Nat King Cole's 1951 No. 1 hit "Too Young". " Too Young's" words were written by Sylvia Dee, a lyricist and longtime collaborator with Lippm ...

* "

Always True to You in My Fashion "Always True to You in My Fashion" is a 1948 show tune by Cole Porter, written for the musical ''Kiss Me, Kate''. It is based on ''Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae sub Regno Cynarae,'' a similarly ironic poem by the English Decadent poet Ernest Dowson (18 ...

" w.m.

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

introduced by

Lisa Kirk Lisa Kirk (born Elsie Kirk, February 25, 1925 – November 11, 1990) was an American actress and singer noted for her comic talents and rich contralto (her voice was called a husky alto). Career Born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, she was raise ...

in the musical ''

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-s ...

''. Performed in the film version by

Ann Miller Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923 – January 22, 2004) was an American retired actress and former dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the Classical Hollywood cinema musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Her early ...

and Tommy Rall *"

Another Op'nin', Another Show "Another Op'nin', Another Show" is the opening number of Cole Porter's 1948 musical ''Kiss Me, Kate''. Sung by a band of players performing a musical adaption of Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'', the song has become regarded as a show b ...

" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Annabelle Hill and the ensemble in the musical ''

'' * "

Baby, It's Cold Outside "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and popularized in the 1949 film '' Neptune's Daughter''. While the lyrics make no mention of a holiday, it is commonly regarded as a Christmas song owing to its winter ...

" w.m.

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

* "

Be A Clown "Be a Clown" is a song written by Cole Porter for the 1948 film '' The Pirate''. The song was performed twice in the film: first by Gene Kelly and The Nicholas Brothers and then at the end of the film by Kelly and Judy Garland. The song "Make 'Em ...

" w.m.

introduced by

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

and

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

in the film '' The Pirate'' * "

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" (also called "The Magic Song") is a novelty song, written in 1948 by Al Hoffman, Mack David, and Jerry Livingston. Introduced in the 1950 film ''Cinderella'', and performed by actress Verna Felton, the song is about the Fairy ...

( The Magic Song)" w.m.

Mack David Mack David (July 5, 1912 – December 30, 1993) was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning the period between the early 1940s and the early 1970s. David was credited with writing ...

Al Hoffman Al Hoffman (September 25, 1902 – July 21, 1960) was an American song composer. He was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for number-one hits through each decade, many of wh ...

Jerry Livingston Jerry Livingston (born Jerry Levinson; March 25, 1909 – July 1, 1987) was an American songwriter and dance orchestra pianist. Life and career Born in Denver, Colorado, Livingston studied music at the University of Arizona. While there he com ...

* " Black Coffee" w.

Paul Francis Webster Paul Francis Webster (December 20, 1907 – March 18, 1984) was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and was nominated sixteen times for the award. Life and career Webster was born in New York City, United St ...

Sonny Burke Joseph Francis "Sonny" Burke (March 22, 1914 – May 31, 1980) was an American musical arranger, composer, Big Band leader and producer. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University, where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke ...

* "Black Market" w.m. Frederick Hollander * " Blue Christmas" w.m. Billy Hayes & Jay Johnson * "The Blue Skirt Waltz" w.

Mitchell Parish Mitchell Parish (born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky; July 10, 1900 – March 31, 1993) was an American lyricist, notably as a writer of songs for stage and screen. Biography Parish was born to a Jewish family in Lithuania, Russian Empire in July 190 ...

m. Vaclav Blaha * "Brush Those Tears From Your Eyes" w.m. Oakley Haldeman, Al Trace & Jimmy Lee * "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" w.m.

introduced by Harry Clark and Jack Diamond in the musical ''

''. Memorably Performed in the film version by

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in mos ...

and

James Whitmore James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Aca ...

. * "Busy Line" Semes, Stanton * " Candy Kisses" w.m. George Morgan * "Careless Hands" w.

Bob Hilliard Bob Hilliard (born Hilliard Goldsmith; January 28, 1918 – February 1, 1971) was an American lyricist. He wrote the words for the songs: " Alice in Wonderland", "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", " Any Day Now", "Dear Hearts and Gentle ...

Carl Sigman Carl Sigman (September 24, 1909 – September 26, 2000) was an American songwriter. Early life Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish-American family, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his bar exams to practice in ...

* "Comme Ci, Comme Ça" w. (Eng) Joan Whitney &

Alex Kramer Alex J. Kramer (May 30, 1903 – February 10, 1998) was a Canadian songwriter. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His parents were Adolph and Freda Kramer. At age 17 he was hired as a pianist in a silent movie theater in Montreal. He tra ...

