Editing 1968 in music (section)

==Events==
*[[January 4]] – Guitarist [[Jimi Hendrix]] is jailed by [[Stockholm]] police after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist [[Noel Redding]].
*[[January 13]] – [[Johnny Cash]] records ''[[At Folsom Prison]]'' live at [[Folsom State Prison]], California.
*[[January 20]] – [[The Who]] and the [[Small Faces]] start a tour of Australia and New Zealand.
*[[January 24]] – Inaugural concert of the [[London Sinfonietta]] under [[David Atherton]] at the [[Queen Elizabeth Hall]], London, including the premiere of [[John Tavener]]'s dramatic cantata ''[[The Whale (Tavener)|The Whale]]''.
*[[February 1]] – [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] offers [[The Doors]] $500,000 to star in a feature film, which is never made.
*[[February 4]] – The [[Bee Gees]] make their American television debut on ''[[The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour]]''.
*[[February 12]] – [[Jimi Hendrix]] is given an honorary high school diploma from [[James A. Garfield High School (Seattle)|Garfield High School]] in [[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]]. He is also given the key to the city.
*[[February 16]] – [[The Beatles]], [[Mike Love]], [[Mia Farrow]], [[Donovan]] and others travel to [[India]] to visit [[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]] at [[Rishikesh]].
*[[February 18]] – [[David Gilmour]] joins [[Pink Floyd]], replacing founder [[Syd Barrett]], who has checked himself into a psychiatric hospital.
*[[February 21]] – [[McGraw-Hill]], Inc., outbids eight other publishers and pays $150,000 for the U.S. rights to [[Hunter Davies]]' authorized biography of [[The Beatles]].
*[[February 22]] – [[Florence Ballard]] of [[The Supremes]] is released from her contract with [[Motown]].
*[[February 27]] – Doo-wop singer [[Frankie Lymon]] is found dead at his grandmother's house in Harlem, New York, of a heroin overdose.
*[[February 29]] – The [[10th Annual Grammy Awards]] are held in [[Chicago]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Nashville]] and [[New York City|New York]], hosted by [[Stan Freberg]]. [[The Beatles]]' ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' wins [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]] (the first rock LP to receive the award), while [[The 5th Dimension]]'s "[[Up, Up and Away (song)|Up, Up and Away]]" wins both [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]] and [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]]. [[Bobbie Gentry]] wins [[Grammy Award for Best New Artist|Best New Artist]].
*[[March 1]] – [[Johnny Cash]] and [[June Carter]] are married in Franklin, Kentucky, with [[Merle Kilgore]] as best man.
*[[March 8]] – [[Bill Graham (promoter)|Bill Graham]] opens the [[Fillmore East]] in an abandoned movie theater in New York City.
*[[March 25]] – The 58th and final new episode of ''[[The Monkees (TV series)|The Monkees]]'' airs on NBC.
*[[March 30]] – [[The Yardbirds]] record their live album ''Live Yardbirds'' at the Anderson Theater.
*[[April 5]] – [[James Brown]] appears on national television in an attempt to calm feelings of anger in the United States following the [[assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.]]
*[[April 6]]
**[[Pink Floyd]] announces that [[Syd Barrett]], who was replaced two months earlier amid deteriorating mental health, has officially left the group.
**The 13th [[Eurovision Song Contest 1968|Eurovision Song Contest]] is held in the [[Royal Albert Hall]], London. The winning song, [[Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest|Spain]]'s "[[La La La (Massiel song)|La, la, la]]" is sung by [[Massiel]], after Spanish authorities refuse to allow [[Joan Manuel Serrat]] to perform it in Catalan. The [[United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest|UK]] finish in second place, just one point behind, with the song "[[Congratulations (Cliff Richard song)|Congratulations]]" sung by [[Cliff Richard]], which goes on to outsell the winning Spanish entry throughout Europe.
**The Open [[Pibroch]] Competition of the [[Scottish Piping Society of London]] is held at the [[London Scottish (regiment)|London Scottish]] headquarters at [[Buckingham Gate]]. First place is won by Robert Brown, for the ninth time in ten years, with a performance of ''The King's Taxes''. Second prize goes to Seamus McNeill of the [[College of Piping]], Glasgow, with ''The Bells of Perth'', third prize to Pipe Major Angus MacDonald of the First Battalion, [[Scots Guards]], with ''Macfarlane's Gathering'', and fourth prize to John MacFadyen with ''The Battle of Auldern''. MacFadyen, however, wins narrowly over Brown in the second big competition, that for the [[Bratach Gorm]], the blue banner of the [[MacCrimmon (piping family)|MacCrimmons]].<ref>Iverach McDonald, "Ninth Win for Piper Brown", ''[[The Times]]'', issue 57221 (Monday 8 April 1968): 10.</ref>
*[[April 7]] – Singer/pianist/songwriter [[Nina Simone]]'s performance at [[Westbury Music Fair]] is dedicated to the late Dr. [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] The song "Why? (the king of love is dead)" by Gene Taylor is performed for the first time. The show is partially released on the Emmy nominated album ''[['Nuff Said! (Nina Simone album)|'Nuff Said!]]'' (1968).
