1917 in music

Events

* May 12 - Béla Bartók's ballet "The Wooden Prince" is premiered in Budapest
* First Jazz recordings made by the Original Dixieland Jass Band
* First African American jazz recordings made by Wilber Sweatman's Band
* Eddie Cantor makes his first recordings

Published popular music

* "All The World Will Be Jealous Of Me" w. Al Dubin m. Ernest R. Ball
* "Any Time Is Kissing Time" w. Oscar Asche m. Frederic Norton from the musical "Chu Chin Chow"
* "Are You From Heaven?" w.m. L. Wolfe Gilbert & Anatol Friedland
* "A Bachelor Gay" w. Frank Clifford Harris & (Arthur) Valentine m. James W. Tate from the musical "The Maid of the Mountains"
* "Barnyard Blues" w.m. Edwin B. Edwards, Nick La Rocca, Tony Spargo & Larry Shields
* "The Bells Of St Mary's" w. Douglas Furber m. A. Emmett Adams
* "The Bombo-Shay" by Henry Creamer
* "Bring Back My Daddy To Me" m. George W. Meyer w. William Tracey & Howard Johnson
* "Bring Me A Rose" w.m. Charles Shisler
* "Cheer Up, Liza" John L. Golden, Raymond Hubbell
* "Cleopatra Had A Jazz Band" w. Jack Coogan m. Jimmy Morgan
* "Come To The Fair" w. Helen Taylor m. Easthope Martin
* "The Darktown Strutters' Ball" w.m. Shelton Brooks
* "Dixie Jass Band One-Step" Original Dixieland Jass Band
* "Down In The Valley" trad US
* "Eileen (Alanna Asthore)" w. Henry Blossom m. Victor Herbert
* "For Me And My Gal" w. Edgar Leslie & E. Ray Goetz m. George W. Meyer
* "For Your Country And My Country" w.m. Irving Berlin
* "Give A Man A Horse He Can Ride" w. James Thomson m. Geoffrey O'Hara
* "Give Me The Moonlight, Give Me The Girl" w. Lew Brown m. Albert Von Tilzer
* "Going Up" w. Otto Harbach m. Louis A. Hirsch
* "Good Luck And God Be With You, Laddie Boy" w. Will D. Cobb m. Gus Edwards
* "Goodbye Broadway, Hello France" w. C. Francis Reisner & Benny Davis m. Billy Baskette
* "Goodbye Ma! Goodbye Pa! Goodbye Mule!" w. William Herschell m. Barclay Walker
* "Good-bye-ee" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee
* "Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here" w. D. A. Esrom m. Theodore F. Morse & Arthur Sullivan
* "Have A Heart" w. P. G. Wodehouse m. Jerome Kern
* "Hawaiian Butterfly" w. George A. Little m. Billy Baskette & Joseph H. Santley
* "Homing" w. Arthur L. Salmon m. Teresa del Riego
* "How Can I Forget When There's So Much To Remember" w.m. Irving Berlin
* "Huckleberry Finn" by Cliff Hess
* "I Don't Know Where I'm Going But I'm On My Way" w.m. George Fairman
* "I Don't Want To Get Well" w. Howard Johnson & Harry Pease m. Harry Jentes
* "I May Be Gone For A Long, Long Time" w. Lew Brown m. Albert Von Tilzer
* "I'd Love To Be A Monkey In The Zoo" w. Bert Hanlon m. Willie White
* "I'll Take You Back To Italy" w.m. Irving Berlin
* "I'm All Bound Round With The Mason-Dixon Line" w. Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young m. Jean Schwartz
* "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" w. Joseph McCarthy m. Harry Carroll (melody adapted from Chopin)
* "If I Find The Guy Who Wrote "Poor Butterfly" " w. William Jerome m. Arthur Green
* "Indiana" w. Ballard MacDonald m. James F. Hanley
* "Indianola" m. Henry R. Stern & Domenico Savino
* "Joan Of Arc They Are Calling You" w. Alfred Bryan & Willie Weston m. Jack Wells
* "Johnson Rag" m. Guy H. Hall & Henry Kleinhauf
* "Just A Baby's Prayer At Twilight" w. Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young m. M. K. Jerome
* "Leave It To Jane" w. P. G. Wodehouse m. Jerome Kern
* "Let's All Be Americans Now" w.m. Irving Berlin, Edgar Leslie & George W. Meyer
* "Lily Of The Valley" w. L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Anatole Friedland
* "Little Mother Of Mine" w. Walter H. Brown m. Harry T. Burleigh
* "Little Sir Echo" w. Laura R. Smith m. J. S. Fearis
* "Livery Stable Blues" Alcide Nunez & Ray Lopez