(Fr)

Pierre Dudan Pierre Dudan (1916–1984) was a Russian-born Swiss actor and singer. He was born in Moscow to a Russian mother and a Swiss father. He married four times. Selected filmography * '' Night Warning'' (1946) * '' The Fugitive'' (1947) * '' The Lyons ...

Bruno Coquatrix Bruno Coquatrix (5 August 1910, Ronchin, Nord – 1 April 1979) was a French music producer, the owner and manager of the Olympia Hall in Paris from 1954 until his death in 1979. Career Coquatrix was first known as a song and music writer. He ...

* "A Couple Of Swells" w.m.

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russi ...

. Introduced by

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

and

in the film '' Easter Parade'' * "

The Deck Of Cards "The Deck of Cards" is a recitation song that was popularized in the fields of both country and popular music, first during the late 1940s. This song, which relates the tale of a young American soldier arrested and charged with playing cards dur ...

" w.m. T. Texas Tyler * "Don't Look Now But My Heart Is Showing" w.

Ann Ronell Ann Ronell (née Rosenblatt; December 25, 1905 — December 25, 1993) was an American composer and lyricist. She was best known for the standards "Willow Weep for Me" (1932) and "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" (1933). Early life Ronell was bor ...

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

from the film version of ''

One Touch of Venus ''One Touch of Venus'' is a 1943 musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the 1885 novella ''The Tinted Venus'' by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygma ...

'' * "

Far Away Places "Far Away Places" is an American popular song. It was written by Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer and published in 1948. The recording by Bing Crosby & The Ken Darby Choir was recorded on November 25, 1948 and released by Decca Records as catalog ...

" w.m. Joan Whitney &

* " Forever And Ever" w. (Eng) Malia Rosa (Ger) Franz Winkler m. Franz Winkler * "Girls Were Made To Take Care Of Boys" w.m.

Ralph Blane Ralph Blane (July 26, 1914 – November 13, 1995) was an American composer, lyricist, and performer. Life and career Blane was born Ralph Uriah Hunsecker in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He attended Tulsa Central High School. He studied singing with ...

* "

Hair Of Gold, Eyes Of Blue "Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue" is a popular song. It was written by Sunny Skylar. The song was published in 1948. Popular versions of the song were recorded by Gordon MacRae, by The Harmonicats, and by Jack Emerson ''(né'' Abraham Jacob Melamerson ...

" w.m. Sunny Skylar * "Hang On The Bell, Nellie" w.m.

Tommie Connor Thomas Patrick Connor (16 November 1904 – 28 November 1993) was a British lyricist and songwriter, credited with several hit songs over his long career. He wrote several of the most popular non-religious Christmas songs, including " The Litt ...

, Clive Erard & Ross Parker * " Hooray for Love" w. Leo Robin m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Tony Martin in the film ''

Casbah A kasbah (, also ; ar, قَـصَـبَـة, qaṣaba, lit=fortress, , Maghrebi Arabic: ), also spelled qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territo ...

'' * "I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple" w.m.

. Introduced by

Patricia Morison Eileen Patricia Augusta Fraser Morison (March 19, 1915 – May 20, 2018) was an American stage, television and film actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood and mezzo-soprano singer. She made her feature film debut in 1939 after several years on ...

in the musical ''

Kiss Me Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-sta ...

''. * "I'm Beginning To Miss You" w.m.

* "I've Come To Wive It Wealthily In Padua" w.m.

introduced by

Alfred Drake Alfred Drake (October 7, 1914 – July 25, 1992) was an American actor and singer. Biography Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Broo ...

in the musical ''

''. Sung in the film version by

Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer, known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s and in the CBS tel ...

. * "

I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" is a novelty song composed in 1944 (as "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Cocoanuts") by Fred Heatherton, a songwriting pseudonym for a collaboration of English songwriters Harold Elton Box (1903–1981) and Desmond Co ...

" w.m. Fred Heatherton * "Make A Miracle" w.m.

. Introduced by

Ray Bolger Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer (particularly musical theatre) who started in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major Broadway performer in ...

and

Allyn McLerie Allyn Ann McLerie (December 1, 1926 – May 21, 2018) was a Canadian-born American actress, singer and dancer who worked with many of Golden Age musical theatre's major choreographers, including George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, and Jerome R ...

in the

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

Where's Charley? ''Where's Charley?'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the 1892 play ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway an ...

'' * "

My Darling, My Darling "My Darling, My Darling" is a popular song, written by Frank Loesser and published in 1948. It was originally introduced by Byron Palmer and Doretta Morrow in the Broadway musical ''Where's Charley?'' (1948). Charted versions were by: *The most ...