*[[April 29]] – The rock musical ''[[Hair (musical)|Hair]]'' opens on Broadway at the [[Samuel J. Friedman Theatre|Biltmore Theatre]].
*[[May 4]] – [[Mary Hopkin]] performs on the British TV show ''Opportunity Knocks''. Hopkin catches the attention of model [[Twiggy]], who recommends her to [[Paul McCartney]] who will soon sign Hopkin to [[Apple Records]].
*[[May 5]] – [[Buffalo Springfield]] perform together for the last time in [[Long Beach, California]].
*[[May 7]]
**[[Aretha Franklin]] records her live LP ''[[Aretha in Paris]]'' at the Olympia Theater.
**[[Karlheinz Stockhausen]] begins composing his fifteen [[intuitive music]] works, ''[[Aus den sieben Tagen]]''.
*[[May 14]] – At a press conference, [[John Lennon]] and [[Paul McCartney]] introduce the Beatles' new business concept, [[Apple Corps, Ltd.]], an entertainment company that includes a recording studio, a record label and a clothing store.
*[[May 26]] – Blues artist [[Little Willie John]] dies in prison after being convicted of manslaughter.
*[[May 30]] – [[The Beatles]] begin recording "The White Album" (officially titled, simply, ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]''). Sessions will span over 4 months, ending on October 14.
*[[June 20]]
**[[David Ruffin]] is fired from [[The Temptations]] due to his ego and because he has begun inquiring into the Temptations' financial records, demanding an accounting of the group's money.
**[[Martha Reeves]] and The Vandellas make their debut at the Copacabana in New York City, winning a rave review in ''[[The New York Times]]''. The engagement is recorded but remains in the Motown vaults.
* July – Release in Brazil of the album ''[[Tropicália: ou Panis et Circencis]]'' by [[Gilberto Gil]], [[Caetano Veloso]] and others, with arrangements by [[Rogério Duprat]], inaugurates the [[Tropicália]] movement in music, which lasts in Brazil only for this year.
*[[July 7]] – [[The Yardbirds]] perform for the last time before disbanding.
*[[July 9]]–14 – The [[International Eisteddfod]] takes place in [[Llangollen]], [[North Wales]]
*[[July 18]] – [[Mina (Italian singer)|Mina]] presents her Italian [[white soul]] hits "Se stasera sono qui" and "Colpo al cuore". The performance is transmitted live without playback from the ''Auditorio A'' of the [[Radiotelevisione Italiana]] regional headquarters in [[Naples]].
*[[August 1]] – [[Jeff Beck Group]] release their album ''[[Truth (Jeff Beck album)|Truth]]''. A seminal work of heavy metal, it incorporates blues and hard rock and introduces the talents of [[Rod Stewart]] and [[Ronnie Wood]].
*[[August 4]] – [[Yes (band)|Yes]] perform for the first time, at a summer camp.
*[[August 5]]–10 – The [[National Eisteddfod of Wales|Royal National Eisteddfod]] takes place in [[Barry, Vale of Glamorgan|Barry]], [[Wales]].
*[[August 21]] – [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia]]. Protests are heard at this evening's performance of [[The Proms]] in London when the [[USSR Symphony Orchestra]] plays, with [[Mstislav Rostropovich]] as soloist in [[Dvořák]]'s [[Cello Concerto (Dvořák)|Cello Concerto]].
*[[August 23]] – [[Simon & Garfunkel]] give a live concert at the [[Hollywood Bowl]], [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood, California]]. A recording is later released on CD in 1994 by Australian company Vigotone Records as ''Voices of Intelligent Dissent''.
*[[September 7]]
**[[Led Zeppelin]] perform for the first time, billed as The New Yardbirds (the Yardbirds had disbanded two months earlier, and guitarist [[Jimmy Page]] has subsequently formed this new group).
**''[[The Banana Splits]] Adventure Hour'' premieres on [[NBC]].
*[[September 14]] – Two sons of singer [[Roy Orbison]], 10-year-old Roy DeWayne Orbison and 6-year-old Anthony King Orbison, die in a house fire in [[Hendersonville, Tennessee]]. Orbison's youngest son, Wesley, is miraculously saved by Roy's parents.
