This photo, supplied by Heritage Auction Galleries, shows Buddy Holly on the day he married Maria Elena Holly, just months before his tragic death.

Q. Buddy’s given last name is Holley, yet he recorded and performed as Holly? Why?

A. Buddy’s name was misspelled in his first recording contract. Rather than wait for the contract to be retyped and mailed back to him, Buddy decided to drop the e for his stage name.

Q. Is a woman’s voice used on the recording of “That’ll Be the Day”?

A. Yes. The Lubbock duo of Gary and Ramona Tollett were friends and were asked to sing backup, working for free.

Q. What John Wayne film played a major role in the creation of a Buddy Holly song?

A. “The Searchers.” John Wayne’s often repeated phrase in the movie was “That’ll Be the Day.” Buddy saw the movie with Jerry Allison. They thought the phrase would make a good song title.

Q. Where did Buddy Holly meet his wife, Maria?

A. Maria Elena Santiago, who was born in Puerto Rico, was working as a receptionist for Peer-Southern Music in New York City when Holly walked in and asked her out.

Q. Did Buddy and Maria Holly have a child?

A. Maria told The A-J in a 2008 interview that she was two weeks pregnant when Buddy left on the Winter Dance Party tour, and that she miscarried and lost her baby after learning of Buddy’s death in the plane crash. Maria later remarried Joe Diaz, and gave birth to a daughter and two sons.

Q. How many times did the Crickets play at Lawson’s Roller Rink in Lubbock?

A. That was a trick question. The Crickets never played at that site. Those appearances were by Buddy and Bob (Montgomery) and Buddy and Jack (Neal).

Q. Who replaced Buddy Holly on the Winter Dance Party tour?

A. Bobby Vee, then an unknown, was asked to perform in Holly’s place at the very next concert on the tour, in Moorhead, Minn. Then Frankie Avalon, Jimmy Clanton and Fabian were hired to finish out the tour in place of the three headliners who died.

Q. Where was the plane carrying Holly headed before it crashed?

A. The plane was to land in Fargo, N.D. The next concert was in nearby Moorhead, Minn.

Q. The song “Peggy Sue” originally was called “Cindy Lou.” Who was Cindy Lou named after?

A. Buddy’s niece was named Cindy, and Lou was the middle name of Cindy’s mother (Buddy’s sister, Patricia Louise)

Q. Where and when were Buddy Holly and Maria Elena Santiago married?

A. The couple was married on Aug. 15, 1958, at the home of Buddy’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. L.O. Holley.

Q. In what countries did Buddy Holly & The Crickets perform?

A. United States, Canada, England, Wales and Australia.

Q. Who was the American recording artist who referenced Holly’s death in a song, and what was the name of the song?

A. Don McLean’s “American Pie.”

Q. How many brothers and sisters did Buddy Holly have, and what were their names?

A. Two brothers and one sister, all older: Larry, Travis and Patricia.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

I think there are a lot of people who don’t realize what a talented singer Buddy was, not just a rock ‘n’ roller. Buddy and Bob Montgomery were performing at J.T. Hutchinson Jr. High when I was in the seventh grade, and I thought they were great then. Check out page 146 of the 1954 Lubbock High Westerner yearbook. Buddy was in the senior A choir, and he was a junior. Also on page 138: Bob won the round-up song contest with “Flower of My Heart.”

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

We recorded “Tell Me How” after weeks on the road playing every night, so we were playing well together. But my favorite is “That’ll Be the Day” as it was the first song Buddy and I wrote, and our first taste of success.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was visiting my folks on Sixth Street in Lubbock, and Sonny Curtis was sleeping on their couch. Probably around 8 a.m., our neighbor, Olte Hall, came over and said that she heard on the radio that Buddy had been killed in a plane crash. Sonny knocked on my bedroom door, woke me, and told me. I couldn’t believe it. (It is) still hard to believe now.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

I cannot pin down a favorite, but I have an unbelievable amount of great ones. I’ve also heard Keith Richards and Paul McCartney say, “If not for Buddy Holly & The Crickets, there would have been no Beatles or Rolling Stones.”

Larry Corbin

LARRY CORBIN

Both he and his good friend Waylon Jennings were critical in getting the statue of Buddy Holly built; he worked at KLLL when his brother, Sky, announced Buddy’s death on the air before the family had been notified.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Oh Boy” and “Rave On” because they were co-written by Bill Tilghman, who was a basketball teammate and classmate of mine at Levelland High School.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 20 years old when I was on my way out to the KLLL Radio transmitter, located at 50th Street and Quirt (now MLK) Avenue. Sky (Corbin, his brother) came on KLLL with the news and, for an hour or so, we thought Waylon (Jennings) also had been killed. The UPI (United Press International) wire story said it was Buddy and his band on the plane. One of the unfortunate things was that Sky was unaware that the Holleys had not been contacted, and we found out Mr. Holley first heard about Buddy’s death on KLLL.

Sky and Slim (another brother) went to the Holleys’ house the next day to explain and apologize. Everyone felt bad about running the UPI story, assuming they had been notified. But the Holleys learned about it on KLLL’s news bulletin.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

My favorite memory of Holly was when we were in the KLLL studios shortly before he and Waylon were to go on the fatal tour. Buddy said, “Come on guys, let’s go get Waylon some clothes because he can’t work for me dressed like he is now.” To say Waylon was a poor dresser due to economic and other reasons was an understatement.

Several of us trooped downstairs to Malouf’s small men’s store that was in the same block. Worth Trammell, who was a salesman there, picked out several outfits for Buddy’s approval, not Waylon’s.

Waylon was still wearing one of the new outfits when we started to leave. Worth held up Waylon’s old outfit that he wore in. He asked, “What do you want me to do with this?”

Waylon told him to put them in a bag and he would take them with him. Buddy said, “Hell no, throw them in the trash. You’re not going to wear clothes like that anymore.”

Since the old outfit was probably the best clothes Waylon owned, I thought he was going to cry. But we left without them.

Buddy fully intended to rework Waylon and make him a star. He saw the talent in Waylon before any of the rest of us, and history proved him to be right.

Sonny Curtis was a guitar player for the Crickets. Curtis still performs today.

SONNY CURTIS

Guitarist with the Crickets, still performing today.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

I can’t think of anything people wouldn’t already know about Buddy.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

This is a hard one, but I’d say it’s “Not Fade Away.”

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I spent the night at J.I. Allison’s folks’ house. I was up the next morning visiting with J.I.’s mom when the lady who lived across the street came over and told us she had just heard it on the radio. J.I. and Peggy Sue were still asleep, and it became my sad task to wake them with the awful news.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

I met Buddy in about 1953 and played lead guitar on his first records on Decca in 1956. I think his influence on me was subtle in the beginning and probably asserted itself more down through the years. Looking back, I’m aware of things now about him that never occurred to me then. His guitar playing was very distinctive, and his singing style was stylish and unique. I wonder sometimes how he grasped that at such an early age. Buddy and Elvis opened up a new world of rock ‘n’ roll and blues for me. As friends and musicians, I’d like to think that Buddy and I influenced each other.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

Buddy and me sitting in his car late at night, listening to the blues from Stan’s Record Rack in Shreveport (La.).

Mac Davis

MAC DAVIS

Singer-songwriter/recording artist

Where did you first see Buddy?

I first saw Buddy at Lawson’s Roller Rink on College Avenue.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Peggy Sue.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

At the roller skating rink.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 17, and I recall it made me feel very sad.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

In my eyes, he proved that a kid from a small town could live his dreams.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

I was sitting on my front porch, across the street from Jones Stadium, and I watched Buddy cruise by in his brand new Pontiac Catalina convertible with a couple of awesome girls and an attitude. He was so cool. And I thought to myself, “If Buddy Holly can make it that far, I can too!”

Ralna English

RALNA ENGLISH

Recording artist from Lubbock; also a featured performer on “The Lawrence Welk Show.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“That’ll Be the Day.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

I heard his music around town, of course. But I remember how excited we all were as musicians when his first record came out. I played it over and over. I can remember thinking what a different sound he had – like nothing I had ever heard before.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 16 years old. I remember feeling shocked and very sad, but what I remember most was that it felt surreal. I really just couldn’t believe, and certainly didn’t want to believe, that it was true.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

Buddy Holly & The Crickets and my band, Ralna English and the Adlibs, were in a Battle of the Bands one Saturday night at a local movie theater in Lubbock. It was the Plaza Theater at 25th Street and Canton (Avenue), caddy corner from Roscoe Wilson School. Much to our surprise, Ralna English and the Adlibs beat Buddy Holly & The Crickets that night! I consider this my true “claim to fame.” We had no idea at the time that Buddy would become the icon he has, and I am just honored to have known him.

Echo McGuire Griffith was Buddy Holly's first love. The two met in fourth grade and dated for a time in high school.

ECHO McGUIRE GRIFFITH

Buddy’s high school girlfriend.

Where did you first see Buddy?

Buddy was born four months before I was. We were both delivered by the same doctor, Olen Key. I first met Buddy in the fourth grade at Roscoe Wilson Elementary School. We also attended J.T. Hutchinson Junior High and Lubbock Senior High together; we became friends toward the end of ninth grade.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

Buddy was not only well known for his music, but he also was a talented leather tooler. He made a pair of leather chaps when he was in high school, with my initials on one leg and his on the other. He also hand-tooled a pair of boots, with his initials on one and mine on the other. Unfortunately, those items were among the many personal belongings of Buddy that were auctioned off.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

I liked all of his music, but I guess my favorite was “True Love Ways.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

At J.T. Hutchinson Junior High School.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 22, and my husband and I had moved to Missoula, Mont., where I was a senior education major at the University of Montana. I was busy getting ready for school. I was “practice teaching” second grade that semester. My mother called long distance early that morning and gave me the devastating news.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

Buddy had a great personality and would often say things that he knew I would react to, just to get my response. He loved to joke, but he also was very intense and focused about his music and career.

Bill Griggs

BILL GRIGGS

President of the Buddy Holly Memorial Society, publisher of Reminiscing and Rockin’ ’50s magazines, music historian and an expert on the life of Buddy Holly. He is called for consultations by music and Holly biographers and music studio executives.