" w.m.

. Introduced in the musical ''

'' by

Byron Palmer Byron Palmer (21 June 1920 – 30 September 2009) was an American film, television and stage actor under contract with 20th Century Fox. Early years Palmer was the second of four children of '' Harlan G. Palmer''; a politician, judge, and most n ...

and

Doretta Morrow Doretta Morrow (January 27, 1927 – February 28, 1968) was an American actress, singer and dancer who appeared in stage and television productions during the 1940s and 1950s. She is best remembered for having created roles in the original pro ...

* " My Happiness" w. Betty Peterson m. Borney Bergantine * "N'yot N'yow (The Pussycat Song)" w.m. Dick Manning * "

O Mein Papa "" is a nostalgic German song, originally as related by a young woman remembering her beloved, once-famous clown father. It was written by Swiss composer Paul Burkhard in 1939 for the musical ' (''The Black Pike''), reproduced in 1950 as '' Das Feue ...

" w.m.

Paul Burkhard Paul Burkhard (21 December 1911, Zürich – 6 September 1977, Zell) was a Swiss composer. He primarily wrote oratorios, musicals and operettas. The contemporaneous and similarly named Swiss composer Willy Burkhard was no relation to him. Probab ...

* "Once In Love With Amy" w.m.

* "Pecos Bill" w. Johnny Lange m. Eliot Daniel * " Powder Your Face With Sunshine" w.m.

Carmen Lombardo Carmen Lombardo (July 16, 1903 – April 17, 1971) was lead saxophonist and featured vocalist for his brother Guy Lombardo's orchestra. He was also a successful composer. In 1927, Carmen Lombardo was the vocalist of the hit record Charmaine, perf ...

& Stanley Rochinski * "

Red Roses For A Blue Lady "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" is a 1948 popular song by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett (alias Roy Brodsky). It has been recorded by a number of performers. Actor-singer John Laurenz (1909–1958) was the first to record the song for Mercury Records ...

" w.m.

Sid Tepper Sid Tepper (June 25, 1918 – April 24, 2015) was an American songwriter. He is best known for his collaborations with Roy C. Bennett, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 son ...

Roy C. Bennett Roy C. Bennett (August 12, 1918 – July 2, 2015) was an American songwriter known for the songs he wrote with Sid Tepper, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs. Biograp ...

* " Say Something Sweet" w.m.

* "Shoes With Wings On" w.

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

* "

So In Love "So in Love" is a popular song, written by Cole Porter, from his musical ''Kiss Me, Kate'' (opening on Broadway in 1948), which was based on Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew''. It was sung in the show by Patricia Morison, reprised by Alf ...

" w.m.

introduced by

in the musical ''

''. Performed in the film version by

Kathryn Grayson Kathryn Grayson (born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick; February 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010) was an American actress and coloratura soprano.Ronald Berganbr>Obituary '' London Guardian'', February 19, 2010. From the age of twelve, Grayson train ...

and

. * "Sunflower"

* "

Tennessee Waltz "Tennessee Waltz" is a popular country music song with lyrics by Redd Stewart and music by Pee Wee King written in 1946 and first released in January 1948. The song became a multimillion seller via a 1950 recording – as "The Tennessee Waltz" � ...

" w.m.

Redd Stewart Henry Ellis Stewart (May 27, 1923 – August 2, 2003), better known as Redd Stewart, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist who co-wrote "Tennessee Waltz" with Pee Wee King in 1948. Biography He was born in Ashland City ...

Pee Wee King Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski (February 18, 1914 – March 7, 2000), known professionally as Pee Wee King, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "Tennessee Waltz". Pee Wee King is credited with ...

* "

The Three Bells "The Three Bells", also known as "The Jimmy Brown Song", "Little Jimmy Brown", or simply "Jimmy Brown", is a song made popular by the Browns in 1959. The song is an English adaptation of the French language song "Les Trois Cloches" written by Jean ...

" w. (Eng) Bert Reisfeld m.

Jean Villard Gilles Jean Villard, Pseudonym, known as Gilles (2 June 1895 in Montreux (Switzerland) – 26 March 1982 in Vevey), originating from Daillens, was a French Swiss multi-talented chansonnier, poet, humorist, comedian, actor, and cabaretist. He was ...

* "Time Out For Tears" w.m. Abe Schiff & Irving Berman * " Tom, Dick or Harry" w.m.

introduced by

Harold Lang Harold Lang (December 21, 1920 – July 26, 1985) was an American dancer, singer and actor. Life and career Lang began his professional career as a ballet dancer, making his professional debut with the San Francisco Ballet in 1938 and then goi ...

