Popular music in the UK was still dominated by American acts. Skiffle and traditional jazz were still popular.[1]
Events[]
9 February – The Beatles at The Cavern Club: Lunchtime – The Beatles perform under this name at The Cavern Club for the first time following their return to Liverpool from Hamburg, George Harrison's first appearance at the venue.
18 March – The Allisons represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, held at Cannes in France. They finish second with "Are You Sure?", a song the duo wrote themselves. The song sells a million copies and goes to number 2 in the official UK singles chart (#1 in some charts).[2]
21 March – The Beatles at The Cavern Club: The Beatles – John, Paul, George and Stu – play the first of nearly 300 regular performances at The Cavern Club in Liverpool.
June–July – Stu Sutcliffe leaves The Beatles to resume his art studies in Hamburg.
17 October – Former schoolfriends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, later of The Rolling Stones, meet each other again by chance on Dartford railway station on the way to their respective colleges and discover their mutual taste for rock and roll.
9 December – The Beatles play their first gig in the south of England, at Aldershot. Due to an advertising failure, only 18 people turn up. In the early hours of the following morning they play an impromptu set at a London club.[4]