1960

The **1960** season was the premiere season of *Jay's Music Search*. It was followed by the show's second season, 1961.

Pop singer Neil Sedaka was crowned the series' first ever champion, with country/pop duo The Everly Brothers coming in second, classical composer and violinist Vivaldi coming in third, and jazz/pop singer Della Reese coming in fourth.

# Episodes

## Auditions

The first round consisted of X acts auditioning to make the Top 48 that would move into Round 2.

The Beverley Sisters were the 48th act to make it through auditions, yet there were still three auditionees to come after them. As a result, they were allowed to audition for any bonus spots for the second round. The three bonus acts (The Browns, Lonnie Donegan and his Group, and June Christy) all got yeses and also moved on, turning the planned Top 48 into a Top 51.

### Episode 101

**Accepted:**

* **The Everly Brothers**
* **The Caroleer Singers**
* **Neil Sedaka**
* **Vivaldi**
* **Eileen Farrell**

**Rejected:**

* The Dave Brubeck Quartet & Jimmy Rushing
* The Piltdown Men
* Al Caiola
* Harold Dorman
* Connie Francis
* Nat King Cole

### Episode 102

**Accepted:**

* **Siw Malmkvist**
* **Anthony Newley**
* **Kitty Wells**
* **Roy Hamilton**
* **Count Basie Orchestra**
* **Don Gibson**
* **Johnny Preston**
* **Bobby Darin**

**Rejected:**

* The Command All-Stars
* Les Compagnons De La Chanson
* Erskine Hawkins and his Orchestra
* Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

### Episode 103

**Accepted:**

* **Della Reese**
* **Jacques Brel**
* **Conny Froboess**
* **The Jacks**
* **Freddy Cannon**
* **Roy Orbison**
* **The Brothers Four**

**Rejected:**

* Keith and Enid
* Barrett Strong
* Josh White
* Les Elgart and his Orchestra
* Fritz Reiner
* Ahmad Jamal

### Episode 104

**Accepted:**

* **Johnny Cash**
* **Dodie Stevens**
* **Gene Vincent**
* **Marv Johnson**
* **Chuck Berry**
* **George Jones**
* **Ricky Nelson**

**Rejected:**

* Erich Leinsdorf
* Morris Stoloff
* Bob Thompson
* Richard Anthony
* Jonah Jones
* The River Boat Six

### Episode 105

**Accepted:**

* **Betty Carter**
* **Ray Charles**
* **Dinah Washington**
* **Brook Benton**
* **The Platters**
* **June Valli**
* **The Diamonds**
* **Phil Phillips**
* **Sil Austin**

**Rejected:**

* Melina Mercouri
* Manos Hadjidakis
* Igor Markevitch
* Sarah Vaughan

### Episode 106

**Accepted:**

* **Sugar Pie DeSanto & Pee Wee Kingsley Band**
* **Dick Hyman and his Orchestra**
* **Elvis Presley**

**Rejected:**

* Dutch Swing College Band
* Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians
* Don Elliott Quartet
* Tom Ewell
* A Thurber Carnival
* Freddie Redd Quartet with Jackie McLean
* Dalida
* Giorgio Gaber
* The Champs
* Rex Stewart

### Episode 107

**Accepted:**

* **The Ray Bryant Combo**
* **Billy Eckstine**
* **Miriam Makeba**
* **Owe Thornqvist**

**Rejected:**

* Dinah Shore
* Theodore Bikel
* Jonah Jones (second chance)
* The River Boat Six (second chance)
* Alvino Rey, His Guitars & Orchestra
* Dayton Allen
* Les Baxter
* Laurindo Almeida

### Episode 108

**Accepted:**

* **The Gallahads**
* **Dick Kesner and his Magic Stradivarius**
* **Dean Martin**
* **Sam Butera and the Witnesses**
* **The Beverley Sisters**
* **The Browns (bonus)**
* **Lonnie Donegan and his Group (bonus)**
* **June Christy (bonus)**

**Rejected:**

* Mr. Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band
* Bill Holman's Great Big Band!
* The Fireballs

## Round 2 Battles

As a result of the three bonus acts making it through and turning the Top 48 into a Top 51, the three of them were put into three separate three-way battles, of which only one act could win and advance.

The battles in the round are listed below, with the winners being in bold. Battle losers in italics received saves and also moved on. Only eight saves were available to give away in this round.

