History Music / BuddyHolly

* MusicOfNote: Buddy Holly is one of the most important musicians of the 50s, expanding the palette of rock & roll ''and'' pop music with his constant innovation. Having a celesta and knee-slapping percussion on "Everyday," doing his own overdubbed backup vocals (admittedly, this was predated by pop artists such as Patti Page and Les Paul & Mary Ford, but never imagined by a rock star), and singing with an orchestra (again, nothing new in pop music but revolutionary for rock & roll), were ideas all considerably ahead of their time. And on top of that, Buddy is the reason the {{Everyman}} became such a favored archetype in rock and roll. Without Buddy, there's no [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]] or [[Music/TheBeachBoys Beach Boys]] or Music/RoyOrbison or even Music/EltonJohn. Talk about a legacy.

[[http://www.buddyhollyandthecrickets.com/ Official site]]

* Odd percussion: Paradiddles in "Peggy Sue", hands slapping knees in "Everyday", and ride cymbal only in "Well All Right". Also non-traditional instrumentation, like the celeste that's prominently featured in "Everyday".

* PopCulturalOsmosis: Newer generations tends to know him because his song "True Love Ways" was used in the ''Advertising/NeverSayNoToPanda'' advertisement, whereas the ad became viral and memetic, leading them to Buddy and enjoying the genuinely sweet meaning of the song (In the ad, [[SoundtrackDissonance it plays when]] [[AbusiveAdvertisement the Panda is about to ruin someone's day for not eating his cheese]]).

* PopCulturalOsmosis: Newer generations tends to know him because his song "True Love Ways" was used in the ''Advertising/NeverSayNoToPanda'' advertising, whereas the advertising became viral and memetic, leading them to Buddy and enjoying the genuinely sweet meaning of the song.

* [[AuthorExistenceFailure Dying too soon]], leaving everyone to wonder [[WhatCouldHaveBeen what might have been]].

->''"Yeah... Buddy Holly... check m' out... bad motherfucker. Holly passed it on via Music/TheBeatles and via [[Music/TheRollingStones us]]. He's in everybody... this is not bad for a guy from Lubbock, right?"''

* MusicOfNote: Buddy Holly is one of the most important musicians of the 50s, expanding the palette of rock & roll ''and'' pop music with his constant innovation. Having a celesta and knee-slapping percussion on "Everyday," doing his own overdubbed backup vocals (admittedly, this was predated by pop artists such as Patti Page and Les Paul & Mary Ford, but never imagined by a rock star), and singing with an orchestra, were ideas all considerably ahead of their time. And on top of that, Buddy is the reason the {{Everyman}} became such a favored archetype in rock and roll. Without Buddy, there's no [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]] or [[Music/TheBeachBoys Beach Boys]] or Music/RoyOrbison or even Music/EltonJohn. Talk about a legacy.

Born Charles Hardin Holley, Buddy Holly (September 7, 1936--February 3, 1959) was a tragic pioneer of RockAndRoll, and one of the three musicians whose death became known as The Day the Music Died. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, into a family where almost everybody played an instrument and sang CountryMusic. He got his nickname Buddy as a child. He started learning piano and guitar at 11, and was influenced by country & western, bluegrass, rhythm & blues, and the music of his church. He formed a band with his best friend Bob Montgomery, and got a gig at a local radio station, adding bassist Larry Welborn and drummer Jerry Allison. There he heard, and covered, the first rock songs, just as they were coming out in 1954 and '55, before rock became mainstream.

His life story was adapted as the film {{Film/The Buddy Holly Story}} and the musical ''Buddy''.

Decca Records' country music division signed him in early '56 (chopping the 'e' out of his last name), and amidst heavy ExecutiveMeddling, he recorded some material, including an early version of "That'll Be The Day". But Decca didn't know what to do with him, and didn't renew his contract.

His life story was adapted as the film ''The Buddy Holly Story'' and the musical ''Buddy''.

* LongRunners: The Crickets still perform today, with Buddy's friend Sonny Curtis taking Buddy's place.

Born Charles Hardin Holley, '''Buddy Holly''' (September 7, 1936 -- February 3, 1959) was a tragic pioneer of RockAndRoll, and one of the three musicians whose death became known as The Day the Music Died. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, into a family where almost everybody played an instrument and sang CountryMusic. He got his nickname Buddy as a child. He started learning piano and guitar at 11, and was influenced by country & western, bluegrass, rhythm & blues, and the music of his church. He formed a band with his best friend Bob Montgomery, and got a gig at a local radio station, adding bassist Larry Welborn and drummer Jerry Allison. There he heard, and covered, the first rock songs, just as they were coming out in 1954 and '55, before rock became mainstream.