* "Lorraine My Beautiful Alsace Lorraine" w. Alfred Bryan m. Fred Fisher
* "Love Will Find A Way" w. Harry Graham m. Harold Fraser-Simson. Introduced by José Collins in the musical "The Maid of the Mountains"
* "Mad'moiselle From Armentieres" w.m. anon
* "McNamara's Band" w. John J. Stamford m. Shamus O'Connor
* "The Modern Maiden's Prayer" w. Ballard MacDonald m. James F. Hanley
* "My Sunshine Jane" by Keirn Brennan
* "My Sweetie" w.m. Irving Berlin
* "'N' Everything" w.m. Al Jolson, B. G. DeSylva & Gus Kahn
* "Napoleon" w. P.G. Wodehouse m. Jerome Kern
* "Nesting Time In Flatbush" w. P. G. Wodehouse m. Jerome Kern
* "Oh It's A Lovely War" w.m. Maurice Scott
* "Oh Johnny Oh Johnny Oh" w. Ed Rose m. Abe Olman
* "Ole Miss Rag" w.m. W. C. Handy
* "On The Road To Home Sweet Home" w. Gus Kahn m. Egbert van Alstyne
* "Ostrich Walk" m. Edwin B. Edwards, Nick LaRocca, Tony Spargo & Larry Shields
* "Out Where The West Begins" w. Arthur Chapman m. Estelle Philleo
* "Over There" w.m. George M. Cohan
* "Paddy McGinty's Goat" w.m. R.P. Weston, Bert Lee & The Two Bobs
* "A Paradise For Two" w. Frank Clifford Harris & Valentine m. James W. Tate
* "Regretful Blues" w. Grant Clarke m. Cliff Hess
* "The Road To Paradise" w. Rida Johnson Young m. Sigmund Romberg from the musical "Maytime"
* "Rockaway" by Howard Johnson
* "Rolled Into One" w. P. G. Wodehouse m. Jerome Kern
* "Rose Room" w. Harry Williams m. Art Hickman
* "Sailin' Away On The Henry Clay" w. Gus Kahn m. Egbert Van Alstyne
* "Say A Prayer For The Boys Out There" w. Bernie Grossman m. Alex Marr
* "Send Me Away With A Smile" w.m. Louis Weslyn & Al Piantadosi
* "Shave 'em Dry" m. Sam Wishnuff
* "Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble" m. Spencer Williams
* "Sing Me Love's Lullaby" w. Dorothy Terris m. Theodore F. Morse
* "The Siren's Song" w. P. G. Wodehouse m. Jerome Kern
* "Six Times Six Is Thirty-Six" w. Bert Hanlon m. William White
* "Slippery Hank" F. H. Losey
* "Smile And Show Your Dimple" w.m. Irving Berlin
* "Smiles" w. J. Will Callahan m. Lee S. Roberts
* "Some Sunday Morning" w. Gus Kahn & Raymond Egan m. Richard A. Whiting
* "Somewhere In France" Ivey
* "Somewhere In France (Is The Lily)" Howard
* "Southern Gals" Yellen, Gumble
* "The Story Book Ball" w.m. Billie Montgomery & George Perry
* "Sweet Emalina My Gal" w.m. Henry Creamer & Turner Layton
* "That's The Kind Of Baby For Me" w.m. Jack Egan & Alfred Harrison
* "There Are Fairies At The Bottom Of Our Garden" w.m. Liza Lehmann
* "There's A Lump Of Sugar Down In Dixie" w. Alfred Bryan & Jack Yellen m. Albert Gumble
* "There's Something Nice About The South" w.m. Irving Berlin
* "They Go Wild Simply Wild Over Me" w. Joseph McCarthy m. Fred Fisher
* "Thine Alone" w. Henry Blossom m. Victor Herbert
* "The Tickle Toe" w. Otto Harbach m. Louis Hirsch
* "Tiger Rag" w. Harry De Costa m. Edwin B. Edwards, Nick La Rocca, Tony Spargo & Larry Shields
* "Till The Clouds Roll By" w. P. G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton & Jerome Kern m. Jerome Kern
* "Ugly Chile" w.m. Clarence Williams
* "The Waggle O' The Kilt" w.m. Harry Lauder
* "Wait Till The Cows Come Home" w. Anne Caldwell m. Ivan Caryll
* "When The Boys Come Home" w. John Hay m. Oley Speaks
* "When Yankee Doodle Learns To Parlez Vous Francais" w. Will Hart m. Ed G. Nelson
* "Where Do We Go From Here?" w. Howard Johnson m. Percy Wenrich
* "Where The Morning Glories Grow" w. Gus Kahn & Richard Egan m. Richard A. Whiting
* "Why Am I Always The Bridesmaid?" w.m. Fred Leigh, Charles Collins & Lily Morris
* "Will You Remember?" w. Rida Johnson Young m. Sigmund Romberg
* "Wonder Eyes" m. Percy E. Fletcher
* "Yah-De-Dah" M. B. Kaufman
* "You Brought Ireland Right Over To Me" w. J. Keirn Brennan m. Ernest R. Ball
* "You Never Knew About Me" w. P. G. Wodehouse m. Jerome Kern

