1960
- In the early sixties Elvis was still the top selling artist with his 1960 number
one singles “Stuck on You” – “It’s Now or Never” – “Are You Lonesome Tonight”.
- The Kingston Trio had the number one album in the U.S. at the start of the sixties
with “Here We Go Again”.
- The Everly Brothers changed their record label.
- Freddy Cannon made history with “The Explosive! Freddy Cannon” the first rock n’
roll album to top the U.K. Charts.
- The BBC banned “Tell Laura I Love Her” by Ricky Valance.
January
- In 1960 Elvis was still a conscript in the U.S. services and was promoted to sergeant
- Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent began their U.K. Rock n’ Roll tour at the Granada,
Ipswich..
- Bobby Darin and Connie Francis performed as a duo on the Ed Sullivan Show.
- Sam Cooke signed with RCA Records.
- The Platters appeared at the City Hall, Sheffield.
- Duane Eddy, Santo and Johnny, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Restivo, Crash Craddock, and
the Diamonds began the All American Rock Spectacular in Australia, they appeared
in Melbourne on 27- 28th January.
February
- Jesse Belvin the R & B singer songwriter died in a head on car crash collision.
- Cliff Richard, Eddie Cochran, Alma Cogan, Emile Ford & The Checkmates, Gene Vincent,
Lonnie Donegan & his Skiffle Goup and Craig Douglas all appeared at the New Musical
Express Annual All-Star Poll Winners Concert.
- Boy Meets Girl the U.K. pop music Television show finished, it first aired in September
1959.
- The Everly Brothers signed a lucrative recording contract with Warner Brothers, their
first release on the label was “Cathy’s Clown”.
March
- Elvis left the army in March 1960 after two years service, the one and only time
he stepped onto British soil is when his plane stopped to refuel at Prestwick Airport.
Scotland when he was returning to America from Germany.
- Bryan Johnson representing the United Kingdom came second in the Eurovision song
contest with “Looking High, High, High”.
April
- In April RCA Victor were the first record company to release Mono and Stereo records
simultaneously. “Stuck on You” was the first recorded by Elvis Presley.
- Jack Good’s ABC television show Wham! Debuted.
- Dick Clark's movie “Because They're Young” premiered in New York, with appearances
by James Darren and Duane Eddy.
- Travelling to London to board a transatlantic flight home, Eddie Cochran was in a
car crash and was fatally injured and died in hospital the next day.
- Duane Eddy & The Rebels, Clyde McPhatter, Bobby Darin, Emile Ford & The Checkmates
and Bob Miller & The Millermen appeared at the Odeon, Leeds.
- The Everly Brothers began their first European tour at the New Victoria Theatre in
London.
- The gold selling album Elvis is Back was released
May
- Ben E. King left the Drifters to go Solo.
- The owner of the Jacaranda club Allan Williams began to manage the Beatles.
- The American Triple Star Show at the Gaumont Bradford featured Conway Twitty, Freddy
Cannon, and Johnny Preston.
June
- June Gene Vincent, Freddy Cannon, Jerry Keller, Lance Fortune, Georgie Fame and
Nero & the Gladiators appeared at the Gaumont, York.
- ABC television cancelled Jack Good’s Wham!.
- Johnny and the Hurricanes began their U.K.tour.
- Paul Anka appeared at New York's Copacabana nightclub.
July
- Decca postponed the release of Ray Peterson’s “Tell Laura I Love Her”.
- Muddy Waters and Nina Simone appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode
Island.
August
- The Quarrymen had changed their name to Johnny and the Moondogs, The Silver Beetles
which then developed into the Beatles. In August Pete Best left the Blackjacks and
joined to play the drums for the group. The Beatles made their first appearances
at the Indra Club in Hamburg West Germany and when that closed they moved to the
Kaiserkellar club. Later that year under the German child protection laws George
Harrison at the age of 17 was deported for being underage and Paul McCartney and
Pete Best were arrested for arson.
September
- In the U.S. in September a law was passed which banned payments or gifts in exchange
for record airplay (Payola).
- Ricky Nelson began his Australian tour.
October
- Joan Baez released her first album in October called Joan Baez.
- The Drifters, Ruth Brown, Little Anthony and the Imperials appeared at Chicago's
Tivoli Theater.
- Jimmy Jones, Mark Wynter, Brook Brothers, Kenny Lynch toured with Tony Marsh their
compere.
- G.I. Blues the eleventh album by Elvis Presley was released and reached number one
in the album charts in both the U.S. and the U.K. a platinum selling record.
November
- In Texas the Country singer Johnny Horton died in a head on car crash.
- Artists on “The Rock ‘n Trad Spectacular” included Billy Fury, Joe Brown, Tommy
Bruce, Dickie Pride, The Valentine Girls and Nelson Keene.
- Brenda Lee, Chubby Checker and the Casuals began a tour in Hawaii.
December
- Elvis Presley is number one In the U.S. & U. K. Singles charts with “It’s Now or
Never”.
- Elvis’s first none musical film was released Flaming Star.
- Bobby Darin married Sandra Dee in New Jersey.
Formed in 1960
The Del-Phis later changed their name to Martha & the Vandellas.
They were the Impacts then the Versatones changed their name to the Ventures.
Tommy Bruce & the Bruisers.
Jay and the Americans.
The Mavericks changed their name to the The Pacifics and then The Merseybeats.
The Hi-Lites formed then later renamed the Chi-Lites.
The Barron Knights.
Jeff and the Atlantics.
Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages.
The Searchers.
The Chiffons.
Gene Pitney changed to his real name from his stage name Billy Bryan.
The Springfields.
The U.K.. Group The Outlaws.
The Vogues
The Primes formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960 later they called themselves the
Elgins and finally the Temptations.
Sixties
Music Charts 1960