He agreed to headline a package tour with [[Music/TheBigBopper J. D. "The Big Bopper" Richardson]], Music/RitchieValens, and Dion and the Belmonts. He put together a new Crickets, with Tommy Allsup, and a couple of aspiring young Lubbock musicians: WaylonJennings on bass, and Carl Bunch on drums. The Winter Dance Party tour, beginning on January 23, 1959, was a miserable experience. They played every night, and when they weren't on stage, they were riding a bus through the middle of winter in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. Bus after bus broke down, leaving them stranded in the cold. The Big Bopper caught a cold, and Carl Bunch got frostbite and had to go to the hospital. Clothes didn't get washed, and nobody got any rest. After a show in Clear Lake, Iowa, more than 400 miles lay between them and the next stop in Moorhead, Minnesota. Buddy decided to charter a plane for himself and his band, which would give them time to rest and do the laundry. The other musicians found out about the flight, and begged for a ride. The Big Bopper got Waylon's seat, and Ritchie Valens got Tommy's.

* Odd percussion: Paradiddles in "Peggy Sue", hands slapping knees in "Everyday", and ride cymbal only in "Well All Right".

* MusicOfNote: Buddy Holly is one of the most important musicians of the 50s, expanding the palette of rock & roll ''and'' pop music with his constant innovation. Having a celesta and knee-slapping percussion on "Everyday," doing his own overdubbed backup vocals (admittedly, this was predated by Les Paul & Mary Ford, but never imagined by a rock star), and singing with an orchestra, were ideas all considerably ahead of their time. And on top of that, Buddy is the reason the {{Everyman}} became such a favored archetype in rock and roll. Without Buddy, there's no [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]] or [[Music/TheBeachBoys Beach Boys]] or Music/RoyOrbison or even Music/EltonJohn. Talk about a legacy.

!!Buddy Holly and the Crickets provide examples of:

* TheFifties

* IAmTheBand

* MusicOfNote

* SelfTitledAlbum

-->''A love to last more than one day; a love that's love, not fade away....."''

Born Charles Hardin Holley, '''Buddy Holly''' (September 7, 1936 -- February 3, 1959) was a tragic pioneer of RockAndRoll, and one of the three musicians whose death became known as The Day the Music Died.. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, into a family where almost everybody played an instrument and sang CountryMusic. He got his nickname Buddy as a child. He started learning piano and guitar at 11, and was influenced by country & western, bluegrass, rhythm & blues, and the music of his church. He formed a band with his best friend Bob Montgomery, and got a gig at a local radio station, adding bassist Larry Welborn and drummer Jerry Allison. There he heard, and covered, the first rock songs, just as they were coming out in 1954 and '55, before rock became mainstream.

In late '56, in need of a fresh start, he contacted independent record producer Norman Petty. Norman advised him to go back home to Lubbock, and put together a band and some songs. Buddy formed the Crickets in early 1957, with Jerry, rhythm guitarist Niki Sullivan, and bassist Joe B. Mauldin. They recorded a new version of "That'll Be The Day", and a BSide, "I'm Looking For Someone To Love", at Norman's studio in Clovis, New Mexico. These demos landed Buddy two contracts, with Brunswick as The Crickets, and with Coral as a solo artist. (Ironically, both labels were Decca subsidiaries.) Brunswick finally released "That'll Be The Day" in May, and it took a couple of months to take off. Meanwhile, Buddy and the Crickets recorded more songs at Norman's studio. The bulk of Buddy's most famous work was recorded at these sessions, between February and July 1957.

In New York, he made many plans: An album with Music/RayCharles, a gospel album, a country-rock album, a new home for his parents, a studio in Lubbock, maybe even a career in movies. He also made some home demos, known today as the Apartment Tapes, in December '58 and January '59. Meanwhile, the last single released during his lifetime, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore"/"Raining In My Heart", from the New York orchestral sessions, came out on January 5.

* The self-contained band that wrote its own songs. Previously, agents known as "Artists and Repertoire", or A&R men, would hook up singers with songs, and instruments were played by session musicians. Music/TheBeatles are the ones most credited with changing that, but they were following the Crickets. (Incidentally, a cover of "That'll Be the Day" was the very first song recorded by the Quarry Men, the Beatles' precursors. And the Fabs would go on to cover Holly's "Words of Love" on ''Beatles for Sale'' years later.)

"That'll Be The Day" was their first big hit. They hired Norman as manager, and set off on tour in August 1957. As they toured, more singles from the Clovis sessions were released, including the hits "Peggy Sue" and "Oh Boy!", and after a new session to fill it out, the album ''The "Chirping" Crickets''. They played on ''Series/AmericanBandstand'' and ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', and were international stars by the time they came back home in December. Niki left at this point, sick of touring, and the Crickets continued as a trio. They toured Australia, Britain, and America again in early 1958. Meanwhile, the Clovis sessions produced more singles, including the hit "Maybe Baby". A session in New York produced the hit "Rave On!" and filled out his next album, ''Buddy Holly''. Decca cashed in on his success by releasing his mediocre work from 1956 on the album ''That'll Be The Day'', which would turn out to be the last album released during Buddy's lifetime.

* ''That'll Be The Day'' (1958)

* The self-contained band that wrote its own songs. Previously, agents known as "Artists and Repertoire", or A&R men, would hook up singers with songs, and instruments were played by session musicians. Music/TheBeatles are the ones most credited with changing that, but they were following the Crickets. (A cover of "That'll Be The Day" was the very first song recorded by the Quarry Men, the Beatles' precursors. The Beatles would go on to cover Holly's song "Words of Love" years later.)