Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly, born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas, on September 7, 1936, was a key figure in early rock and roll as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He grew up during the Great Depression in a household where music was a constant presence, and he picked up guitar and singing alongside his two brothers.

His first TV appearance came in 1952, and the next year he formed a duo called Buddy and Bob with his friend Bob Montgomery. After opening for Elvis Presley in 1955, Holly committed to a music career. He shared the stage with Presley three times that year, and his band moved away from country and western toward rock and roll. Later in 1955, while opening for Bill Haley & His Comets, he caught the attention of Nashville scout Eddie Crandall, who helped him land a contract with Decca Records.

At Decca, producer Owen Bradley—known for his polished country hits with artists like Patsy Cline—oversaw Holly’s sessions. Frustrated with Bradley’s style and control, Holly took a demo of “That’ll Be the Day” to producer Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico. Petty became the band’s manager and sent the demo to Brunswick Records, which released it as a single under the name the Crickets—a move to get around Decca’s contract restrictions. In September 1957, while the band toured, “That’ll Be the Day” hit number one in both the US and UK. Another major hit, “Peggy Sue,” followed in October.

The album *The "Chirping" Crickets* came out in November 1957 and reached number five on the UK Albums Chart. Holly appeared on *The Ed Sullivan Show* again in January 1958, then toured Australia and the UK. In early 1959, he put together a new band with Waylon Jennings on bass, Tommy Allsup on guitar, and Carl Bunch on drums, and set out on a tour of the Midwest. After a show in Clear Lake, Iowa, he chartered a small plane to reach his next gig in Moorhead, Minnesota. Shortly after takeoff, the plane crashed, killing Holly, Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson. Don McLean later called this event “The Day the Music Died” in his song “American Pie.”

Despite his short career, Holly wrote and recorded a large body of work. He is widely credited with establishing the classic rock-and-roll lineup of two guitars, bass, and drums. His influence reached later artists such as Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, the Hollies, Elvis Costello, and Elton John. In 1986, he was among the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2010, *Rolling Stone* ranked him number 13 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists.

**Early life**

Charles Hardin Holley was born in Lubbock, Texas, on September 7, 1936, the youngest of four children. His parents were Lawrence Odell “L.O.” Holley (1901–1985) and Ella Pauline Drake (1902–1990). His siblings were Larry (1925–2022), Travis (1927–2016), and Patricia Lou (1929–2008). He was mostly of English and Welsh descent, with some Native American ancestry. From early childhood, everyone called him “Buddy.” During the Great Depression, the family moved often within Lubbock, and L.O. changed jobs several times. Buddy was baptized a Baptist, and the family attended Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Music ran in the family: everyone except L.O. could play an instrument or sing. Buddy’s older brothers performed in local talent shows, and once Buddy joined them on violin—though he couldn’t play, so his brother Larry greased the bow to keep it silent. They won the contest. During World War II, Larry and Travis served in the military. When Larry returned, he brought a guitar he’d bought from a shipmate in the Pacific. At age 11, at his mother’s urging, Buddy took piano lessons but quit after nine months. He switched to guitar after seeing a classmate play and sing on the school bus. His parents first bought him a steel guitar, but he insisted on one like his brother’s. They got him an acoustic guitar from a local pawnshop, and Travis taught him to play.

As a child, Holly was influenced by Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Moon Mullican, Bill Monroe, Hank Snow, Bob Wills, and the Carter Family. At Roscoe Wilson Elementary, he became friends with Bob Montgomery, and they practiced songs by The Louvin Brothers and Johnnie & Jack. They listened to *Grand Ole Opry* on WSM, *Louisiana Hayride* on KWKH, and *Big D Jamboree*. Holly also played with high school musicians like Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison. In 1952, he and Jack Neal performed as Buddy and Jack in a local TV talent contest. After Neal left, Bob Montgomery replaced him, and they became Buddy and Bob. They began appearing on the *Sunday Party* show on KDAV in 1953 and played live gigs around Lubbock. Around this time, Holly started tuning into late-night radio stations that played blues and R&B, sitting in his car with Curtis to catch distant signals that came in only after local stations went off the air. He blended this new influence with his country and western roots, moving toward rock and roll.

**Career**

After graduating from Lubbock High School in 1955, Holly decided to pursue music full-time. He was encouraged after seeing Elvis Presley perform live in Lubbock, a show booked by KDAV’s Pappy Dave Stone. In February, Holly opened for Presley at the Fair Park Coliseum, and again in April at the Cott.