### Episode 109

* **Anthony Newley** vs Betty Carter
* *Billy Eckstine* vs **Bobby Darin**
* **Brook Benton** vs Chuck Berry
* **Conny Froboess** vs Count Basie Orchestra
* Dick Hyman and his Orchestra vs **Dick Kesner and his Magic Stradivarius**
* *Dean Martin* vs **Della Reese**

### Episode 110

* Johnny Preston vs June Christy vs **June Valli**
* **Don Gibson** vs *Eileen Farrell*
* Dinah Washington vs **Dodie Stevens**
* **Elvis Presley** vs Freddy Cannon
* Gene Vincent vs **George Jones**
* *Jacques Brel* vs **Johnny Cash**

### Episode 111

* Kitty Wells vs Lonnie Donegan and his Group vs **Marv Johnson**
* *Miriam Makeba* vs **Neil Sedaka**
* Owe Thornqvist vs **Phil Phillips**
* **Ray Charles** vs *Ricky Nelson*
* Sam Butera and the Witnesses vs **Sil Austin**
* *Roy Hamilton* vs **Roy Orbison**

### Episode 112

* **The Beverley Sisters** vs The Brothers Four vs The Browns
* The Caroleer Singers vs **The Diamonds**
* **The Everly Brothers** vs The Gallahads
* The Jacks vs **The Platters**
* The Ray Bryant Combo vs **Vivaldi**
* *Siw Malmkvist* vs **Sugar Pie DeSanto & Pee Wee Kingsley Band**

## Round 3 Battles

The battles in the round are listed below, with the winners being in bold. Battle losers in italics received saves and also moved on. Only four saves were available to give away in this round.

### Episode 113

* Anthony Newley vs **Billy Eckstine**
* **Bobby Darin** vs Brook Benton
* **Conny Froboess** vs Dean Martin
* **Della Reese** vs Dick Kesner and his Magic Stradivarius
* **Dodie Stevens** vs Don Gibson
* **Eileen Farrell** vs Elvis Presley
* George Jones vs **Jacques Brel**
* *Johnny Cash* vs **June Valli**

### Episode 114

* Marv Johnson vs **Miriam Makeba**
* **Neil Sedaka** vs *Phil Phillips*
* **Ray Charles** vs Ricky Nelson
* Roy Hamilton vs **Roy Orbison**
* **Sil Austin** vs Siw Malmkvist
* Sugar Pie DeSanto & Pee Wee Kingsley Band vs **The Beverley Sisters**
* *The Diamonds* vs **The Everly Brothers**
* *The Platters* vs **Vivaldi**

## Top 20

The Top 20 were split into four groups of five. Three from each group advanced and made it into the Top 12.

### Episode 115

**Advanced:**

* **Della Reese** (1st)
* **Bobby Darin** (2nd)
* **Dodie Stevens** (3rd)

**Eliminated:**

* Billy Eckstine
* Conny Froboess

### Episode 116

**Advanced:**

* **June Valli** (1st)
* **Eileen Farrell** (2nd)
* **Johnny Cash** (3rd)

**Eliminated:**

* Jacques Brel
* Miriam Makeba

### Episode 117

**Advanced:**

* **Neil Sedaka** (1st)
* **Roy Orbison** (2nd)
* **Sil Austin** (3rd)

**Eliminated:**

* Phil Phillips
* Ray Charles

### Episode 118

**Advanced:**

* **Vivaldi** (1st)
* **The Everly Brothers** (2nd)
* **The Platters** (3rd)

**Eliminated:**

* The Beverley Sisters
* The Diamonds

## Top 12

In this round, ten acts moved forward, and two were eliminated.

### Episode 119

**Advanced:**

* **Della Reese**
* **Eileen Farrell**
* **June Valli**
* **Neil Sedaka**
* **Roy Orbison**
* **Sil Austin**
* **The Everly Brothers**
* **The Platters**
* **Vivaldi**
* **Dodie Stevens (bottom 3)**

**Eliminated:**

* Bobby Darin
* Johnny Cash

## Top 10

In this round, eight acts moved forward, and two were eliminated.

### Episode 120

**Advanced:**

* **June Valli**
* **Neil Sedaka**
* **Eileen Farrell**
* **Roy Orbison**
* **The Everly Brothers**
* **The Platters**
* **Vivaldi**
* **Della Reese (bottom 3)**

**Eliminated:**

* Dodie Stevens
* Sil Austin

## Top 8

In this round, four acts moved into the finale, and four were eliminated.

### Episode 120

**Advanced:**

* **Neil Sedaka**
* **The Everly Brothers**
* **Vivaldi**
* **Della Reese (middle 2)**

**Eliminated:**

* Roy Orbison
* The Platters
* Eileen Farrell
* June Valli (middle 2)

## Finals

This was the final round of the competition, in which the final four all performed three final times, before the winner was decided.

### Episode 121

* **Winner: NEIL SEDAKA**
* **2nd place: The Everly Brothers**
* **3rd place: Vivaldi**
* **4th place: Della Reese**