The music trade’s Grammy Awards made its debut on Could 4, 1959, 30 years after the Academy Awards handed out its first Oscar honoring the most effective in films.
The preliminary Grammy celebration was bicoastal, with occasions in Los Angeles and New York. A complete of 28 awards have been handed out, the fewest classes ever and a fraction of the 91 being handed out Sunday.
Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack buddies, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., donned black tie for the festivities held within the Beverly Hilton’s grand ballroom. Sinatra solely took dwelling one gramophone trophy after getting a number one six nominations, for artwork course, not singing. His “Solely the Lonely” gained greatest album cowl.
What follows is The Related Press’ dispatch from the inaugural occasion. Its a mirrored image of the instances:
ITALIAN TOP WINNER OF ‘GRAMMY’ AWARDS
By Bob Thomas
The newly shaped Recording academy has given its high award to an Italian, Domenico Modugno, for his “Volare.”
His Decca report was hailed the most effective of 1959 on the first annual Grammy awards Monday night time. The star-filled viewers on the Beverly Hilton appeared stunned however happy on the academy’s gesture of worldwide good will.
“Volare” was additionally named greatest large music of the yr.
A number of honors went to Californian, Ross Bagdasarian, the Fresno lad whose raucous “Chipmunk Tune” was named greatest comedy efficiency, greatest kids’s recording and greatest engineered report.
Double wins have been scored by Ella Fitzgerald, who was named greatest feminine vocal performer (“Irving Berlin Tune E-book”) and cited for the most effective jazz efficiency (“Ella Sings Duke Ellington.”)
Rely Basie gained two awards of his “Basie” album as greatest jazz group efficiency and dance band efficiency. Henry Mancini’s “Peter Gunn” additionally received two awards as greatest association and album of the yr.
Sturdy Perry Como was handed the most effective male vocal efficiency award for his “Catch a Falling Star.”
Within the youthful set, the Champs’ “Tequila” gained for rhythm and blues efficiency. The Kingston Trio’s “Tom Dooley” scored within the nation and Western class.
Van Cliburn was a winner among the many long-hairs for his Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 as greatest classical instrumental efficiency (Concerto-Scale).
The highest Broadway and film albums have been “The Music Man” and “Gigli.”
Different awards Included:
Vocal group or refrain — Louis Prima, Keely Smith “That Outdated Black Magic”; orchestra efficiency — “The Better of the Stan Freeberg Exhibits,” classical instrumental efficiency (not concerto-scale) — “Segovia Golden Jubilee.”
The fledging academy numbers 700 for the report trade’s leaders and artists. The identify Grammy got here from the design of the statuettes awarded by the academy.