, Edwin Clay and Charles Wood in the musical ''

''. Sung in the film version by

Tommy Rall Thomas Edward Rall (December 27, 1929 – October 6, 2020) was an American actor, ballet dancer, tap dancer, and acrobatic dancer who was a prominent featured player in 1950s musical comedies. He later became a successful operatic tenor in the 1 ...

Bobby Van Robert Jack Stein (December 6, 1928 – July 31, 1980), known by his legalized stage name Bobby Van, was a Musician, musical actor and dancer, best known for his career on Broadway theatre, Broadway, in films and television from the 1950s throu ...

and

Bob Fosse Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals ''The Pajam ...

. * "Too Darn Hot" w.m.

introduced by Lorenzo Fuller, Fred Davis and Eddie Sledge in the musical ''

''.

sang and danced the number in the film version. * "A Tree In The Meadow" w.m. Billy Reid (British songwriter), Billy Reid * "Uncle Charlie's Polka" m.

* "Where Is The Life That Late I Led?" w.m.

introduced by

in the musical ''

''. Sung by

in the film version. * "Why Can't You Behave?" w.m.

introduced by

and

in the musical ''

''. Performed by

in the film version. * "Wunderbar" w.m.

introduced by

and

in the musical ''

''. Performed by

and

. * "You Came A Long Way From St Louis" w. Bob Russell m. John Benson Brooks * "You Can't Be True, Dear" w.(Eng) Hal Cotton (Ger) Gerhard Ebeler m. Hans Otten * "You Say The Nicest Things, Baby" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh * "You Was" w.

m. Sonny Burke * "You're All I Want For Christmas" w.m. Glen Moore & Seger Ellis * "You're Breaking My Heart" w.m. Pat Genaro & Sunny Skylar

Classical music

Premieres

Compositions

*Yasushi Akutagawa **''Trinita sinfonica'' **String Quartet **''La danse'' for piano *George Antheil – **Violin Sonata No. 4 **String Quartet No. 3 *Pierre Boulez – Piano sonatas (Boulez), Piano Sonata No. 2 *Havergal Brian – Symphony No. 7 *

– **''Sonatas and Interludes'' for prepared piano **Suite for Toy Piano *Elliott Carter – Sonata for cello and piano *Aaron Copland – **''The Red Pony (Copland), The Red Pony'' suite **Clarinet Concerto *George Crumb – ''Alleluja'' for unaccompanied chorus *Einar Englund – Symphony No. 2 ''Blackbird'' *Ross Lee Finney – String Quartet No. 5 *Paul Hindemith – Suite französischer Tänze *Vagn Holmboe – Concerto No. 11 for trumpet and orchestra (his only trumpet concerto, but once called Chamber Concerto No. 11 because of its scoring) *Joseph Jongen – La musique for soprano, string quartet, and piano, Op. 135, No. 2 *Dmitry Kabalevsky – Violin Concerto in C major *Bohuslav Martinů – **Piano Concerto No. 3 **''The Strangler'' (ballet) *Toshiro Mayuzumi – **Divertimento, for ten instruments **''Rumba Rhapsody'' for orchestra *Nikolai Myaskovsky – Cello Sonata No. 2 *Andrzej Panufnik – Symphony No. 1 ''Sinfonia Rustica'' *Francis Poulenc – Cello Sonata (Poulenc), Sonata for cello and piano, Op. 143 (1948) *Alan Rawsthorne – Violin Concerto No. 1 *Pierre Schaeffer – ''Étude aux chemins de fer'' *William Schuman – Symphony No. 6 *

– **Consolation Waltz **Bugle Polka *Harold Shapero – Symphony for Classical Orchestra *Dmitri Shostakovich **''From Jewish Folk Poetry'' (song cycle) **''The Young Guard (film), The Young Guard'' (film score) *Richard Strauss – Four Last Songs *

– Mass for chorus and double wind quintet *Eduard Tubin – Double Bass Concerto *Heitor Villa-Lobos **Fantasia for saxophone, three horns, and strings ** Piano Concerto No. 2 (Villa-Lobos), Piano Concerto No. 2 **Bachianas Brasileiras, Bachianas brasileiras No.5, arranged for piano and voice *Chris Mary Francine Whittle – Piano Concerto *Akio Yashiro – Trio for violin, cello, and piano

Opera

*Arthur Bliss – ''The Olympians'' (Premiered 1949) *Sergei Prokofiev — ''The Story of a Real Man'' (opera, completed this year)