Hit recordings

*"Livery Stable Blues/Dixie Jass One Step" by the Original Dixieland Jass Band
*"Goodbye Broadway, Hello France" by the American Quartet
*"A Bachelor Gay" by Peter Dawson
*"I Don't Want To Get Well" by Van & Schenck
*"Long Boy" by Byron G. Harlan With The Peerless Quartet
*"Over There" recorded by
**Billy Murray
**Nora Bayes
*"Poor Butterfly" by the Victor Military Band

Classical music

*Launy Grøndahl - Violin Concerto in D Major
*Charles Koechlin - Cello Sonata
*Sergei Prokofiev - Symphony No. 1 "Classical"
*Ottorino Respighi - "Ancient Airs and Dances" Suite No. 1"
*Igor Stravinsky - "Chant du Rossignol" (opera)
*Karol Szymanowski - "Demeter" (cantata)

Opera

*Armas Launis - "Kullervo"
*Sergei Prokofiev - "The Gambler"
*Gabriel von Wayditch - "The Caliph's Magician"

Musical theater

* "The Better 'Ole" London production opened at the Oxford Theatre on August 4 and ran for 811 performances
* "The Boy" London production opened at the Adelphi Theatre on September 14 and ran for 801 performances
* "Cheep" London revue opened at the Vaudeville Theatre on April 26.
* "Chu Chin Chow" Broadway production opened at the Manhattan Opera House on October 22 and ran for 208 performances
* "Eileen" opened at the Shubert Theatre on March 19 and ran for 64 performances.
* "Hanky Panky" London revue opened at the Empire Theatre on March 24
* "Jack O'Lantern" Broadway production opened at the Globe Theatre on October 16 and ran for 265 performances
* "Leave It To Jane" Broadway production opened at the Longacre Theatre on August 28 and ran for 167 performances
* "The Maid Of The Mountains" London production opened at Daly's Theatre on February 10 and ran for 1352 performances
* "Maytime" Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre on August 16 and ran for 492 performances
* "Oh, Boy! (musical)" Broadway production opened at the Princess Theatre on February 20 and ran for 463 performances
* "The Riviera Girl" Broadway production opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on September 24 and ran for 78 performances

