OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Music industry and Oklahoma officials are celebrating a benchmark linked to the film version of the famous musical bearing the state's name.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin on Monday proclaimed a weeklong observance honoring the 60th anniversary of the "Oklahoma!" soundtrack reaching gold status on July 8, 1958. It was the first album the Recording Industry Association of America certified for shipping 500,000 copies. The movie version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical starred Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, who both featured on the soundtrack.
Among the most memorable songs are "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" and "Oklahoma."
The RIAA also is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its Gold and Platinum Awards Program for tracking commercial success in the industry.
Perry Como's "Catch a Falling Star" was the first gold single.