Film

*Arnold Bax – ''Oliver Twist (1948 film)'' *Max Steiner – ''Key Largo (film)'' *Dimitri Tiomkin – ''Red River (1948 film)'' *Ralph Vaughan Williams – ''Scott of the Antarctic (film)''

Musical theatre

* '' A La Carte'' London production * '' As the Girls Go'' Broadway production * ''Bob's Your Uncle (musical), Bob's Your Uncle'' (Frank Eyton & Noel Gay) London production opened at the Saville Theatre on May 5 and ran for 363 performances * '' The Boltons Revue'' London production * ''Cage Me a Peacock'' (Music: Eve Lynd Lyrics: Adam Leslie Book: Noel Langley) London production opened at the Novello Theatre, Strand Theatre on June 18 and ran for 337 performances * ''Caribbean Rhapsody'' London production * ''Carissima (musical), Carissima'' London production opened at the Palace Theatre, London, Palace Theatre on March 10 and ran for 488 performances * '' Down in the Valley (opera), Down in the Valley'' Broadway production * ''High Button Shoes'' (Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn) – London production opened at the London Hippodrome, Hippodrome on December 22 and ran for 291 performances * ''Imperial Violets (operetta), Imperial Violets'' Paris production * '' Inside U.S.A.'' Broadway production loosely based on the book Inside U.S.A. by John Gunther. Arthur Schwartz (music) and Howard Dietz (lyrics). Opened on Broadway at the New Century Theatre on April 30, 1948, and run for 399 performances * ''The Kid from Stratford'' London production opened at the Prince's Theatre on September 30 and ran for 235 performances * ''

'' (

) – Broadway theatre, Broadway production opened on December 30 at the New Century Theatre and ran for 1077 performances * '' Lend an Ear'' Broadway production * '' Look Ma, I'm Dancin'!'' Broadway production * '' Love Life (musical), Love Life'' Broadway production * ''Maid to Measure'' London revue opened at the Cambridge Theatre on May 20. Starring Jessie Matthews, Tommy Fields, Joan Heal and Lew Parker. * '' Magdalena (musical), Magdalena'' Broadway production * '' Make Mine Manhattan'' Broadway production * '' Moonshine (musical), Moonshine'' New Haven production * ''My Romance (musical), My Romance'' (Sigmund Romberg and Rowland Leigh) opened at the Shubert Theatre (Broadway), Shubert Theatre on October 19, transferred to the Adelphi Theatre (New York) on December 7 and ran for a total of 95 performances * '' Oranges And Lemons (musical), Oranges And Lemons'' London production * '' Slings And Arrows'' London production * '' That's The Ticket'' Broadway production * ''

'' Broadway production opened on October 11 at the St. James Theatre and ran for 792 performances

Musical films

* ''April Showers (1948 film), April Showers'' starring Ann Sothern, Jack Carson, Robert Alda and S. Z. Sakall. Directed by James V. Kern. * ''Are You With It?'' starring Donald O'Connor, Olga San Juan and Martha Stewart. Directed by Jack Hively. * '' La Belle Meuniere'' * '' Big City (1948 film), Big City'' * '' Bill and Coo'' * ''

'' starring Yvonne DeCarlo and Tony Martin. * '' A Date with Judy (film), A Date with Judy'' starring Wallace Beery, Jane Powell and Elizabeth Taylor. Directed by Richard Thorpe. * '' Deux Amours'' * '' Easter Parade'' starring