Where did you first see Buddy?

I saw Buddy at the State Theater in Hartford, Conn., in November 1957.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

Before the Crickets were formed, and before Buddy Holly had received any real national publicity, he was involved with a knife-wielding shoplifter in his hometown of Lubbock. He, and several friends, saw this shoplifter running out of a store. They jumped out of their car and chased him. The shoplifter brandished a knife, but the youths were too much for him. They held him until a Lubbock motorcycle officer came to the scene.

Further, when I contacted the officer (V.E. Patterson) years later, he told me he also was the lead motorcycle for Buddy Holly’s funeral entourage to the cemetery in 1959. The shoplifting incident took place on Dec. 29, 1956, and was a front page story in The A-J.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

Has been since I first heard it: “That’ll Be the Day.” When I heard the group make a tempo change in the song and not miss a beat, I was hooked.

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

In July 1957. I appeared in a dance exhibition that month and my partner, Patty, and I danced the bop to a song by Buddy.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 17 and driving home from school for lunch. The radio was not playing something I liked, and I twisted the dial until I found WPOP in Hartford playing “That’ll Be the Day.” When the song ended, the disc jockey said, “And that’s another song by the late Buddy Holly, who was killed in an airplane crash this morning.”

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

After I began my life-long research and learned more and more about him, I found that Buddy never was afraid to try something new. If it failed, he put it aside and went on. If it succeeded, he expanded on it. Buddy always set his goals way up high, and then tried to reach them.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

When I saw Buddy perform for the first time in 1957, it was at a theater with a 70-feet-wide stage. Buddy walked, as he played and sang, to the edges of that stage and performed to the “bad seats.” I always respected him for that.

Wanda Jackson

WANDA JACKSON

Performed with Elvis Presley on April 10, 1956, at a show opened by Buddy, Bob & Larry at the Fair Park Coliseum in Lubbock. She and Buddy also were separate opening acts during a 15-day tour by Hank Thompson that began on Jan. 9, 1957.

Where did you first see Buddy?

I was appearing with Elvis Presley and some others in Lubbock on April 10, 1956. I was 18 years old at the time. Buddy and the Crickets (actually Bob & Larry) opened the show. The local people all clearly loved him and his music, that’s for sure.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Raining in My Heart,” which I recorded for an album of mine in the late 1970s. Also on that album was “Rave On” and “Oh Boy.”

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 21 years old. I heard the news of his death on the radio. I did not want to believe that those three beautiful and talented young lives were snuffed out. It made me very sad for a long time!

Buddy Holly's niece, Ingrid Kaiter, performs with her band, The Ingrid Kaiter Band.

INGRID KAITER

Buddy Holly’s niece, his sister Pat’s daughter, sings in The Ingrid Kaiter Band

Where did you first see Buddy?

My mother, Patricia (born Patricia Lou Holley), was Buddy’s older sister. Buddy died before I was born. But growing up, I always knew him as Uncle Buddy. Mom had photo albums with many pictures of him, mostly family photos of the two of them with my Grandmother and Granddaddy. So I knew Buddy as family first, musician second.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

One of Buddy’s favorite things to eat was tomato soup. His favorite architect was Frank Lloyd Wright. He had blueprints drawn up after he started making it big, for a house to be built for my grandparents. The house was never built. In the plans are a design for a recording studio and also one labeled “Buddy’s room.” In my opinion, he had plans on coming back often, or to even stay for a while, because he designed the studio and had a room specifically for himself.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Well … All Right.” I love this song. It is one of the few Buddy Holly songs that I sing. The song is timeless. The meaning is the same today as when Buddy wrote it. Also, I think the song describes so much of what I was told Buddy’s personality encompassed. He did things his way, and stood his ground. “Well … All Right, so I’ve been foolish. Well … All Right, let the people say that these foolish kids can’t be ready for the love that comes their way.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

I assume that when mom brought me home from the hospital, she was playing her brother’s music. Mom had an RCA turntable that sat inside a deep cabinet. You would lift up the lid and see that it housed the tunrntable with room for a stack of Buddy’s alnums. As a kid, I asked her to play my favorites: “Rock Around with Ollie Vee” and “Blue Days, Black Nights.” I remember mom always would tape a penny to the stylus to keep it from skipping. I would listen as she did the housework and sang along with each song. I thought that’s what everyone did.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I wasn’t born yet.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

There is no doubt in my mind that Buddy had an influence on me. It’s not just because I am related to him. I got to know another side of Buddy as family. However, it was by listening to his music and hearing stories of how he stood his ground and did things the way he felt, that encourged me.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

My favorite memory that my mom told me about was when my brother Eddy (lead guitarist for the Ingrid Kaiter Band) was a toddler, he whacked Buddy in the head with a croquet mallet.

My mom told Buddy it served him right, because Buddy had hit her husband in the head with a baseball bat when he was younger.

Joe B. Mauldin played standup bass with The Crickets. Mauldin still plays.

JOE B. MAULDIN

Played standup bass with the Crickets, still playing

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Well … All Right.”

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 18 years old. My sister called and told me the news. I refused to accept it as the truth until after the funeral.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

My own personal favorite memories of Buddy Holly is when we used to go out riding our motorcycles or going water skiing.

Graham Nash, of Crosby, Stills and Nash, first saw Buddy Holly perform on the BBC in England in 1958. Nash named his group, The Hollies, after the Lubbock rock legend.

GRAHAM NASH

Of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; formed The Hollies

Where did you first see Buddy?

I first saw him on the BBC in England in 1958.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

Probably (that he) used bubble gum in place of a missing tooth.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

There are so many: “Rave On,” “Think It Over,” “Maybe Baby,” “Raining in My Heart.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

I first heard Buddy on a show called 6-5 Special. It was “That’ll Be the Day.”

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was celebrating my (17th) birthday on Feb. 2, which was the night of Buddy’s last concert. Then when I found out that Buddy was dead, I remember I was standing on the corner on Langworthy Road in Salford, near Manchester (England). I was with my best friend, Allan Clarke, who later started the Hollies with me. We were distraught to say the least … tears and more tears. We had lost a great friend … one of us … a rock star with glasses.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

I was influenced by the simplicity and unbelievably clear structure of Buddy’s songs. (They) communicated strongly and found their way deep inside, and can never be dislodged.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

As I approached the local fair, the music being played was “Peggy Sue.” It became louder and clearer, the closer I got. I love Buddy’s music.”

John Pickering

JOHN PICKERING

A member of The Picks, a vocal group that sang backup on many of Buddy Holly’s early releases, often without credit.

Where did you first see Buddy?

Because of a mutual interest in music, my family and the Holley family met in Lubbock as far back as the 1940s. … The Holley family listened to the Pickering Family Quartet on KFYO and KSEL in Lubbock. The first time I actually met Buddy was at the original KDAV radio station. I was an emcee and soloist for Lawrence Ivy’s Piano Show, and Buddy and his country group were practicing in an adjoining studio. This was about 1954. … I heard Buddy and his group sing “Johnnie and Jack” – country music style.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

Most people do not know that Buddy mostly sang the tenor part when singing country duets with Bob Montgomery in 1953 and 1954. “Buddy and Bob” featured Bob on lead and Buddy on tenor. I don’t remember Buddy singing solo until I heard Buddy, Bob and Larry (Welborn) perform at Lubbock High School’s Westerner Days, an annual event. Bob sang lead on a country song or two with Buddy on tenor – but then Buddy stepped up and soloed “That’s Alright,” sounding just like Elvis’ version.

It wowed me and everyone there. I believe that performance before a large, enthusiastic audience was the beginning of Buddy Holly’s conversion to rock ‘n’ roll. Somehow, his voice and that style of music just clicked, and his unique, rhythmic lead guitar style fit the pattern perfectly. From his expression, I could tell that he knew it.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

The Picks backed Buddy on hits like “Oh Boy” and “Maybe Baby,” but my own favorite Buddy Holly song is “True Love Ways.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

The first time I heard him on a record was in 1956, when my brother Bill, a KLLL disc jockey at the time, played Buddy’s “Blue Days, Black Nights” on the radio. I liked it a lot.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 25, and turned 26 shortly after it happened. I was hired by an oil company after I graduated from Texas Tech and moved to Corpus Christi. A friend called me at work and told me (about the plane crash). I was stunned. My wife called a short time later. She was in tears and I joined her. I could not imagine what Buddy was doing in a small plane in Iowa. My heart went out to his young wife and family. We’d hoped to sing with him again, and Maria Elena told Bill and me in 1984 that Buddy was planning to do just that.

I was not able to attend Buddy’s funeral in Lubbock because it was a 1,200-mile trip and my wife was eight months pregnant. My brother Bill did attend, representing The Picks, and he sang at the funeral. He told me later that he sang “Beyond the Sunset.”

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

Buddy influenced me to keep singing and writing songs no matter what the obstacles may be, to “make hay while the sun shines.” He worked hard in music with a maturity beyond his years. He accomplished so much in 22 years that he changed the face of music and influenced many lives and careers. I have tried to honor him with two published tribute songs: “Buddy Holly Not Fade Away” and “Forever 22.”

It has been a distinct honor for me to have sung behind Buddy Holly on some of his records, and then to hear those songs being played for his fans a half century later.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

My favorite memory of Buddy happened after the 1957 release of “The Chirping Crickets” (Brunswick BL54038). Our group, The Picks, backed him vocally on nine of the 12 songs on that album. One day, Buddy saw my brother Bill and me standing on the sidewalk next to Hemphill-Wells department store. Buddy just stopped the traffic behind his car, got out and rushed over to thank us personally for our work on that album. He smiled, shook our hands, and told us we did great and he would never forget us. We never saw him in person again.

“The Chirping Crickets” was the only Crickets album released while Buddy was still alive. … Buddy Holly is the star of every song. There is no doubt about that.

Gary & Ramona Tollett

GARY & RAMONA TOLLETT

Sang backup for Buddy Holly on “That’ll Be the Day” and “Looking for Someone to Love” at the Norman Petty Studio in Clovis, N.M.

Where did you first see Buddy?

