Carnegie Hall

The Greatest acoustic Hall in America – the industrialist, Andrew Carnegie said in 1891: ”It is probable that this hall will intertwine itself with the history of our country” The hall became one of the most important stages in the world, along with Covent Garden in London and La Scala in Milan.

What was unique: it allowed all types of music & performances, lectures, religious, political and cultural events to take place here- All causes find a place here Carnegie’s idea was to have an auditorium open to all-it was one of the first complexes of its kind in the world

Everyone who's been on this stage leaves a piece of them on the stage, and are always a part of the Carnegie history This is one of the Few concert halls in the world that allows an array of all types of music: classical, opera, jazz, swing, pop, folk, rock, hip hop to be performed

Firsts:
*In 1909 - American women fight for the right to vote-first rallies held here, the women's rights/suffragette movement was started there

*In 1917 first woman member of Congress spoke there, Janette Rankin
*Before there was a forum on radio or TV there was Carnegie as a place to speak out, like the Larry King show or Carson Daly:
Lecturers ranging: Albert Einstein, Madame Curie, Authors: Mark Twain, Jack London
Politicians: Winston Churchill, Woodrow Wilson to Martin Luther King
They were open to all types of causes for benefits to aid victims of disasters and war through the last century including 911 currently Rainforest Foundation and Sting host an annual event at Carnegie Hall

*Crossing through racial barriers before other U.S. halls – in 1928 they allowed blacks to perform, i.e. opera singer Marion Anderson

* Allowed Jazz to be performed in 1912- just as the music was being started -it was spell JASS then

• lst for a swing concert - where the audience sat down to listen to the music instead of dance to it


• 1938 Benny Goodman ‘s live recording became one of the best selling jazz albums of all time – Goodman was joined by Duke Ellington, Count basie


• in 1928 allowed black & white performers on the same stage-the rest of the country was segregated until the 1960s

*1955 at the start of Rock n Roll: Bill Haley & the Comets played – later Bo Didley, Chuck Berry and Etta James played too
*1961 Bob Dylan's first NY show
*1964 the Beatles played their first US shows in Feb at Carnegie Hall
*In the 1960s-the British Rock invasion, all the bands including the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, Kinks played their first U.S. shows there - the British groups wanted to play here and be part of the unique Carnegie History

Through all the decades of the twentieth century, approximately 65,523 events have been held at the hall, among the artists:
Caruso
Arthur Rubinstein
Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington
Frank Sinatra
Billie Holliday
Judy Garland
Liza Minnelli
Bob Dylan
Beatles
Rolling Stones
Dave Clark Five
Herman’s Hermits
The Kinks
Janis Joplin
The Doors
Mamas & Papas
Simon & Garfunkel
James Taylor
Billy Joel
Moody Blues
Allman Brothers
Elton John
Sting
David Bowie
Led Zeppelin
Bruce Springsteen (with the Rainforest Foundation)