, Peter Lawford and

. Directed by Charles Walter. * '' The Emperor Waltz'' starring

, Joan Fontaine, Roland Culver, Richard Haydn and Lucille Watson. Directed by Billy Wilder. * '' Fandango (1948 film), Fandango'' * '' Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin''' starring Donald O'Connor, Marjorie Main, Percy Kilbride and Penny Edwards (actress), Penny Edwards. Directed by George Sherman. * '' For the Love of Mary'' * '' A Foreign Affair'' * '' Give My Regards to Broadway (film), Give My Regards to Broadway'' * '' Glamour Girl (1948 film), Glamour Girl'' starring Virginia Grey and Gene Krupa & his Band. Directed by Arthur Dreifuss. * '' The Glass Mountain (1949 film), The Glass Mountain'' * '' If You Knew Susie'' * '' The Kissing Bandit (film), The Kissing Bandit'' * '' Ladies of the Chorus'' starring Adele Jergens and Marilyn Monroe * '' Lulu Belle (film), Lulu Belle'' * '' Luxury Liner (1948 film), Luxury Liner'' * '' Martin Block's Musical Merry Go Round'' * '' Mary Lou (1948 film), Mary Lou'' * '' Melody Time'' animated film including ''Johnny Appleseed (film), Johnny Appleseed'' and ''Pecos Bill'' * ''Mexican Hayride'' * '' Mickey (1948 film), Mickey'' * '' A Miracle Can Happen'' * '' The Miracle of the Bells'' * '' Music Man (1948 film), Music Man'' * '' On an Island with You'' starring Esther Williams, Peter Lawford and Jimmy Durante. Directed by Richard Thorpe. * '' One Night with You (1948 film), One Night with You'' * '' One Sunday Afternoon (1948 film), One Sunday Afternoon'' starring Dennis Morgan and Janis Paige * ''One Touch of Venus (film), One Touch Of Venus'' released August, starring Ava Gardner, Robert Hudson Walker, Robert Walker and Dick Haymes. * '' The Paleface (1948 film), The Paleface'' starring Bob Hope and Jane Russell * '' The Pirate'' * '' Rachel and the Stranger'' * '' Romance on the High Seas'' * '' So Dear to My Heart'' * '' A Song Is Born'' starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo and Benny Goodman * ''Summer Holiday (1948 film), Summer Holiday'' released on April 16 starring Mickey Rooney and Gloria DeHaven * '' That Lady in Ermine'' starring Betty Grable and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. * '' Three Daring Daughters'' * '' Two Guys From Texas'' * ''Up in Central Park, Up In Central Park'' starring Deanna Durbin, Dick Haymes and Vincent Price. Directed by William Seiter. * '' When My Baby Smiles at Me (film), When My Baby Smiles At Me'' starring Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, June Havoc, Jack Oakie, James Gleason and Richard Arlen. Directed by Walter Lang. * '' Words and Music (1948 film), Words and Music'' * '' You Were Meant for Me (film), You Were Meant for Me'' starring Jeanne Crain, Dan Dailey and Oscar Levant. Directed by Lloyd Bacon.

Births

*January 2 – Kerry Minnear, rock keyboardist (Gentle Giant) *January 7 – Kenny Loggins, singer and songwriter (Loggins and Messina) *January 8 – Paul King (Mungo Jerry), Paul King, rock musician (Mungo Jerry) *

– Donald Fagen, singer and songwriter (Steely Dan) *January 14 – T-Bone Burnett, record producer, artist *January 15 – Ronnie Van Zant, singer (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (died 1977) *January 16 – John Carpenter, film-maker and composer *January 22 – Gilbert Levine, American conductor and academic *January 23 – Anita Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) *January 26 – Corky Laing (Mountain (band), Mountain) *January 27 – Kim Gardner (Ashton, Gardner and Dyke) (died 2001) *January 31 – Joyce Moreno (musician), Joyce Moreno, Brazilian singer-songwriter *February 1 – Rick James, singer, songwriter and record producer (died 2004) *February 2 – Al McKay (Earth, Wind & Fire) *February 4 – Alice Cooper, lead singer (Alice Cooper (band), Alice Cooper Band) *February 5 ** David Denny (musician), David Denny (Steve Miller Band) ** Christopher Guest, actor and musician (''This Is Spinal Tap'') *February 7 – Jimmy Greenspoon, American keyboard player (Three Dog Night) *February 8 **Dan Seals, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (England Dan & John Ford Coley) (died 2009) **Ron Tyson, American singer-songwriter (The Temptations), lead singer (The Ethics) *February 17 – José José (José Sosa Ortiz), Mexican Latin singer and instrumentalist (died 2019) *February 18 – Keith Knudsen, American singer-songwriter and drummer (The Doobie Brothers) (Southern Pacific (band), Southern Pacific) (died 2005) *February 19 – Tony Iommi, English heavy metal lead guitarist and songwriter (Black Sabbath) *February 28 – Geoff Nicholls, English heavy metal keyboard player (Black Sabbath) (died 2017) *March 2 – Rory Gallagher, musician, songwriter and bandleader (died 1995) *March 4 – Chris Squire, bassist (Yes (band), Yes) (The Syn) (died 2015) *March 5 ** Eddy Grant, singer and songwriter ** Richard Hickox, conducting, conductor *March 8 – Peggy March, Little Peggy March, singer *March 9 **Jeffrey Osborne, singer and songwriter **Jimmie Fadden, folk rock percussionist (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) **Chris Thompson (English musician), Chris Thompson, singer & guitarist (Manfred Mann's Earth Band) *March 12 – James Taylor, singer-songwriter *March 17 – Fran Byrne (Ace (band), Ace) *March 22 ** Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer ** Randy Hobbs (The McCoys) *March 24 – Lee Oskar (War (U.S. band), War) *March 25 – Michael Stanley, singer-songwriter and DJ *March 26 ** Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) ** Richard Tandy (Electric Light Orchestra) *March 28 **John Evans (Jethro Tull (band), Jethro Tull) **Milan Williams (Commodores) *March 30 – Jim "Dandy" Mangrum, Jim Dandy (Black Oak Arkansas) *April 1 **Jimmy Cliff, reggae singer ** Simon Crowe (The Boomtown Rats) *April 4 **Pick Withers, drummer (Dire Straits) **Berry Oakley, bassist (The Allman Brothers Band) (died 1972) *April 7 – John Oates (Hall & Oates) *April 9 **Chico Ryan (Sha Na Na) **Phil Wright (Paper Lace) *April 17 – Jan Hammer, composer, pianist and keyboard player *April 20 – Craig Frost (Grand Funk Railroad) *

