Buddy Holly
Born Charles Hardin Holley on
Sept. 7, 1936
in Lubbock, TX
Died
Feb. 3, 1959
of plane crash in Mason City, IA
In a staggeringly short career of 18 months from the day his first single, “That’ll Be the Day,” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1957 until his tragic death in 1959 in a plane crash near Mason City, Iowa, along with Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly assembled one of the most influential and enduring bodies of work in rock music. Besides writing and recording evergreen hits that included “Peggy Sue,” “Rave On,” “Maybe Baby,” “It’s So Easy,” “Oh, Boy!” and “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” Holly was an innovator in the studio, always testing new sounds and ideas; he and his bandmates in the Crickets created the template for the self-contained rock band: two guitars, bass and drums, four musicians playing songs written, for the most part, by them. Holly also was one of the first prominent rock musicians to embrace the radical and then-new Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, helping establish it as the instrument of choice for thousands who have followed in his footsteps. His hiccupping vocals, simple yet unpredictable melodies and chord progressions and straight-from-the-heart lyrics continue to have a strong impact on contemporary musicians and music fans, to say nothing of the inspiration — and songs — he provided to such musical descendants as the Beatles (whose very name was a direct reference to the Crickets), the Rolling Stones and countless others. Holly was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Even though he was just 22 at his death, there was no question that he deserved to be inducted alongside Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and other early rock titans in the very first class of artists inaugurated into the Hall of Fame.
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Two thoughts about Buddy Holly
Oh Boy! If Elvis is The King of Rock n'Roll then Buddy is certainly The Prince! He is long overdue for a star as his musical influence is still felt and heard everytime you turn on the radio! My husband Jan and I went to Lubbock, Texas in 1990 and had a wonderful and informative visit thanks to Bill Griggs giving us a detailed tour-I even got to hold one of Buddy's suits-hope Bill can fly out for the ceremony!
He was a pioneer in Rock n Roll music. Elvis may have been more popular, but he also never wrote his own music. Holly and his Crickets were one of the first acts to write, perform and produce all of their own songs. His music is timeless and it's a shame he's just now getting a Star on the Walk of Fame
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