By BOB THOMAS
Associated Press
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Grammy Awards celebrate their 60th anniversary on Sunday in New York City. The Associated Press will be there, as it was when the awards were first held on May 4, 1959.
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HOLLYWOOD - The newly formed Recording Academy has given its top award to an Italian, Domenico Modugno, for his "Volare."
The record was hailed the best of 1958 at the first annual Grammy awards Monday night. "Volare" was also named best song of the year.
Multiple honors went to a California boy, Ross Bagdasarian, whose raucous "Chipmunk Song" was named best comedy performance, best children's performance and best-engineered record.
Double wins were scored by Ella Fitzgerald, who was named best female vocal performer, and cited for the best jazz performance.
Count Basie won two awards for his album as best jazz group performance and dance band performance. Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" also got two awards, as best arrangement and album of the year.
Perry Como was handed the best vocal performance award.
In the younger set, The Champs' "Tequila" won for rhythm and blues performance. The Kingston Trio's "Tom Dooley" scored in the Country and Western category.
Van Cliburn was a winner for his Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 as best classical instrumental performance.
The top Broadway and movie albums were "The Music Man" and "Gigi."
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