Births

*January 10 - Jerry Wexler, music journalist and record producer
*January 12 - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, major influence on the Beatles (d. 2008)
*January 15 - Tiny Timbrell, guitarist (d. 1992)
*February 11 - Arcesia, singer (d. 1983)
*February 18 - Dona Massin, choreographer (d. 2001)
*February 27 - George Mitchell, founder of the "Black and White Minstrels" (d. 2002)
*March 2
** Desi Arnaz, musician, actor and producer (d. 1986)
** John Gardner, composer
*March 7 - Janet Collins, dancer and choreographer (d. 2003)
*March 12 - Leonard Chess, founder of Chess Records (d. 1969)
*March 17 - Brian Boydell, Irish composer (d. 2000)
*March 18 - Riccardo Brengola, violinist (d. 2004)
*March 19 - Dinu Lipatti, pianist (d. 1950)
*March 20 - Vera Lynn, singer
*March 23 - Oscar Shumsky, violinist (d. 2000)
*March 26 - Rufus Thomas, singer (d. 2001)
*March 30 - Rudolf Brucci, composer (d. 2002)
*April 9 - Johannes Bobrowski, lyricist (d. 1965)
*April 22 - Yvette Chauviré, ballerina
*April 25 - Ella Fitzgerald, jazz singer (d. 1996)
*April 30 - Bea Wain, US band singer
*May 1 - Danielle Darrieux, singer and actress
*May 14 - Norman Luboff, US choral director (d. 1987)
*May 16 - Vera Rózsa, singer and voice teacher
*May 21 - Dennis Day, US singer (d. 1988)
*May 28 - Papa John Creach, fiddler (d. 1994)
*June 4 - Robert Merrill, operatic baritone (d. 2004)
*June 19 - Dave Lambert, US singer and arranger (d. 1966)
*June 29 - Sylvia Olden Lee, vocal coach and accompanist (d. 2004)
*June 30 - Lena Horne, singer
*July 14 - Roshan, Bollywood composer (d. 1967)
*July 24
** Robert Farnon, composer (d. 2005)
** Leonor Orosa Goquinco, pianist and dancer (d. 2005)
*August 3 - Antonio Lauro, guitarist and composer (d. 1986)
*August 22 - John Lee Hooker, blues musician (d. 2001)
*August 23 - Tex Williams, US country singer (d. 1985)
*September 5 - Art Rupe, founder of Specialty Records
*September 11 - Myrta Silva, singer and composer (d. 1987)
*September 13 - Robert Ward, composer
*September 30 - Buddy Rich, drummer (d. 1987)
*October 7 - June Allyson, US singer and actress (d. 2006)
*October 10 - Thelonious Monk, jazz musician (d. 1982)
*October 13 - George Osmond, father of the Osmond brothers (d. 2007)
*October 21
** William Adam, trumpeter
** Dizzy Gillespie, jazz musician (d. 1993)
*October 31 - Anna Marly, French singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
*November 12 - Jo Stafford, singer
*"date unknown"
**Walter Brown, blues shouter (d. 1956)
**Ulpio Minucci, songwriter and composer (d. 2007)
**Mike Pedicin, jazz bandleader

Deaths

*January 13 - Albert Niemann, Wagnerian tenor (b. 1831)
*February 10 - Emile Pessard, French composer (b. 1843)
*March 4 - Julius Bechgaard, Danish composer (b. 1843)
*March 25 - Spyridon Samaras, composer (b. 1861)
*April 1 - Scott Joplin, ragtime composer (b. 1867/8)
*April 29 - Florence Farr, actress, singer and composer (b. 1860)
*May 25 - Edouard de Reszke, operatic bass (b. 1853)
*June 12 - Teresa Carreño, pianist, singer and conductor (b. 1853)
*July 16 - Philipp Scharwenka, composer (b. 1847)
*August 7 - Basil Hood, librettist and lyricist (b. 1864)
*August 12 - Pavel Gerdt, dancer (b. 1844)
*September 5 - Marie Hanfstängl, operatic soprano (b. 1848)
*September 8 - Charles Edouard Lefebvre, French composer (b. 1843)
*September 11 - Evie Greene, actress and singer (b. 1875)
*December 7 - Ludwig Minkus, violinist and composer (b. 1826)
*October 3 - Eduardo di Capua, singer and songwriter (b. 1865)
*"date unknown" - Antonina Miliukova, widow of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky