Buddy Holly
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Buddy Holly ( "Oh, Boy")

1936--born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, TX

grew up without the primary biracial influence of other rock stars

almost exclusively C&W without R&B, though you will hear secondary influences at times (like his growls or high falsettos in "Oh, Boy")

not the typical rock image

tall, thin, thick horn-rimmed glasses

performed in a dark suit & bow tie

not sexually explicit or flamboyant

more conservative life style ... not boozer, womanizer, or druggie

lyrics tended to be uncomplicated boy-girl romance, reflecting the fun-loving teen lifestyle of the 50s

Background info:

learned to play piano, fiddle, & guitar at early age

in his teens (early 50s), formed C&W-oriented Western & Bop Band

performed on local radio shows & recorded demos

attracted enough attention that he landed a contract with Decca to cut country singles in Nashville

--wanted only Holly (not his backup band), so he was joined by Sonny Curtis [guitar] & Bob Guess [bass])

--sessions were considered a failure, but one of the last tunes recorded was "That'll Be the Day" which Decca refused to release ... executives didn't like it!!

1956-57�Holly & friends returned to Lubbock

opened for many well-knows stars passing through the area (including a young Elvis)

Presley influenced Holly's move to rock & roll; said "We owe it all to Elvis."

2/57--traveled to New Mexico, where he recorded a rocking demo of "That'll Be the Day" with his band, The Crickets

under the production assistance of Norman Petty who earned a coauthor credit for his assistance (see a recurring theme?)

attracted a contract from New York-based Coral/Brunswick label

song rose to #1 by September

That'll Be the Day

#1 in 1957; inspiration for the song reputed to by a John Wayne film (The Searchers); see entry in Dr. John's Bathroom Reader

artistic decisions influenced (made) by Norman Petty (now Holly's manager)

typical arrangement today, but not for the times

through 10/58�due to complex contractual arrangements, Brunswick recordings were released as The Crickets, while Coral recordings were released under Holly's name

distinction is artificial � all were Buddy Holly & the Crickets

Holly left Petty & the Crickets due to questions concerning management

Waylon Jennings & Tommy Allsup became Buddy's new "Crickets"

the original Crickets who continued on their own with Petty until 1965, scored some success with British audiences in the early 60s

began recording with a new softer rock sound (w/ an orchestra!) just before leaving on a tour with Dion & the Belmonts, Ritchie Valens, & the Big Bopper (JP Richardson)

Holly ... a true Rock & Roll pioneer:

wrote most of his own material (like Chuck Berry)

incorporated advanced recording techniques for the time, paying close attention to the technical side of his recordings

overdubbing

double-tracking

his instrumentation became standard for rock band

lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, & drums

songs continue to be covered to the present

"Not Fade Away," "Rave On," "That'll Be the Day," etc.

singing style

"hiccup" singing style

changing vocal timbre in mid-phrase (normal/falsetto)

Peggy Sue

"Peggy Sue" was originally titled "Cindy Lou" ... title change at the suggestion of Cricket Jerry Allison (drums); "Peggy Sue" was the future Mrs. Allison�then they divorced

Holly also gained a high level of popularity in England (toured in 1958)

2/2/59�"Winter Dance Party" at the Surf Ballroom (Clear Lake, Iowa)

attracted over 1000 people

tired of bus travel, Holly chartered a plane to take himself & his band to their next performance (Fargo, ND)

Valens & Richardson wanted to go too, so Valens & Allsup flipped a coin

JP Richardson ("the Big Bopper") had a cold and convinced bassist Waylon Jennings to give up his seat; in addition, his size made it uncomfortable to ride the bus

ill-fated plane trip began in a heavy snowstorm, lasted only a few minutes before crashing into a frozen cornfield

"The Day the Music Died" - 2/3/59

a plane crash (small Beechcraft Bonanza, piloted by Roger Peterson)

killed Holly (22 yrs old), Valens, & Richardson � as well as the pilot

photo of the crash site:

first rock star to die suddenly & unexpectedly

well, recall Johnnie Ace's Russian roulette incident four years earlier, but Holly was truly a high profile rock star

the next night, Frankie Avalon & Jimmy Clanton were on the tour ... Bobby Vee filled Holly's spot with Fabian & Paul Anka taking over for the other two lost performers

this replacement of real rock & rollers by pretty faces may be considered a metaphor for what was happening to rock & roll itself!!

This recording was made in 1971by Don McLean

and refers to Holly's plane crash ...

American Pie

Proposed lyric interpretations for "American Pie":

Wikipedia entry

WebFAQ entry

Straight Dope

YouTube - multimedia presentation

It Doesn't Matter Anymore

(#13, 1959)

topped the British charts for 6 consecutive weeks

prolific composer�left behind enough demos & uncompleted material to fill serveral posthumous collections

1978�The Buddy Holly Story (starring Gary Busey; nominated for an Oscar) revived interest in Holly's life & music

Paul McCartney purchased the rights to most of Holly's songs and remains instrumental in making sure that "Buddy Holly Week" is celebrated every year in England (1st week of September)

1986�one of the first inductees into the R&R Hall of Fame

1989�Buddy (Broadway musical)