We met Buddy at the Arnett-Benson Drug Store on College Avenue in Lubbock. It was August 1956.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

Ramona: Most people do not know that there was a female voice on “That’ll Be the Day.” Fans know it, but the general public does not.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

Gary: “That’ll Be the Day.”

Ramona: “Blue Days, Black Nights.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

We first heard Buddy on KDAV Radio in Lubbock.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

Gary: 26. Ramona: 22. We were shocked and not able to believe what had happened. We had lost a close personal friend. We still miss him.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

His happy-go-lucky personality was contagious. He influenced our outlook and our appreciation of music.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

Gary: His ability to play lead guitar and sing with ease and enthusiasm.

Ramona: He made me feel comfortable working with him, and his laughter is a very strong memory.

George Tomsco played with The Fireballs, a group at the same recording studio as Buddy Holly and The Crickets in Clovis, N.M.

GEORGE TOMSCO

With The Fireballs, an instrumental group that shared recording time at the Norman Petty Studio in Clovis, N.M. with Buddy Holly & The Crickets.

Where did you first see Buddy?

At Norman Petty’s studio. It was on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 1958. After setting up the amplifiers and microphones about 4 p.m., we went down to Foxy’s to grab a burger, and then come back to stop recording. When we got back to the studio, there was a pink Cadillac with Texas plates parked in front of the studio, and we wondered who was there.

When we walked in, there was a strange looking guy with dark rimmed glasses playing my brand new Fender Strat with his foot up on my brand new Fender Tremolux Amp. I was ticked off, to say the least.

He was playing my new guitar better than I could. Humiliating! I addressed Norman in a sarcastic manner: “Who’s that guy in there playing my guitar!!!” (Because I didn’t give anyone permission.) Norman looked up at me, then he looked through the double-pane window into the musicians’ room, and then he looked at me again and said, “That’s Buddy Holly.”

And he immediately punched the talk-back button into the other room and said, “Buddy, come in here and meet these guys from Raton.” (Of course, I’d had an immediate attitude adjustment about him playing my guitar.) Buddy walked into the control room and Norman said, “Everybody, introduce yourselves to Buddy.” Which we did. And then…silence.

It was quiet for too long a time because all of us Fireballs were awestruck and speechless for anything more to say in Holly’s magnetic presence. So Buddy broke the silence with, “Well, what are ya’ll gonna do? Make a record?” We all got a giggle out of that and there was some more small talk for a few minutes. Then we left the control room and went to the musicians’ room so we could get started, but by now we were anxious and scared.

Norman and Buddy talked for a few more minutes, and then Buddy left and we started our session.

That was the only time we met and saw Buddy. From there he was going to New York, and five months later the plane crash happened.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

I remember him not being as tall as he looked in some of his photos, but maybe it was because he was very slender.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

The most intriguing cut is the unedited version of “True Love Ways,” where Buddy clears his throat quietly before he starts singing. Wow, it makes you think you can hear his mind working for that perfect pitch for that first-word entrance to the song: “Just you know why…”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

On KOMA in Oklahoma City, an analog monaural AM radio station. We would have to wait until about 8 p.m. before we could start receiving it. It would start its wavy drift-in drift-out staticky signal, and usually would take about an hour before you could hear a whole song without it drifting away. Then it was uninterrupted rock ‘n’ roll from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. What a treat.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 18. I walked into Norman’s office that morning, and he told me. It was sort of like my mind went into park and stayed there the rest of the day. It was like my mind was in denial about those kinds of thoughts. Only thing was, the radio kept broadcasting about it all day long, and it was hard to accept the facts. But all three musicians dead?

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

He influenced me by his unique, definitive style. When you are 18, the only word that I would have expressed back then was just: cool. But looking back now, I recognize it was really a gift from God: Buddy’s sound and especially his unique musical style.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

Favorite memory? Seeing him in the studio with my guitar! He was playing “Malaguena.” Ole!

Bobby Vee

BOBBY VEE

Major recording act, also hired as a teenaged performer to replace Buddy Holly on stage in Moorhead, Minn., the next stop for the Winter Dance Party after Buddy died.

Where did you first see Buddy?

I saw Buddy Holly & The Crickets for the first time on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” He appeared edgy, intense.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

Early in my recording career, my producer, Snuff Garrett, received a demo from the Holley family. The song was called “Buddy’s song.” The writer was listed as Ella Holley (Buddy’s mother), and the singer was Waylon Jennings (Buddy’s friend, a KLLL disc jockey and musician). The song was made up of Holly song titles loosely woven together to create a story line. It was a clever song, and I recorded it for my tribute album “I Remember Buddy Holly.” A year or so went by and, one day as I was listening to the song, I suddenly realized the melody sounded familiar. I dug out all of Buddy’s records and apartment tapes and, sure enough, “Buddy’s Song” shared the very same melody as “Peggy Sue Got Married.”

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“True Love Ways.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

On my local radio station in Fargo, N.D.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 15 and a sophomore at Fargo High School. I lived close to the school and had gone home for lunch. As I walked into my house, I heard a DJ talking about three stars (I had a ticket to the show that night) and I quickly realized that it wasn’t good news. They were talking about a plane crash. I couldn’t take it in. I was stunned. I thought there had to be a mistake.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

Yes, I still love all of his music. He was my Elvis. Over the years, I have recorded two tribute albums to him, and I am happy to say (50 years later) that his music didn’t die.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

As I track Buddy’s music from start to finish, it is clear to me that he gave us a lifetime of great music – and that he still had so much more to give.

Don McLean

DON McLEAN

Recording artist, writer of “American Pie.” I have talked with Don more than once, but, with all the demands on his time, he did not care to answer our five questions. Instead, he asked that a passage from his biography, written by Alan Howard and published in 2007 as “The Don McLean Story: Killing Me Softly with His Song,” be printed instead. Howard also gave his blessing.

“Of all the unique oddities of my career, I am perhaps proudest of the fact that I am forever linked with Buddy Holly. … Buddy was a huge part of my childhood dream. Long before I decided how I would use music or what kind of artist I would be, Buddy was there. When I listened to his music, a mood overtook me which was both happy and sad, and I often looked at the record covers wile the music played.

“Buddy’s music is so musical. The number of great recordings he made in his very short life places him at or beyond the level of any musical artist in almost any category. Elvis never wrote songs, while Buddy composed a large number. In my opinion, looking back, no rock act, not the Beatles, not the Stones, nor anyone else, can top records like ‘Peggy Sue’ or ‘Rave On.’ They are rock mountains that nobody has climbed. The diversity of Buddy’s music is also profound. ‘Moondreams’ and ‘True Love Ways’ are musically as advanced as anything by the great popular composers. Gershwin or Berlin would have marveled at these compositions.

“His electric guitars were raw, but controlled like bullwhips. They jingle and jangle freely in ‘That’ll Be the Day’ and ‘Oh Boy,’ and they snake around in ‘Words of Love’ The Beatles and the Stones became the behemoths they are on the back of Buddy Holly and the records he made before anyone made records or wrote songs like his. Aside from his geek image and his sudden and cruel death, his music is a wonder which still contains the potency of its original magic. Buddy was a genuine original. He was a genius.

“… Through my relationship with Buddy, I was able to discover my peculiar writing talent and, much to my amazement, helped bring Buddy and his music back from the dead. In a sense, ‘American Pie’ contains the spiritual connection to Buddy Holly which was always in me. It’s as if we both gave each other new life.”

John Lennon

JOHN LENNON

Lennon was contacted by Los Angeles music journalist Jim Dawson in 1974. Dawson asked a few questions pertaining to Buddy Holly:

How did you personally react to the Crickets’tour of England in 1958?

JL: “I only saw them on the London Palladium (on TV). He was great! It was the first time I saw a Fender guitar being played! While the singer sang! Also the ‘secret’ of the drumming on ‘Peggy Sue’ was revealed live.”

What effect do you think it had on British musicians?

JL: “I only know its effect on me, but I reckon the records had the biggest effect on all of us. Every group tried to be The Crickets! The name Beatles was directly inspired by Crickets (double entendre/insects etc.). I think the greatest effect was on the songwriting.”

What do you think of Buddy Holly, musically and historically?

JL: “He was a great and innovative musician. He was a MASTER! His influence continues. I often wonder what his music would be like now, had he lived.”

Do you think his music had any effect on the style of The Beatles? On your own feelings toward music?

JL: “See above. We did practically everything he put out, i.e. at The Cavern, etc. What he did with three chords made a songwriter out of me!”

Other remarks?

JL: “He was the first guy I ever saw with a capo. And he made it OK to wear glasses. I WAS Buddy Holly!”

The Fireballs, an instrumental group, shared recording time at the Norman Petty Studio in Clovis, N.M. with Buddy Holly & The Crickets.

JAY BOY ADAMS

Texas singer-songwriter, Lubbock/Texas Tech connections

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Well … All Right.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

My older sister, Vicki Jayne, had his 45s. She was seven years older than me, and was tuned into music.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 10 years and 57 days old. Our radio station started playing music by Buddy, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. My sister and all her friends was crushed, and so was I.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

I had to have a Fender Stratocaster guitar and a black suit, and I definitely wanted to be on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Buddy’s success proved to all of us from West Texas who chose the music business that anything was possible.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

One of my doctors, Dr. James Crisp, was one of Buddy’s childhood friends. When I would visit him, he would speak so fondly of Buddy. He always spoke about how Buddy knew exactly what he wanted, and never doubted that he would become a success. So my favorite memories hinge on hearing Dr. Crisp’s stories.

TERRY ALLEN

Lubbock native, singer-songwriter/recording artist

Where did you first see Buddy?

I’m sure it was when he was opening for some country band at the Fair Park Coliseum in the mid-1950s, probably before he began making recordings. I worked in the concessions during the wrestling matches, music shows and Ice Follies, etc., while my dad had his business out there. I know Buddy Holly played out there some; I know I must have seen him, but it didn’t make a memory.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Well … All Right.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

The first I remember hearing it was on the radio, probably KSEL on “The Jerry Bo Coleman Show.” I know “That’ll Be the Day” was the first song I heard because I remember connecting it with John Wayne saying that phrase over and over in the movie “The Searchers,” and I was wondering if that is where the title came from. I’ve heard since that it did.”