*[[September 15]]
**''[[Song of Summer]]'', [[Ken Russell]]'s noted TV documentary about [[Frederick Delius]], is shown for the first time as part of the BBC's ''Omnibus'' series in the UK.
**[[PocketDisc]]s are released in several test markets in the United States.
*[[September 19]] – [[The Who]] begin recording ''[[Tommy (The Who album)|Tommy]]'', a [[rock opera]] that tells the story about a deaf, dumb and blind boy, including his experiences with life and the relationship with his family.
*[[October 7]] – [[José Feliciano]] at Tiger Stadium for the 1968 World Series in Detroit sings a personal and controversial soul version of "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]", the first time for the U.S. national anthem in a different style.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/11/02/560948130/a-different-national-anthem-before-the-nation-was-ready-for-it?t=1568931728210|title = A Different National Anthem, Before the Nation Was Ready for It|newspaper = NPR|date = November 2, 2017|last1 = Bates|first1 = Karen Grigsby}}</ref>
*[[October 8]] – The [[Romeo and Juliet (1968 film soundtrack)|soundtrack for the 1968 film ''Romeo and Juliet'']] is released, containing the popular "What Is a Youth" theme.
*[[November 8]] – [[John Lennon|John]] and [[Cynthia Powell|Cynthia Lennon]] are divorced.
*[[November 11]] – Three days after his divorce, John Lennon and [[Yoko Ono]]'s experimental album ''[[Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins]]'' is released in the United States. Noted for its cover photographs of the couple naked, it ends up being a flop.
*[[November 17]] – [[The Supremes|Diana Ross & The Supremes]] replace [[The Beatles]]' hugely successful "[[Hey Jude]]" at [[List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1968 (U.S.)|number one in the U.S.]] with "[[Love Child (song)|Love Child]]"; this would be the last of five turnovers at number one between the two most successful music acts in America during the 1960s.
*[[November 22]] – ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]'' (also known as "The White Album") by [[The Beatles]] is released. Also released is ''[[The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society]]'' by [[The Kinks]].
*[[November 26]] – [[Cream (band)|Cream]] plays their farewell concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] in London. It will be the last time [[Eric Clapton]], [[Jack Bruce]], and [[Ginger Baker]] play together until their 1993 induction into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].
*[[December 2]]
**Jimi Hendrix's manager [[Chas Chandler]] quits over differences with Hendrix during the recording of ''[[Electric Ladyland]]''
**[[Janis Joplin]] and [[Big Brother and the Holding Company]] perform their last concert together before Janis goes solo.
*[[December 3]] – The 50-minute television special ''[[Elvis (1968 TV program)|Elvis]]'' (sponsored by sewing machine manufacturer [[The Singer Company]]), taped in June with a live audience in [[Burbank, California]], airs on [[NBC]] in the United States marking the comeback of [[Elvis Presley]] after 7 years during which the legendary rock and roll musician's career has centered on the movie industry. Concluding with the premiere of "[[If I Can Dream]]", it is not only the highest rated television show for the week of broadcast, but the highest rated television special of the year.
*[[December 6]] – [[The Rolling Stones]] release ''[[Beggars Banquet]]'', which contains the classic song "[[Sympathy for the Devil]]."
*[[December 9]]
**A political confrontation at the [[Planten un Blomen]] Hall in Hamburg results in cancellation of the scheduled premiere of [[Hans Werner Henze]]'s [[oratorio]] ''[[Das Floß der Medusa]]'', a score dedicated to [[Che Guevara]].
**''[[TCB (TV program)|TCB]]'' airs on [[NBC]] starring Diana Ross & the Supremes and [[The Temptations]], becoming the first [[variety show|variety special]] in America to feature an exclusively African American cast.
**[[Shinjuku Music Festival]] is broadcast for the first time by [[Nippon Cultural Broadcasting]].
*[[December 11]] – ''[[The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus]]'' is filmed. Acts include [[The Rolling Stones]], [[The Who]], [[Taj Mahal (musician)|Taj Mahal]], [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]], [[The Dirty Mac]] and [[Marianne Faithfull]]. This is the last appearance of [[Brian Jones]] as a member of the Rolling Stones.
*[[December 20]] – [[Peter Tork]] announces he is leaving [[The Monkees]].
*[[December 22]] – [[The Animals]] reunite for one [[benefit concert]] at the Newcastle City Hall while Eric Burdon & The Animals are disbanding.
*[[December 31]] – [[Small Faces]] break up when [[Steve Marriott]] storms off the stage.