– Paul Davis (singer), Paul Davis, singer (died 2008) *April 27 – Kate Pierson (The B-52's) *April 30 – Wayne Kramer (guitarist), Wayne Kramer (MC5) *May 2 – Larry Gatlin, country singer *May 5 – Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward (Black Sabbath) *May 6 – Mary MacGregor, singer *May 12 **Ivan Kral, guitarist (Patti Smith, Patti Smith Group) **Steve Winwood, R&B singer (Blind Faith) *May 15 – Brian Eno, synthesizer virtuoso and composer *May 19 – Tom Scott (saxophonist), Tom Scott, American saxophonist, composer and bandleader *May 21 – Leo Sayer, singer-songwriter *May 24 – Ernst Jansz (Doe Maar) *May 25 – Klaus Meine (Scorpions (band), Scorpions) *May 26 – Stevie Nicks, American singer-songwriter (Fleetwood Mac) *May 27 – Pete Sears, keyboard player (Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna) *May 29 – Michael Berkeley, composer and broadcaster *May 31 – John Bonham, rock drummer (Led Zeppelin) *June 16 – Nick Drake, singer-songwriter *June 20 – Alan Longmuir, pop guitarist (Bay City Rollers) (died 2018) *

– Joey Molland, rock composer-guitarist (Badfinger) *June 22 – Todd Rundgren, singer and producer *June 24 – Patrick Moraz, keyboard player (Yes (band), Yes) (The Moody Blues) *June 25 – Kenji Sawada, rock singer and songwriter *June 29 – Ian Paice (Deep Purple) *July 3 – Paul Barrere (Little Feat) *July 4 – Jeremy Spencer, guitarist (Fleetwood Mac) *July 7 – Larry Reinhardt (Iron Butterfly) *July 12 – Walter Egan, rock musician *July 18 – Philip Harris (Ace (band), Ace) *July 19 – Keith Godchaux (Grateful Dead) *July 21 – Cat Stevens, singer-songwriter *July 25 – Steve Goodman, folk singer-songwriter (died 1984) *August 8 – Andy Fairweather-Low, singer (Amen Corner (band), Amen Corner) *August 10 – Patti Austin *August 12 – Tony Santini (Sha Na Na) *August 13 – Kathleen Battle, opera singer *August 16 – Barry Hay (Golden Earring) *August 19 ** Susan Jacks, pop singer ** Elliot Lurie (Looking Glass (band), Looking Glass) *August 20 – Robert Plant, singer (Led Zeppelin) *August 24 – Jean Michel Jarre, composer *August 28 – Daniel Seraphine (Chicago (band), Chicago) *September 3 – Don Brewer (Grand Funk Railroad) *September 6 – Claydes Charles Smith, Claydes Smith (Kool & the Gang) *September 11 – John Martyn (singer), John Martyn, singer *September 13 – Nell Carter, US singer and actress *September 14 – Fred "Sonic" Smith, American guitarist (Husband of Patti Smith) (died 1994) *September 16 – Kenney Jones, drummer (The Faces, The Who) *September 17 – Raphy Leavitt, Puerto Rican-American accordion player and composer (died 2015) *September 26 – Olivia Newton-John, English-Australian singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and activist (died 2022) *September 29 – Mark Farner (Terry Knight and the Pack, Grand Funk Railroad) *October 1 – Cub Koda (Brownsville Station (band), Brownsville Station) *October 5 – Delroy Wilson, reggae artist (died 1995) *October 8 – Johnny Ramone, guitarist (Ramones) (died 2004) *October 10 – Cyril Neville, The Neville Brothers *October 12 – Rick Parfitt, rock musician (Status Quo (band), Status Quo) (died 2016) *October 13 – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Qawwali singer (died 1997) *October 15 – Chris de Burgh, singer and songwriter *October 19 – Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers) *October 22 – Bo Holten, composer and conductor *October 24 – Dale Griffin, British rock drummer (Mott The Hoople, Mott, British Lions (band), British Lions) (died 2016) *October 28 **Rick Reynolds (Black Oak Arkansas) ** Telma Hopkins (Tony Orlando and Dawn) *November 3 – Lulu (singer), Lulu, singer and actress *November 6 **Glenn Frey (Eagles (band), Eagles) (died 2016) ** George Young (rock musician), George Young (The Easybeats) ** Rushton Moreve (Steppenwolf (band), Steppenwolf) *November 16 **Chi Coltrane, American singer-songwriter and pianist **Robert John "Mutt" Lange, South African record producer and songwriter (Shania Twain, Stevie Vann) *November 20 – Martti Wallén. opera singer *November 21 – Lonnie Jordan, funk singer-songwriter (War (U.S. band), War) *November 22 – Dennis Larden, sunshine pop singer-guitarist (Every Mother's Son) *December 1 – Eric Bloom, hard rock singer-songwriter (Blue Öyster Cult) *December 3 – Ozzy Osbourne, rock singer (Black Sabbath) (husband of Sharon Osbourne and father of Kelly Osbourne and Jack Osbourne) *December 4 – Southside Johnny (John Lyon), singer-songwriter *December 10 – Jessica Cleaves, The Friends of Distinction *December 13 **Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, rock guitarist (The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan) **Ted Nugent, singer-songwriter *December 17 – Jim Bonfanti, rock drummer (Raspberries (band), Raspberries) *December 20 – Stevie Wright (Australian singer), Stevie Wright, The Easybeats *December 23 – Jim Ferguson, American guitarist, composer, author, educator and music journalist *December 25 – Barbara Mandrell, country music singer *December 28 – Larry Byrom, rock guitarist Steppenwolf (band), Steppenwolf *December 31 **Stephen Cleobury, English choral conductor (died 2019) **Donna Summer, American soul and disco singer-songwriter, actor and painter (died 2012)