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 15 and a sophomore at Monterey High School. I heard about the plane crash at school. I don’t remember having much of a reaction other than thinking it must be strange to be dead that day and dead so far away from home.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

All of them were an influence on me. The ones who made rock ‘n’ roll music in those early days. They made you want to be brave and showed you a way to get out of town. That was huge for me. Also, Buddy wore glasses … he and Bo Diddley. Since I wore glasses, that registered big with me, too.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

The music.

PAUL BEANE

West Texas radio veteran

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Learning the Game.” A great song and a departure from Buddy’s usual offerings. In my view, all of Buddy’s music was happy, but “Learning the Game” was a song about growing up and learning to live with heartbreak.

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

I first heard Buddy’s music when I was a teenage disc jockey in Greenville and Sulphur Springs.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was working at KSST in Sulphur Springs when Buddy died, and it was painful because the Bopper had just performed in Sulphur Springs shortly before the crash and I had had a long talk with him backstage. He talked about missing his wife and his unborn child. He wanted to be at home in Beaumont with his family. He did tell me that he was heading out to the Winter Dance Party tour for the money, to provide a better life for his young family.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

Buddy’s influence? In my view, his music, even today, remains at the heart of rock ‘n’ roll. His music was happy, about love and living, as was much of the early rock ‘n’ roll before the music turned to themes of alcohol, drugs and sex.

LARRY BYERS

Longtime radio personality in Lubbock. Byers has worked at KLLL-AM, KDAV-AM, KSEL-AM, KFYO-AM, KCAS-AM, KCBD-AM, KKCL-FM, KZZN-FM and KRBL-FM.

Where did you first see Buddy?

I first saw Buddy Holly in 1954 when my parents took me to the KDAV (580 AM) studio to watch Buddy, Bob and Larry perform on the Sunday party. He sang only country music on the radio.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

Buddy and I ran into each other in 1958 at a Johnny Cash concert at the Lubbock Municipal Auditorium.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Rave On.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

I first heard Buddy play live at that KDAV performance. The first Buddy Holly record I heard was “Blue Days, Black Nights” on a restaurant jukebox in Lubbock. And I first heard Buddy play rock ‘n’ roll at the Lawson Roller Rink in 1956, when Tinker Carlen called Buddy to the stage to sing “Modern Don Juan” (his new release at the time).

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 18 and attending Texas Western University in El Paso. Some of us guys were playing penny ante poker and listening to the radio. My friends knew I was an acquaintance of Buddy’s. When the news came on the radio, all of us were completely shocked and saddened. Three of the most popular artists of the time in rock ‘n’ roll were suddenly gone. Nothing like that had ever happened before.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

My favorite memory is from 1956, when I was the “teen manager” at the Lubbock Youth Center (Lawson’s Roller Rink). Sonny Curtis called me up on stage and I sang two songs with Buddy; Sonny, J.I. Allison and Don Guess gave me instrumental backup.

DON CALDWELL

Music producer, concert producer, saxophone player

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

Buddy was, to my knowledge, the first “true” rock ‘n’ roll singer and musician to combine his rock ‘n’ roll vocal sounds with a 1940s-style rhythm section and strings.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“True Love Ways,” “Not Fade Away” and “Raining in My Heart.

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

The first time I heard a Buddy Holly song, it was on Lubbock’s KSEL Radio.

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 14 years old. I was walking out of the west door of Slaton Junior High School, going to the gymnasium, and one of my classmates, I can’t remember who it was, came up to me right outside the door and said that Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash. I guess the reason I remember it so vividly is because Buddy was first cousin to one of my classmates and good friends, Carol Holley. I really wasn’t that into any kind of music at the time, so what hit me was that Carol’s cousin had been killed.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

My own artistic endeavors, and my music business endeavors, have been influenced significantly by Buddy Holly. As a producer and performer, I always have been amazed by his artistry. I learned invaluable lessons from studying, recording, producing, performing or just listening to his music. These lessons would increase my effectiveness as a producer and improve my personal musicality throughout my life. Buddy was a major musical stylist of the 20th century.

Just the fact that Lubbock is the home town of the incredibly respected rock ‘n’ roll icon has automatically opened doors for Lubbock musicians and singers. That cannot be taken away. What a gift! Lubbock is truly blessed to be the home of Buddy Holly & The Crickets.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

My favorite memory is Buddy Holly & The Crickets appearing on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

JIMMIE DALE GILMORE

Award-winning singer-songwriter and Flatlander from Lubbock

Where did you first see Buddy?

From a car in a parking lot, too far away to see him really well.

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

Many people are surprised to learn that he played folk and country music in his formative years.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

I love nearly all of them, pretty much equally. But “Oh Boy” is the one I like to perform the most.

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

On the radio, and I’m pretty sure the song was being played by Jerry Coleman on KSEL-AM. They also played Buddy a lot on KDAV and on KLLL, because the giant dividing line between rock and country had not been established yet. I think Waylon Jennings on KLLL was the first person I heard use the term “rockabilly,” and he was referring to a Buddy Holly song. (There were a number of very good DJs in Lubbock at that time, and I remember having the feeling that all of them really liked Buddy Holly’s music.)

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was 13 and, although I had never met him, I remember feeling devastated. It was almost as if we’d lost a family member or a close friend.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

Although I never imitated Buddy, I would have to say his music influenced me in a deep way that is hard to explain. He also influenced my career in an indirect, but very significant, way. Buddy’s father, L.O. Holley, made it possible for me to do my first demo recordings. That started my preference for playing with bands, and it also was the beginning of my lifelong association with so many great Lubbock musicians.

LLOYD MAINES

Lubbock native and Texas music producer and steel guitarist.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Not Fade Away” and “True Love Ways.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

I don’t remember when I first heard Buddy’s music on the radio. But the first time that I really paid attention to his music was when I started playing with Joe Ely. Joe did some Buddy Holly songs, and I really started appreciating Buddy’s writing.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

It seemed that Buddy’s music has no boundaries, and he obviously did not let it bother him when people dissed him for doing that “sinful” rock ‘n’ roll music. He stayed with what was in his heart and soul. Buddy paved the way for other artists and writers to create their art and not be afraid.

STEPHEN SHAW

aka Elvis T. Busboy, singer-songwriter, recording artist

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Everyday.” I just love the simplicity and complexity (both!) of this song. J.I. Allison actually plays his knees for the drum part. But then it has this little circle of chords in the bridge that sets it apart from a standard three-chord rock ‘n’ roll song.

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

I first heard Buddy Holly on a “Greatest Hits” record that my parents had. I later stole that album for myself.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

I grew up in Hobbs, N.M., but we would go to Lubbock to shop. I always thought it was so cool that I had this album, which I loved, by a guy from Lubbock. So he showed me that anybody could make it from anywhere. And once I was old enough to think about such things, I always dug how self-contained Buddy and the Crickets were.

RUSS MURPHY

Award-winning singer-songwriter, recording artist, moved to Lubbock and worked here before his career took off

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“True Love Ways.”

Buddy died on Feb. 3, 1959. How old were you on that day, and how did you find out and react when you heard the news?

I was just 7 years old, but I remember being shocked when Buddy, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died. Because they were “stars,” and “stars” were not supposed to die. Until they died, it was like they were not real people; instead, they were just voices I heard from my radio.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

Buddy has influenced me because he wrote and sang songs “his own way.” He was unique and at times was criticized. But he stayed true to himself and to his music. I’m now writing and singing in a fairly new category of music called Christian Country, and my style is a little bit different from the others. Not better, just different. Buddy’s example has helped me stay true to who I am, and how I write and sing.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

My favorite memory actually is from the movie where Buddy Holly (played by Gary Busey) gets one of his front teeth knocked out just before going on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” and has to use chewing gum to fill one of the gaps. (Music historian Bill Griggs says that this really did happen to Holly – only it happened during the Crickets’ British tour, and not on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”)

ANDY EPPLER

Promising young local musician

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

No, but I think that I have an understanding of him that the average person might not in that I am a young songwriter trying to find my voice here in the desert.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Everyday.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

I was just starting out and one of my older musician friends (Dr. Skoob) introduced me to Buddy while on a road trip, and it sparked my interest in Lubbock music history.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

Buddy’s story is so relevant to other Lubbock musicians. The population’s support isn’t exactly solid, and it never has been. Everyone just wants to make the money they can squeeze out of the art.

RALPH DeWITT

Music store owner

Can you recall something about Buddy that most people do not know?

He used to wear red and white striped socks, pretty wild for the 1950s.

What is your favorite song by Buddy Holly & The Crickets?

“Maybe Baby.”

Where did you first hear Buddy’s music?

On KONO Radio in San Antonio.

Did Buddy or his music influence you?

My friend, Mike Vinson, and I used to listen to his 8-track tape of Buddy Holly ’til we wore it out. This was in the early 1970s, when everybody else was listening to hard rock. We liked that, too, but we always listened to Buddy Holly when we wanted to party.

Mike and I were the only ones at Buddy’s grave on many Feb. 3rds during the ’70s. Of course, it was usually late at night and we were drinking beer, but we were there, singing Buddy’s songs badly.

What is your favorite memory of Buddy?

My favorite “memory” pertaining to Buddy would be the opportunities I have had to meet all of his fans from all over the world, as well as his friends, at my store during the past 30 years.

“The hardest thing to do is find a place to stop. It’s infectious. It’s like a freight train you can’t stop.

“It’s like a heartbeat, where you want it to never stop.”

The song is credited to Buddy Holly and producer Norman Petty. It was first recorded by the Crickets, Holly’s band, at Petty’s studio in Clovis, N.M., in May 1957 – and of all the songs recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets, only “Peggy Sue” has been recorded (covered) more by other bands or artists.

“Peggy Sue” has been recorded by 83 other recording artists, and “Not Fade Away” by 82 different bands, according to http://home.online.no/~smpeders/ind-bud2.htm.

Peggy Sue Gerron, of Lubbock, was the song’s namesake more than 50 years ago. She said, “I can still remember that Christmas when I was in Lubbock, and Buddy and Jerry were in New York, and they called to tell me that one million copies of ‘Peggy Sue’ had been sold. I was 17. I just thought, ‘Oh my, that’s a lot of records. How does anyone sell a million records?”

