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Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley was born September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas. His mother, who came up with the idea of calling him Buddy, had her son take piano lessons when he was 11, but a year later, it was clear he favored the guitar. In high school, Buddy formed a duo with Bob Montgomery that expanded to a trio with the addition of bass player Larry Welbourn. The three musicians were managed by a Lubbock DJ, Hi-Pockets Duncan. Appearing on a bill with Bill Haley & His Comets, they were spotted by a Nashville-based agent named Eddie Crandall, who helped Buddy sign a deal with Decca Records.
On July 22, 1956, Buddy recorded a song inspired by a line of dialogue spoken by John Wayne in “The Searchers.” But Decca executives didn’t care for “That’ll Be the Day,” and decided not to release it. When his contract with the label expired in January 1957, Holly paid a visit to Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, New Mexico. Buddy admired Buddy Knox, whose “Party Doll” had been produced by Petty, and wanted to sign with Knox’ label, Roulette. He recorded a new version of “That’ll Be the Day” on February 25, 1957, but Roulette passed, as did Columbia, RCA, and Atlantic. It was Petty’s idea to send Holly’s demos to the New York office of Peer-Southern Music. Executives at peer sent Holly’s demo tape to Bob Thiele, founder of Coral Records – a subsidiary of Decca, ironically. Based on the tape, Thiele signed Holly. Released under the group name the Crickets, “That’ll Be the Day” soared to No. 1 the week of September 23, 1957. Holly had two more hits that year: “Peggy Sue” and “Oh, Boy!” He was so prolific that he had seven songs enter the charts in 1958, including “Maybe Baby,” “Rave On,” and “Think It Over.” One of Holly’s best-known songs, “Everyday,” never charted, but that didn’t stop it from becoming a hit when it was on the B-side of “Peggy Sue.” Other Holly songs like “Peggy Sue Got Married” and “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” were also very popular even though they didn’t chart.
After completing a tour in July 1958, the Crickets played the Brooklyn Paramount in New York. Being in Manhattan gave Holly a chance to spend time in the peermusic office. That’s where he met Maria Elena Santiago, a young woman from Puerto Rico. They had two dates, and Holly asked for her hand in marriage. Two weeks after their first meeting, Buddy and Maria Elena were married in Lubbock. In October 1958, Holly parted ways with Petty. The original Crickets remained with Petty and Holly recruited Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup to take their place. Holly moved to New York with Maria Elena. He made some more recordings in his Greenwich Village apartment before setting out on the “Winter Dance Party” tour with the Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens, and Dion & the Belmonts.
On Monday, February 2, 1959, the tour itinerary found the bands playing the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. Tired of traveling on a broken-down tour bus that didn’t have proper heating, Holly charted a private plane to take him and his band to their next stop in Fargo, North Dakota, so they could get their laundry done and get a good night’s sleep. Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, J.P. Richardson, also boarded the plane.
The Beechcraft Bonanza took off just after 1 a.m. in a heavy snowstorm. A few minutes later, the plane crashed into a frozen cornfield, killing the three singers and the pilot. It was February 3, 1959 – the day the music died.
In a very short span of less than three years, Holly created a timeless body of work that influenced many major figures of the rock era, especially the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, John Denver, Bobby Vee, Tommy Roe, Elvis Costello, and many others. Holly’s songs have been recorded over and over by these artists and other legends.
In 1978, Gary Busey starred in a critically-acclaimed film biography of Buddy Holly. A true pioneer, Holly was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 23, 1986, at the museum’s first ceremony. His widow accepted on his behalf. In 1993, a postage stamp was issued with his likeness.
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