1951 Music History: Key Events, Band Formations & Album Releases
Acts Formed
Reno & Smiley
Wheeling, West Virginia, USA
Bluegrass
The Chords
The Bronx, New York, USA
Doo Wop
The Crows
New York, New York, USA
Doo Wop
The Moonglows
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Doo Wop
March 3rd
One of the first rock and roll songs, 'Rocket 88', is recorded by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats.
March 6th
Ivor Novello dies at 58 from coronary thrombosis (a blood clot that blocks passage to the heart).
June 1951
Columbia Records defeats RCA Victor by establishing the LP (33 1/3 rpm) format as industry standard.
July 11th
DJ Alan Freed broadcasts his first Moondog House radio show in Cleveland, Ohio. He uses the platform to play black records for a white audience, helping to popularise rock and roll.
October
Leo Fender unveils the Fender Precision Bass guitar, the handheld type used today. Previously musicians used an upright bass. This innovation made it easier for bands to tour extensively.
October
In the UK, the BBC ends its "anti-slush" policy that banned sentimental pop songs from the radio in favour of "serious" classical music.
November
The first ever computer-generated music is produced using the Ferranti Mark 1 in Manchester, England. The machine played a rendition of 'God Save the King'.
1951
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra release Masterpieces by Ellington.
1951
Lester Young Trio release The Lester Young Trio Volume 1.