“And now, who knows how many more millions of copies of ‘Peggy Sue’ have been sold? I can’t even imagine how many millions.”

Gerron said, “It just goes to show that ‘Peggy Sue’ is one of the most important rock songs of all time. And I’m still humbled to have played a part in all of this.”

“Not Fade Away” originally was the B-side of a single; the A-side was the hit “Oh Boy!”

Ely began playing the song in 1963. He said, “I remember figuring it out with my very first band, which was kind of a living room band.”

The Rolling Stones’ 1964 cover of “Not Fade Away” became the band’s first hit in the United States. After the song fared well in England, the band made it the A-side of its first single in America.

The Stones’ version was recorded for Decca in late January 1964. The single’s B-side in the United States was “I Wanna Be Your Man.”

“Not Fade Away” is known for featuring a series of beats popularized by Bo Diddley (real name Ellas Bates) on his first single, which he titled “Bo Diddley” and recorded in March 1955.

When the Crickets recorded “Not Fade Away” in 1957, drummer Jerry (J.I.) Allison played the percussion beat on a cardboard box.

Ely said, “Around 1977, I did a whole tour with Bo Diddley and Carl Perkins. Every single song that Bo Diddley plays has that ‘Not Fade Away’ beat; all he does is change the chorus and the key for each song.

“It amazes me how Bo Diddley could take that one beat and make a whole life out of it.”

When Rolling Stone magazine listed history’s 500 greatest songs in 2004, “Not Fade Away” was ranked at No. 107.

(There are four more songs on that list: “That’ll Be The Day,” 39; “Rave On,” 154; “Peggy Sue,” 194 and “Everyday,” 236.)

“‘Not Fade Away’ sounds kind of like the rumble of life,” Ely said. “It’s a rhythm that just doesn’t stop. I’m really not sure where that rhythm first came from, but Buddy sure made it his own.

“Even before Bo Diddley, you could hear that basic, intense, nonstop rhythm in songs from back in the early jazz days. But Buddy coupled that rhythm with a great song, in fact the simplest sort that said, ‘A love for real, not fade away.’

“It’s simple, but it’s also universal.”

Buddy’s songs, how often covered

• Peggy Sue – 83

• Not Fade Away – 82

• Rave On – 69

• That’ll Be The Day – 66

• Oh Boy – 59

• True Love Ways – 58

• It Doesn’t Matter Anymore – 55

• Everyday – 45

• That’s My Desire – 45

• Maybe Baby – 38

• Well … All Right – 37

• Heartbeat – 33

• Raining In My Heart – 31

• Love’s Made a Fool Of You – 29

• Peggy Sue Got Married – 25

• Think It Over – 22

• It’s So Easy – 20

• Learning The Game – 19

• Crying, Waiting, Hoping – 17

• Rock Around With Ollie Vee – 16

• Words Of Love – 16

• Tell Me How – 15

• Blue Days, Black Nights – 14

• I’m Gonna Love You Too – 14

• Midnight Shift – 12

• Wishing – 11

• Take Your Time – 10

• Fool’s Paradise – 9

• It’s Too Late – 7

• Listen To Me – 7

• Look At Me – 6

• Looking For Someone To Love – 6

• I’m Changing All Those Channels – 5

• Mailman Bring Me No More Blues – 5

• Ting-A-Ling – 5

• You’ve Got Love – 5

• Dearest – 4

• Reminiscing – 4

• What To Do – 4

• Down The Line – 3

• Rock Me My Baby – 3

• Flower of my Heart – 2

• Lonesome Tears – 2

• Moondreams – 2

• You’re The One – 2

• Holly Hop – 1

• Last Night – 1

• That Makes It Tough – 1

• That’s What They Say – 1

Source: home.online.no/~smpeders/

‘Not Fade Away’ by Buddy Holly

by Buddy Holly

I’m gonna tell you how it’s gonna be

You’re gonna give your love to me

I wanna love you night

and day

You know my love not fade away

Well you know my love not fade away

My love is bigger than a

Cadillac

I try to show it and you drive me back

Your love for me has got

to be real

For you to know just how I feel

A love for real not fade away
I’m gonna tell you how its gonna be

You’re gonna give your love to me

A love to last more than

one day

A love that’s love not

fade away

A love that’s love not

fade away

Source: www.lyricsbox.com

That is when rare music tracks managed to escape from previously secure vaults and found their way to a pair of multi-disc sets of Holly’s music.

The first set is a three-CD, 60-track recording called “Buddy Holly Memorial Collection,” co-released by Geffen Records, Decca Records and Universal Music.

Also released on Jan. 27 was the two-CD, 59-track set “Buddy Holly Down the Line – Rarities,” with its tracks provided by Geffen Records and Universal Music.

In addition, The Avalanche-Journal has learned a third multi-CD release, featuring almost 200 tracks, presently is in the research and preparation stage for a probable early summer release.

The existence of the third set was confirmed by Maria Elena Holly, Buddy’s widow; music historian and Holly expert Bill Griggs; and Andy McKaie, senior vice president, A&R, Universal Music Enterprises.

Larry Holley, Buddy’s eldest brother, had not yet heard even the first two box sets when contacted. He told the A-J, “Maria told me I was definitely going to just break down and cry when I hear all these CDs, because they’ve cleaned them (the songs) all up and Buddy’s music never has come across so pure before.”

The ‘Memorial Collection’

This provides a digitally re-mastered overview of Holly’s brief, yet productive career.

The set features rare, undubbed recordings with Holly’s original partner, Bob Montgomery. When teenagers, the two performed in Lubbock as Buddy & Bob.

One of the featured Buddy & Bob songs, “Soft Place in My Heart,” never has been released; two others by the duo appear here on a United States-issued album for the first time.

The set also includes undubbed recordings by Holly and the Crickets.

It concludes with selections from Holly’s famous “Apartment Tapes.” The latter were songs that Holly recorded at the Brevoort Apartments, at Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street in New York City.

That was the apartment Holly and his wife, Maria Elena Santiago Holly, called home.

The couple was married in Lubbock on Aug. 15, 1958.

With only his own acoustic guitar as accompaniment, Holly recorded the “Apartment Tapes” a short time before leaving to join the Winter Dance Party tour of the Midwest.

Holly died not long afterward in the Feb. 3, 1959, crash of a single-engine private plane.

The “Memorial Collection” has every one of Holly’s hits, including “That’ll Be the Day,” “Oh Boy!,” “Maybe Baby,” “Not Fade Away,” “It’s So Easy,” “Peggy Sue” and “Rave On.”

‘Down the Line – Rarities’

This is bound to blow many fans away.

According to a Universal Music release, it includes “pre-fame home recordings, alternate takes, undubbed versions and informal solo tapes. It also includes:

• A recording from when Holly was 14 years old.

• At least three songs by Buddy & Bob.

• The complete, undubbed “Apartment Tapes.”

• Outtakes and alternates of familiar recordings by Holly and the Crickets.

• The undubbed “Garage Tapes.”

The Garage Tapes were rehearsals by Holly and Crickets Jerry “J.I.” Allison (drums) and Joe B. Mauldin (stand-up bass) that were recorded at various locations, including the Holley family garage in late 1956.

Songs at one rehearsal included Chuck Berry’s “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man,” Little Richard’s “Rip It Up,” Fats Domino’s “Blue Monday,” Carl Perkins “Blue Suede Shoes,” Big Joe Turner’s “Shake, Rattle & Roll” and Bo Diddley’s “Bo Diddley.”

Allison said, “Many of the tunes were done just in Buddy’s garage, but I remember doing a few like ‘Bo Diddley’ and ‘Brown-Eyed Handsome Man’ out west at (producer Norman) Petty’s studio in Clovis, N.M.

“The lineup was Buddy, myself on drums, Sonny Curtis on guitar and Don Guess on bass.”

Each retrospective now available offers original recordings without the overdubbed instrumentation that had been added in the early 1960s, giving each multi-disc set musical and historical importance.

Press material preceding the release of “Memorial Collection” and “Down the Line – Rarities” stated, “In less than two years in the national consciousness, Holly changed the sound of rock ‘n’ roll. Steeped in country music, the Lubbock, Texas, native soon blended in blues, R&B and the new Elvis-fired rockabilly.

“The result was some of the most innovative and influential rock ‘n’ roll ever recorded.”

But there is even more Holly material on the way.

The third package

McKaie stated by e-mail, “The (third) package you are referring to is tentatively set for release on our Hip-O Select label in June.

“Pending further research, it will consist of 198 tracks on six CDs, from a home recording when Buddy Holly was 14 through the ‘Apartment Tapes’ to the posthumous overdubbed recordings.

“Sequenced chronologically, there will also be a booklet with two sets of liner notes, photographs and track-by-track credits.”

Most of the questions arose after the well-mannered rock ‘n’ roller from Lubbock died at age 22 in the crash of a single engine aircraft in sub-freezing winter conditions outside Clear Lake, Iowa, in 1959.

Maria Elena Holly, the musician’s widow, served as a consultant to the Hollywood producers of the 1978 movie “The Buddy Holly Story.”

Not even she managed to keep a plethora of mistakes from winding up on screen, including that mysterious mountain range that still can be seen from the Lubbock bus station in the film.

The first error

That said, Buddy did not even wait a full day before being associated with printed errors. Bill Griggs – music historian, publisher and deemed a “Holly expert” by Buddy Holly Center officials – said that Holly’s birth notice in the Evening Journal on Sept. 8, 1936, included no fewer than five errors.

The birth announcement for Charles Hardin Holley on Sept. 8, 1936, in the Lubbock Evening Journal stated: “A daughter weighing 8 and 1/2 pounds was born at 6:10 o’clock Monday afternoon at Clark-Key Clinic to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence O. Holley, of 1913 6th Street. Holley is associated with a tailoring establishment here.”

The errors:

• Buddy was a son, not a daughter.

• Buddy was born at home, not at a clinic.

• That home was located at 1911 Sixth St.

• Griggs also learned from Buddy’s mother: “Buddy was born at 3:30 p.m., and he weighed 61/2 pounds.”

