Tuesday, October 24, 2000:

Note: This story is from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal archives. The story is a complete reprint from the original news feature. This web posting ©2001-2002, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. For more information about copyrights, view our web site.

From Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Morning Edition
Friday, May 29, 1998

Buddy Holly's glasses that he was wearing when he was killed. The Civic Lubbock Inc. donated the glasses to theBuddy Holly Exhibition thurseday afternoon during a press conference at the Lubbock Civic Center. Lara Meckfessel/Staff Photographer

Oh Boy! Holly's trademark glasses in city's hands
Civic Lubbock donates $80,000 item to exhibit

By JOHN GUNNING
Avalanche-Journal

Buddy Holly's trademark eyeglasses were donated to the city's Buddy Holly exhibit Thursday by Civic Lubbock Inc.

The nonprofit organization spent $80,000 on the glasses sold by Buddy Holly's widow, Maria Elena Holly.

The last available pair of Holly's glasses was sold in an auction in 1990 for $50,000.

''These are worth a lot more because we're certain of the authenticity, and these are the glasses he died in,'' said Civic Lubbock President Murray Hensley.

Civic Lubbock raised the money with proceeds from Broadway plays it has presented. The company then donated the glasses to the city.

''This is a tremendous addition to the collection,'' City Councilman Ty Cooke said.

A plane carrying Holly; Ritchie Valens; J.P. Richardson, a.k.a. the Big Bopper; and the plane's pilot, Roger Peterson, crashed Feb. 3, 1959, north of Clear Lake, Iowa.

The glasses, visibly scarred from the plane crash in which Holly died, were discovered in 1994 after spending 22 years in a sheriff's office in Iowa.

The glasses were turned over to Holly's widow, who kept them until the sale two weeks ago.

''This is one of the greatest of all the articles from the crash,'' said Curtis Parrish of Civic Lubbock. ''We'd like to see the whole world enjoy (the collection) instead of it being in the home of some private collector. Hopefully, this is the first of many purchases like it.''

Buddy Holly's brother, 70-year-old Travis Holley, is pleased the glasses will be on display. ''Those were Buddy's trademark. We would rather they be where the public can view them. We really don't have that many things that hold sentimental value.''

Among the pieces already in the collection are clothing, letters, photos, a book containing handwritten song lyrics, and a Fender Stratocaster guitar.

''We are looking at getting his complete record collection and another Gibson guitar,'' said cultural arts services manager Connie Gibbons. ''We plan on doing a time line on the history of rock 'n' roll that will include a look at some other artists, like Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis.

'' In another matter related to the Holly collection, the City Council on Thursday renamed the old Depot building, known formally as the Fort Worth and Denver Depot, the Buddy Holly Center. After remodeling, the $2.2 million facility is expected to open in September 1999.

''The name change will give us more flexibility in what we want to do with the center,'' Cooke said.

The Buddy Holly exhibit and the city's fine arts center will be housed in the old Depot building, which the city bought in September 1997 for $600,000. The contents of the Buddy Holly exhibit, purchased in 1994, are currently locked in a vault in City Hall.