Deaths

*January 8 – Richard Tauber, operatic tenor, 56 (lung cancer) *January 15 – Jack Guthrie, popular singer, 32 (tuberculosis) *January 21 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, composer of comic operas, 72 *January 26 – Ignaz Friedman, pianist and composer, 65 *February 21 – Frederic Lamond (pianist), Frederic Lamond, pianist, 80 *

– Carlos López Buchardo, composer, 66 *April 24 – Manuel Ponce, composer, 65 *April 25 – Fritz Crome, composer and music writer, 68 *May 17 **David Evans (composer), David Evans, composer, 74 **Olga Samaroff, pianist and music critic, 67 *June 1 – José Vianna da Motta, pianist and composer, 80 *June 6 – Henning Jakob Henrik Lund, Henrik Lund, lyricist, 72 *June 14 – John Blackwood McEwen, Scottish composer and educator, 80 *June 17 – Beryl Wallace, singer, dancer and actress, 35 (aviation accident) *June 20 – George Frederick Boyle, composer, 61 *June 27 – George Templeton Strong (composer), George Templeton Strong, composer, 92 *August 10 **Lucille Bogan, blues singer, 51 (coronary sclerosis) **Emmy Hennings, cabaret performer, 63 *August 13 – Elaine Hammerstein, Broadway star, 51 (car accident) *August 20 – David John de Lloyd, composer, 65 *September 3 – Mutt Carey, jazz trumpeter, 61 *September 12 – Rupert D'Oyly Carte, impresario, 70 *September 14 – Vernon Dalhart, country singer, 65 *October 25 – Boris Fomin, Russian folk composer, 48 (tuberculosis) *October 10 – Mary Eaton, dancer, 47 (liver failure) *October 24 – Franz Lehár, composer, 78 *November 9 – Euphemia Allen, composer, 87 *November 12 – Umberto Giordano, composer, 81 *December 2 – Chano Pozo, percussionist, 33 (murdered) *December 5 – Kerry Mills, US violinist and songwriter, 79 *December 10 – Francesco Bartolomeo de Leone, composer, 61 *December 14 – R. O. Morris, British composer and teacher, 62 *December 18 – William Arms Fisher, music historian, 87 *December 22 – Donald Brian, actor, dancer and singer, 71

References

{{Reflist 1948 in music, 20th century in music Music by year