Buddy’s older brothers, Larry and Travis, definitely influenced Buddy. They each played guitar. Travis Holley taught Buddy his first guitar chords, and Larry took an intense interest in Buddy. He allowed Buddy to work for his tile company when he needed cash. He advised Buddy on songs at times, and loaned him $1,000 for clothes and his first Fender Stratocaster guitar, purchased at Lubbock’s Adair Music.

Larry and Travis still perform. Asked in January, the brothers said neither of them has been able to play one of their younger brother’s songs since the night he died.

Holly initially planned to take his band with him on the four-seat aircraft. He had Tommy Allsup playing guitar and Waylon Jennings playing bass, and offered both of them seats on the four-seater aircraft.

The coin flip

Bob Hale, a disc jockey at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, told reporters he flipped the coin that decided whether Allsup or teenage singer Ritchie Valens would have the last seat.

Actually, it was Allsup who pulled out a 50-cent piece and flipped it.

He lost the coin flip and was asked decades later by music historiam Bill Griggs what happened to the coin. Allsup said that he kept it. “It saved my life,” he told Griggs.

Jennings gave up his seat on the airplane because singer J.P. Richardson, known as the Big Bopper, was fighting the flu and wanted to arrive early and rest at the next concert location. Jennings and Holly were close friends and their final banter now seems eerie.

“I hope your bus freezes,” said Holly.

“I hope your plane crashes,” replied Jennings.

At the crash site, Ralph E. Smiley, the acting coroner, found a wallet with $193 in cash in Holly’s possession. He included this in his official Coroner’s Report – even adding he’d removed his $11.65 fee before putting the wallet back.

The pistol

Holly owned a pistol, which Griggs described as “a 22, just a Saturday night special.” The plane had crashed onto a snow-covered field. Holly kept the gun in a compartment at the bottom of his overnight bag, but the bag had been torn apart in the crash and the gun apparently flew out and was buried in the snow.

Weeks later, the snow melted and farmer Albert Juel began plowing the field. Along with numerous pieces of the plane, he found the gun and turned it in to the sheriff’s office.

Testing proved the gun had recently been fired. That had authorities confused, but only until the sheriff thanked the farmer for turning in the gun, and Juel said, “It even still works.”

It turns out that he had test-fired the weapon upon finding it.

The city of Lubbock eventually would pay $175,000 for the largest single collection of Buddy Holly Memorabilia.

The collection included Buddy’s Fender Stratocaster, an original itinerary from the final Winter Dance Party tour, a pair of maroon and black stage shoes, and Buddy’s lyrics book with handwritten lyrics and sketch notes.

The notebook includes the words for “That’ll Be the Day.”

The Fender Strat

Larry Holley told The A-J the city did not buy Buddy’s first Fender Strat. He said, “This isn’t that guitar. That first one was stolen.”

Actually, Holly’s Stratocaster was stolen twice, both times in April 1958, according to Griggs. The thefts took place in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on April 9, 1958, and, after the first guitar was replaced, again later that month in East St. Louis, Mo.

Thus, the city’s Fender Strat is the third one Holly owned and played.

Griggs also pointed out Holly was not actually the first person to play a Stratocaster in Lubbock – just the first professional musician. Holly decided to buy the guitar only after seeing music store owner Clyde Hankins using it to give guitar lessons at Adair Music.

One of the bigger myths surrounding Holly is that he could read and write music. He could not. Even in his notebooks, one only sees lyrics.

As for his use of violins and strings in later recordings, Holly knew what he wanted to hear. It was his idea to add orchestral strings on his recordings. But it was Dick Jacobs who was responsible for the violin and other orchestral arrangements.

Holly also was not a drinker.

He suffered from a stomach ulcer, and drinking alcohol gave him painful stomach aches.

Movie errors

A long list of errors can be attributed to the 1978 film “The Buddy Holly Story,” which earned Gary Busey an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Holly. But consider:

• A mountain range is clearly visible from the Lubbock Bus Station. There are no mountains near Lubbock.

• The Crickets were shown backing Buddy Holly at a roller rink. (Lawson’s Roller Rink was not credited.) The Crick ets never played with Buddy at the roller rink. Those shows featured Buddy and Bob (Montgomery) or Buddy and Jack (Neal). The first concert by the Crickets was a Battle of the Bands waged between Buddy Holly & The Crickets and Tinker Carlen and the Cats in April 1957 at the Village Theater on 34th Street in Lubbock.

• The movie shows Buddy’s father driving a truck that says L.O. Holley & Son. L.O. Holley had three sons and none of them, certainly not Buddy, became business partners.

• Buddy Holly did disagree with the way that Decca Records tried to make him into a country singer in Nashville. But Holly never slugged or got into a fight with the Decca producer.

• The movie shows a New York City DJ playing “That’ll Be the Day” repeatedly for hours, locking the studio so no one could make him play other songs. The scene was inspired by a DJ named Guy King, who worked for a radio station in Buffalo, N.Y., and played “That’ll Be the Day” as the every third song for more than an hour.

• The movie never reveals Holly played a 25-day engagement in England, and also performed in Australia and twice in Hawaii. Holly just becomes an overnight star in the film.

• The movie reveals Holly worked with a record producer in Clovis, N.M. But never once was Norman Petty given credit. This could be because Maria Holly, not Buddy’s family, served as a consultant.

• The movie shows Buddy Holly singing “True Love Ways.” There is no indication Holly ever sang a ballad in concert. As Griggs put it, “Buddy knew what his fans wanted.”

The movie did depict the audience at the Apollo being surprised the Crickets were white. Holly’s music was loved, but there was no Internet and people in New York had never seen the band. Many thought Holly’s voice “sounded black” on the radio.

Plus there already was a black R&B group called The Crickets. Plus, only blacks had played the Apollo.

But Holly and the Crickets brought down the house.

Buddy Holly closed each concert with “That’ll Be the Day.” That is not a surprise. But Holly was said to have opened every concert with an old country song called “Gotta Travel On,” Griggs said.

Griggs asked drummer Jerry Allison why the band opened with that song.

“Because Buddy liked it,” said Allison.

Welborn

Lubbock musician Larry Welborn stated during a Feb. 3 panel at the Buddy Holly Center that Holly was “determined,” refusing to be distracted from finishing any project.

At his side, fellow musician Jack Neal told the audience that Holly planned to relocate back to Lubbock by 1960.

This was not news.

A number of Holly’s friends and family members already had said Holly planned to return to Lubbock, and not just for a visit.

He planned to build a large home for his parents, Lawrence Odell “L.O.” and Ella Pauline Holley, and in the process also had drawn plans for his own recording studio.

He was inspired by Norman Petty, who kept working with musicians in the studio until they reached their goal. Holly’s plans indicated extra bedrooms, so musicians could stay on the premises, according to music historian and Holly expert Bill Griggs, who had investigated the plans.

Neal

Buddy Holly’s widow, Maria Elena, also has told reporters that Buddy would move – but to California, not Lubbock.

Yet in one of Griggs’ specialty magazines, called “Buddy Holly: Day By Day,” Griggs wrote, “Buddy had told his mother that he intended to stay in New York for two years, as it was (then) the center of the music business. He wanted to become acquainted with the various publishers, record label owners and others in the music business. He planned to return to Lubbock … in 1960.”

Griggs wrote, “He had purchased several tracts of land,” planning to build “a home for himself, one for his parents and ultimately to construct his own state-of-the-art recording studio, all based in Lubbock. Buddy wanted total control of the publishing. Some plans for the studio already were under way before the plane crash.”

Musician Tommy Allsup, said Griggs, reported Holly already had contacted Coral Records about his plans. They’d settled on a plan that would find Coral paying him $500 for every master accepted.

Holly’s brother, Larry, said Buddy planned to build a house for their parents and a recording studio.

Holly’s niece, Ingrid Kaiter, said her mother had shown her the plans for a building with an area marked “Buddy’s room,” which she feels proves he planned to move back to Lubbock on a permanent basis.

Griggs owns a booklet with floor plans by architect Jim D. Vowell that depict the buildings Holly wanted. Griggs reported he also had checked with a city clerk and found “various plat maps and bills of sale for different properties (Holly) had purchased.”

Those properties were sold after Holly’s death.

Griggs

Maria Elena Holly and Griggs say Holly had expressed a desire to produce records by his favorite artists, including Mahalia Jackson.

He wanted to produce gospel recordings.

But how far would Holly have progressed? And how would he have affected Lubbock’s growth? The answers to those questions are not coming.

“Buddy would certainly have surrounded himself with all of his talented music friends from the area. He wanted total control of the music. With a new studio, and a record company (to be called Prism Records), his own publishing company (Taupe Publishing) … he would have accomplished his goal,” said Griggs.

For that matter, some may wonder whether Holly would have shined a spotlight on Lubbock that would be followed by other young musicians – including members of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, all of whom were enamored with Holly’s sound and knowledge long before the Liverpool recordings and British invasion.

Graham Nash

One sequence in the acclaimed film “The Real Buddy Holly Story” – not to be confused with the 1978 film “The Buddy Holly Story,” starring Gary Busey – present day Cricket Sonny Curtis plays two versions of “Peggy Sue,” one of the hits released by Buddy Holly & The Crickets.

At first, he plays the guitar in up-and-down strokes, a method comfortably adopted by most guitar players.

Holly, however, played guitar only with down strokes, said rock historian and Buddy Holly expert Bill Griggs.

And when Curtis played the song both ways, especially illustrating how Holly would play the G chord only as a down stroke, more musicians understood why they had found it so difficult to duplicate Holly’s sound, said Griggs.

The most flabbergasting fact concerning the late Charles Hardin “Buddy” Holly’s career may be that he accomplished so much in such a short time.

Holly was only 22 years old when he died.

Yet he recorded more than 110 songs during a career that extended only from September 1957 to February 1959.

The Lubbock-born Holly and the Crickets became nothing short of music icons, and the band’s influences and trademarks still are evident today.

John Lennon told Jerry “J.I.” Allison, drummer for the Crickets and Holly’s best friend, “There would not even have been a Beatles had it not been for the Crickets.”

First self-contained band

Perhaps the biggest influence Holly and the Crickets had on music – and notably on the Beatles – is the four Texas musicians were recognized as the music industry’s first self-contained band.

