Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holly) was a pioneer of 1950’s rock and roll born in Lubbock, Texas. Holly was one of three members of The Crickets, also featuring Jerry Allison and Joe B. Maudlin. In their short lived time as a band, they immediately rose to fame. Holly left the group to begin his own solo career, which was tragically cut short in at the age of 22, on a plane ride on the way to a concert along with fellow musicians Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. The day of the crash became known as “The Day the Music Died.” He left such a mark on the music world that Buddy Holly was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. His music is still popular all around the world, and he is accredited to his contributions in creating the unique sound of rock.
Artifact 1: Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley
Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley rose to fame around the same time, one year apart to be exact! Holly opened for Presley three separate times in 1955, when Elvis visited Lubbock, TX to perform. This rare piece (left) was found on Etsy selling for $375. The rumored friendship between the stars began when Elvis lent Buddy his guitar. (below). According to the website Elvis Presley music, Buddy Holly collaborated with Elvis’s friend Bob Montgomery in his high school years. These performances caught the attention of Eddy Crandall, the manager of Marty Robbins. As a result of this, Crandall introduced Holly to the executives at Decca Records.
Artifact 2: The Day Music Died
This is a poster of the concert Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens were supposed to perform in, but tragically died on the way. The ill fated Winter Dance Party was supposed to occur in Moorhead, Minnesota. The plane crashed in Clear Lake, Ohio which was only 2 hours away. According to poster dealer and collector Andrew Hawley, this poster was iconic in not just music history but American history. He says that the poster is worth at least $100,000.
Artifact 3: Historical Recordings
After Holly’s death, a series of unreleased recordings were left behind. It was unsurprising when Holly’s record label decided to release these songs but it is still a controversial discussion on whether or not it was moral to do so. In my personal opinion, I am conflicted. I feel that Holly always intended to release the new songs, but they were not ready for a professional recording yet. Would I like it if someone released my unfinished work after I died? He clearly took a lot of pride in his work and tried to make his recordings as perfect as possible. It is good for the fans to have one last taste of new Holly music, but at what cost? The only definite answer I have is that it definitely benefitted his record label because of the sales they received.
The moral question for me is: Are they taking advantage of Holly’s tragic death to get more sales, or are they giving Buddy Holly fans one last album release to honor his legacy? I and other Buddy Holly fans still aren’t sure what to think. Nevertheless, it was a great experience to hear a more casual side to Buddy Holly and songs that were to come if he hadn’t passed in the plane crash. For the purposes of my research on his career, this was a great way for me to learn more about a figure so important to not just rock and roll, but all kinds of music moving forward. I hope you enjoyed learning about his career as much as I did!
Sources
http://collections2.swco.ttu.edu/handle/20.500.12255/352469
https://www.etsy.com/listing/835888291/buddy-holly-opens-for-elvis-presley