They narrowed the band structure to just two guitars, bass and drums, with a vocalist who could energize the crowd from the spotlight at center stage.

Unlike stars preceding them, Holly and the Crickets did not wait for someone to contribute a great song for them to discover. They wrote a lot of the hits themselves.

Stars from the 1950s, ranging from Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino to Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins, were just that – stars! – and all eyes stayed on them.

It didn’t matter who happened to be playing in the band, and quite often the musicians playing behind them in concert would vary from one week to the next.

Eyes stayed on the star.

As Griggs put it, “I believe you went to a concert to see Elvis Presley; but you went to hear Buddy Holly.”

Author and Web site director Chris Oglesby took a different route. He wrote on virtualubbock.com, “While Elvis will always be the King of Rock-n-Roll, Buddy Holly is most certainly its George Washington.”

Griggs, who grew up in Hartford, Conn., recalled going to the Alan Freed-produced rock shows which offered “as many as 15 acts for 90 cents,” he said.

“And at least 85 percent of all those rock ‘n’ roll acts had to use the Alan Freed Orchestra to play the music for them.”

‘You better sound like your records!’

The primary benefit of being a self-contained band is that when Holly and the Crickets performed concerts, teenagers who had been dancing to the 45 rpm discs released by the band could be confident that they would be hearing the same beat, the same music.

There was no way for prior stars to sound the same as their records. It was rare a session musician working in the recording studio would wind up touring with the singer.

The Beatles and the Rolling Stones eventually would make use of numerous songwriters, with the Beatles recording many songs credited to “Lennon/McCartney.”

But when those young British lads began playing in bands, they were playing a lot of Buddy Holly material.

The very first hit enjoyed by the Stones was Holly’s “Not Fade Away.”

Griggs pointed out when Holly and the Crickets played at primarily black theaters in New York City, their songs already had been heard on the radio – and the challenge cried out by one woman in an audience was, “You better sound like your records!”

Audience members soon were on their feet, moving to the music.

Holly and the Crickets sounded like their records.

The name

Of course, the influence of Holly and the Crickets could be found in the names that several musicians gave to new bands. Graham Nash and his friends named their band The Hollies. And every member of The Beatles confirmed they wanted an “insect name like the Crickets.”

John Lennon and Paul McCartney liked the name The Beetles, until a friend advised Lennon to change the spelling to Beatles to reflect a musical term: beat.

The Fender Stratocaster

Holly also influenced a large number of future musicians with his choice of instruments. He was the first professional musician to choose the Fender Stratocaster.

Holly’s older brother, Larry, said Griggs, loaned Buddy $1,000 in 1956 to buy new clothes and also purchase another guitar. Buddy raced over to the Adair Music store and bought the Fender Strat that he had seen the store owner playing. Fans and other musicians could not help but notice.

Big brother Larry also noticed, wondering why Buddy had paid seven times more than necessary on a guitar.

Holly, however, had grown tired of the heavy Gibson he’d owned. He preferred the sleek, lightweight Stratocaster and, according to Griggs, Buddy told Larry, “If I’m going to play, I’ve got to play the best.”

Award-winning artist and singer-songwriter Terry Allen, formerly of Lubbock, told virtualubbock.com, “Buddy Holly was armed to the teeth ’cause he’s got that Stratocaster, you know.

“And that Strat was a vicious weapon when he was there in Lubbock.”

Most music producers in the 1950s still were seeking handsome vocalists who could be groomed into stars.

The eyeglasses

The Lubbock-born Holly was tall and somewhat gangly, thus giving hope to every musician who lacked movie star looks, but wanted to sing in a band.

On top of that, Holly refused to give up his eyeglasses.

He became the first rock ‘n’ roll star to wear his glasses on stage.

John Lennon suffered from horrible eyesight. He told interviewers that, until he saw Holly perform, he rehearsed while wearing his glasses; then he would put them away and walk on stage half-blind while his band played concerts.

Noticing that Holly kept his glasses on while performing gave a number of musicians courage. “Now I can wear my specs on stage!” Lennon realized.

Experimentation

Holly and the Crickets also were willing to open their rock ‘n’ roll sessions to experimentation. This started at the beginning of their careers, not just when Holly considered having songs rearranged to make room for violins and other orchestral instruments.

On “Everyday,” Allison provided his percussion by rhythmically slapping his hands against his thighs, with a recording microphone picking up every sound.

On “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man,” Allison provided percussion by playing his drum sticks on top of a cardboard box instead of on his drums.

On Oct. 21, 1958, Holly recorded several songs – including “Raining in My Heart,” “True Love Ways” and “It Doesn’t Matter Any More” – with an orchestral string arrangement.

He was not quite the first, however. The Drifters had used strings earlier on “There Goes My Baby,” said Griggs.

He personally dubbed Holly “the gentleman of rock ‘n’ roll” as early as the 1960s, and continued calling him that when editing magazines with an international circulation that focused on Holly’s career.

The music historian pointed out Holly and the Crickets, like most of their era’s rock ‘n’ roll acts, wore suits and ties at each performance.

It was a rule suggested by Norman Petty, the band’s producer in Clovis, N.M., and enforced by Holly.

It also was never uncommon to hear Holly refer to journalists as “sir” during interviews.

Wycliffe

Gerald Dolter – whose many positions include director of Lubbock Moonlight Musicals – has performed and taught on an international basis, and never gotten caught up in arts controversies or squabbles.

Oh, don’t take him for granted. He stays aware. But he primarily is interested in music and music history, with few limits on the music valued.

More than two years ago, it was hinted to Dolter that he might want to look into the rights to the hit musical attraction “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.”

The play had been performed at Lubbock’s Cactus Theater, with Donnie Allison in the title role, more than a decade ago. But it has been years since rights to the play were even available.

The play is about to close an extremely long run at London’s Duchess Theater. Dolter pulled off the ground work, and was able to not only obtain the rights to this hit production – but also hire both of the actors who have been alternating in the role of Buddy Holly on stage in London’s West End, Dean Elliott and Matt Wycliffe.

In addition, he invited the London production’s music director, John Bannister, to spend a summer in Lubbock.

“I’m in it for the history,” said Dolter. “I’m doing this because it is the right thing to do. Something big must be done here in Lubbock to commemmorate Buddy’s memory this year, to mark the 50th anniversary of his passing.

“He is a native son.”

Elliott

Oh, and Dolter’s not even from Lubbock. He grew up in Dubuque, Iowa.

Bottom line: Lubbock Moonlight Musicals will stage two musicals on weekends at Wells Fargo Amphitheater at Mackenzie Park this summer.

“Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” directed by Bill Gelber, will open June 12 and close Aug. 22. “Guys and Dolls,” directed by Dolter, opens July 17 and will close Aug. 21. Dolter will produce both productions.

This is an amazing accomplishment. I smiled upon realizing that this epic stage show, which earned major awards for its openings in both New York and London, is being brought to Lubbock by a non-profit organization rather than the city.

Dolter and his crew have invited Holly’s widow, Maria Elena, to attend, which is the right thing to do. No negotiations were necessary.

London producers already owned the rights. They spoke with Mrs. Holly about the Moonlight Musicals anyway, and, according to Dolter, everyone is on the same page and the contract has been signed.

It would have been nice to have more time to publicize the summer’s production – say, about a year. But nothing could be finalized until it was known that the Duchess production was ending.

And then separate negotiations did have to take place with the agents of both stars.

The handsome, young actors, who are transformed into Holly in the spotlight, stated that they are thrilled about flying to the United States and perform the now-famous Buddy Holly musical in Buddy Holly’s home town.

The city is not financing this production. (Although Lubbock Moonlight Musicals does rent the Wells Fargo Amphitheater from the city each year.) But all of Lubbock can benefit in terms of good will, regardless.

Now is the time to get the word out regionally, nationally and especially overseas.

Kerns

The Buddy Holly fans wanting to visit Lubbock have been waiting for another good reason to do so – and here is a great one. Yes, the stars from London will be playing Holly each night, but the production also will feature the finest talent from the West Texas area.

No doubt Visit Lubbock will get the word out, using the myriad of contacts already at its disposal.

Local businesses also play a vital role in helping Lubbock Moonlight Musicals and embracing Buddy Holly’s history.

Amphitheater improvements are welcomed. Hurrah to the city for already extending the amphitheater’s handrails to the bottom of the staircase.

Accusations of apathy were aimed at city businesses 30 years ago, concerning the financing of the Holly statue.

That was another time.

Audition times are 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Feb. 28 and March 1 in room M02 (band hall) at the Texas Tech School of Music.

Dolter said, “We are espectailly interested in people who play musical instruments – primarily lead guitar, bass guitar and piano – in addition to singing. This audition will be only musical; we will not do readings at this time.

“Individuals will be contacted concerning callbacks.”

Think also of how the cast and area theater students will benefit. Cast members have the opportunity to work with professionals who can answer their questions. Dolter also will have Elliott, Wycliffe and Bannister give workshops and seminars for theater students.

The British nationals will be supplied with housing.

Automobile must be supplied, and Dolter said, “I’m sure they want to explore Lubbock, go see the Norman Petty Studio in Clovis, N.M., and visit West Texas when not working.” Those with questions, and those just wanting to help, should call 632-0668.

“Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” will be staged on June 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27, July 3 and 25; and Aug. 1, 7, 14 and 22. “Guys and Dolls” will be staged on July 17-18, 24, 31; and Aug 8, 15 and 21.

Welborn

Music historian Bill Griggs, emceeing Wednesday’s panel at the Buddy Holly Center, said a week earlier that he was particularly excited about the appearance of former Lubbock radio executive Larry Corbin.

Not even Griggs could have expected Corbin, former owner of KLLL Radio, to speak openly and on the record for the first time about a lack of support shown to musicians by the city of Lubbock – at least during the period when the city’s statue of Buddy Holly was financed and constructed.

Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of the death of the late, Lubbock-born rock ‘n’ roll innovator.

Holly fans were lured to the center by a diverse panel that included representatives of Lubbock radio, Corbin and Jerry Coleman, along with Griggs and two of the first musicians to play with Holly, Larry Welborn and Jack Neal.

Limited space at the Buddy Holly Center found the panel set up in a gallery unable to accommodate the turnout; a standing-room-only audience

found music fans in both hallways leading to the gallery.

Corbin

Griggs arrived prepared, moving quickly from one panelist to the next, keeping all involved. He broke the ice by asking each how he learned of Holly’s death, and gave all opportunities to share both charming and funny memories.

At one point, Corbin said, “I’m going to be tacky.”

Mentioning that the stars from Lubbock were those who left town, he appeared ready to close the topic with, “Lubbock is not receptive to artists.”

Griggs would mention Lubbock musicians who have stayed, including Mike Pritchard, Andy Wilkinson, Susan Grisanti and Don Caldwell.

Refusing to place Holly on a pedestal, Griggs also asked Neal to relate a story about Holly and Neal participating in the theft of stop signs and their relocation to a more dangerous intersection. The punch line had the crowd laughing.

Fans were given a glimpse of Holly’s earliest days.

Coleman

Welborn said that Neal held on to the programming sheets from episodes of the “Buddy & Jack Show,” which the young musicians planned during the drive to radio station KDAV each Sunday afternoon.

Holly also asked Welborn, who had his own popular band at the time, to drive to Clovis, N.M., with him and play upright bass at his recording session.

That was how Welborn wound up playing on “That’ll Be the Day.” He added that the bass he played was “borrowed from Lubbock High School.”

But Corbin’s earlier statement resonated around the small room like a mosquito resting on first one person, then another and another. It would not be ignored.

Corbin, Coleman and the late country star Waylon Jennings, a former KLLL deejay whom Holly recruited to play in his band, were the ones who made sure that the Holly statue in Lubbock would be finished by artist Grant Speed.

To help pay for the project, they were expected to sell miniatures of the Holly statue, priced at $1,000 apiece.

Not one Lubbock business or city official would purchase one of the bronzes, said Corbin. “Not even one of the banks.”

Neal

He said that the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce then dissolved the Buddy Holly Foundation and that, when he decided to ask Civic Lubbock Inc. for help, a board member turned him down with the words, “We do culture.”

Corbin also said Wednesday that he flew to England to present Paul McCartney with one of the bronze Holly miniatures.

He also hoped to convince McCartney to perform a Lubbock concert for Buddy Holly that would be filmed for HBO.

He was told that McCartney was receptive, but performed only at venues with a minimum capacity of 50,000.

So Corbin tried to book McCartney at Jones Stadium, only to be told by an athletic director that no music was allowed at the stadium “because the helicopter carrying in Tom Jones had damaged the field.”

50th Anniversary Buddy Holly plane Crash -- Clear Lake, Iowa -- Wednesday Dec. 10, 2008 -- Former Mason City Globe Gazette photographer Elwin Musser holding a 4x5 negative he shot Feb. 3, 1959 at the spot of the plane crash north of Clear Lake. -- Rodney White/The Des Moines Register

Buddy Holly never intended to climb aboard a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft after performing on Feb. 2 at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.

In fact, Holly would have preferred not being on the road at all that winter … now 50 years ago.

Timing had been unfortunate from the start.

Lubbock-native Holly had moved to New York City by then. He was living in an apartment with his wife, Maria Elena Santiago Holly, following their Aug. 15, 1958 wedding. But Holly was dealing with other changes, as well, while continuing to write and arrange songs.

Holly had parted with his manager, Norman Petty of Clovis.

The Crickets, Jerry Allison and Joe B. Mauldin, his Lubbock friends, stayed with Petty.

Holly continued recording songs at his New York home – the music now referred to as “The Apartment Tapes” – but he needed money to pay bills, and that came from touring.

No funds had arrived from Petty, according to Holly’s widow.

A cold tour

Holly signed on with the Winter Dance Party: a number of pop and rock ‘n’ roll acts touring by bus through the frozen Midwest.

Shows were always sold out. Bob Dylan remembers being in the audience and seeing Holly perform during the tour.

The Independent, a nationally circulated newspaper in England, reported when Ritchie Valens’ drummer was hospitalized with frostbite, Holly sat in and played drums behind Valens for at least one show.

There was no card-playing or socializing with fellow musicians such as Dion and The Belmonts on these bus rides. It was just too cold. Temperatures had stayed consistently below freezing; it was 19 degrees below zero when the tour bus left Green Bay, Wisc., for the 300-mile trip to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.

That might be bearable, but the heaters on each bus – six buses were used in the course of 10 days – were continually breaking down.

Holly was sick of shivering and needing to stay bundled up on the long, freezing bus rides. The next concert stop after Clear Lake was Moorhead, Minn, more than 300 miles away.

In addition, Holly really wanted to arrive at Moorhead early so he could do the band’s laundry.

He never arrived.

The crash

The private plane crashed shortly after midnight Feb. 3, killing all aboard: Holly, pop stars Valens and J.P. (The Big Bopper) Richardson and young pilot Roger Petersen.

Holly originally chartered this plane to carry him and his guitarists, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup, also from West Texas.

The Big Bopper had the flu and asked for Jennings’ seat. Valens flipped a coin with Allsup for the final seat.

“I went to the station wagon and told Buddy I flipped a coin with Ritchie and lost. I told him he could pick up a letter for me when he got to Moorhead. He told me he needed my ID. So I gave him my wallet. That’s why it turned up at the crash site,” Allsup said.

Jerry Dwyer of the Dwyer Flying Service met them at the airport in nearby Mason City, packed luggage into the plane and watched it take off, following its path into the sky toward Fargo, N.D. – the closest airport to Moorhead.

Dwyer said the visibility was about eight miles and weather was not a factor. He faced a lawsuit from the Valens family in the following years and raids on his place to find parts of the plane.

He claims to have both parts of the plane hidden and untold knowledge of the events that night, which he will reveal in a book after the 50th anniversary has passed.

In the following months and years, rumors flew of disputes between the musicians, the appearance of a gun and other tales of foul play.

Iowa author Larry Lehmer, who investigated the crash for his book, “The Day The Music Died,” said it was clearly pilot error, and crash investigators were correct in their conclusions. Peterson suffered from vertigo and may have been confused whether he was rising or descending because of his inexperience using flight instruments.

Dion DiMucci of Dion and the Belmonts, was in shock when he heard about the crash the next day in Moorhead.

“I walked back out to the bus, and I was the only one on the bus and Ritchie’s blue outfit was hangin’ from the luggage rack, and Buddy Holly’s guitar was on the seat, and I was alone on the bus. And I was baffled,” he said.

The news hit Lubbock.

A member of the KLLL Radio management team, believing families had been notified, reported the crash over the radio in Lubbock. Some family members, including Holly’s mother, heard about Buddy’s death via the radio.

Sonny Curtis told The A-J he’d spent the night at Allison’s house. After hearing the news, Curtis woke up Allison and his wife, Peggy Sue, to tell them Buddy was dead.

A tough task

The body had to be identified by a family member. His older brother, Larry Holley said he’d make the trip. J.E. Weir, the husband of Buddy’s sister, Pat, volunteered to travel with Larry.

Upon arrival, Larry Holley, an ex-Marine, decided he could not go through with the identification. Weir walked in, identified the body and, according to music historian and Buddy Holly expert Bill Griggs, then told Holley he made the correct decision.

Buddy Holly had been seated at the front of the craft with the pilot. The death certificate, citing gruesome injuries, has even been online for years.

Older brother Travis Holley taught Buddy his first chords on the guitar. Larry and Travis both contributed to Buddy’s dream of being a professional singer-songwriter. Larry and Travis also still play music, but told The A-J they’ve never played any of Buddy’s songs since the day he died.

Lubbock’s tragedy felt around the world.

Singer-songwriter and recording artist Graham Nash told The A-J he’d been celebrating his Feb. 2 birthday on the same night of the Clear Lake concert.

He heard the news the next day.

“I was standing on the corner of Langworthy Road in Salford, near Manchester (England). I was with my best friend, Allan Clarke, who later started The Hollies with me. We were distraught to say the least. Tears and more tears. We had lost a great friend. (Buddy was) one of us,” said Nash.

Songwriter Tony Macaulay told The Independent, “His (Holly’s) death had such an impact on young boys, more so I think than if Elvis Presley had died.”

Some now refer to Feb. 3, 1959, as “the day the music died.”

That phrase was born in a song titled “American Pie,” written and recorded by Don McLean and released in 1971.

McLean said he was an impressionable 13-year-old boy delivering newspapers on that date. But he said, “I am perhaps proudest of the fact that I am forever linked with Buddy Holly.”

In McLean’s biography, he states writing the opening verse of “American Pie” was what helped him exorcize the grief that had been inside of him ever since he’d read the sad liner notes written for one of Holly’s albums by his widow after the plane crash.

The legacy

McLean’s song became a hit in 1971. Columbia Pictures released the movie “The Buddy Holly Story” in 1978, and Gary Busey was Oscar-nominated for his performance as Buddy.

Holly’s death was front page news in Lubbock.

However, almost 20 years would pass before city officials thought of honoring its native son on a more lasting basis.

The release of the film would inspire such tributes as the naming of the Buddy Holly Recreation Area, the construction of a life-size bronze statue of Buddy Holly and the creation of a West Texas Walk of Fame.

The first person (after Holly) inducted onto the Walk of Fame was Waylon Jennings, who went on to become a county music superstar and was personally and financially instrumental in making sure the statue was constructed by acclaimed artist Grant Speed.

Holly was only 22 years old when he died. Yet he had recorded more than 100 songs during his incredibly brief career.

Holly, as well as the Crickets, all became icons.

John Lennon told Allison, drummer for the Crickets and Holly’s best friend, “There would not even have ever been a Beatles had it not been for the Crickets.”

The Fender Stratocaster guitar gained fame after Buddy began playing it. Holly also was the very first rock ‘n’ roll star to wear his glasses while performing, thus inspiring hundreds of musicians with bad eyesight to just focus on the music

All titles by Holly continued to sell extremely well after his death. Petty even released Holly’s audition demos. The demand for unissued Holly songs was tremendous, especially in Europe and Australia.

The first Buddy Holly single released posthumously had “Peggy Sue Got Married” on one side and “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” on the flip side.

Mike Kilen of the Des Moines Register contributed to this story.