DUANE
Duane's take
The official marker in Lubbock tells this story, and I'm gonna do it justice. Charles Hardin Holley came into the world on September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas — the youngest of four children born to Ella Pauline and Lawrence Odell Holley. Now, being the youngest in a musical household has its advantages.
His mother and siblings were already singing and playing instruments, so the boy practically learned to breathe in four-four time. Violin, piano, steel guitar — Buddy took lessons, picked things up, kept reaching. Then his brother Travis bought a fifteen-dollar harmony acoustic guitar, and something clicked.
Buddy took it up, and that was that. He fell in with other young Lubbock pickers, and together they formed several country groups — boys playing whatever stages would have them. One of those stages was the Fair Park Coliseum, where they were opening for big country acts.
In 1955, Buddy saw Elvis Presley in concert, and he was impressed — genuinely impressed — by Presley's rhythm and his whole performance style. You could feel the world shifting under his boots. An agent and manager named Eddie Crandall caught one of those Coliseum performances and helped Buddy broker a Decca Recording Contract.
Here's a small thing that turned into a permanent thing: somebody on the Decca side misspelled his last name on that contract. Holley became Holly. And that's the name the world would remember.
The relationship with Decca didn't last long. Those early recording sessions failed to produce a hit, and the deal went cold. But Buddy wasn't done — not even close.
In 1957, he formed a new band, The Crickets, and they started working with a producer named Norman Petty out in Clovis, New Mexico. On February 25, 1957, they walked into that studio and recorded "That'll Be the Day" — the first of several hits on the Brunswick Label. Tours followed.
The United States, Canada — Buddy Holly and The Crickets were covering ground. Then 1958, and England. That tour left a mark that went deep — from their sound to Buddy's distinct look, the group had a profound influence on Rock and Roll in England.
That's not a small thing. That's a stone dropped in a very large pond. In early February of 1959, Buddy was three weeks into a tour of the Midwestern United States when, on February 3rd, his chartered plane crashed after takeoff due to bad weather.
There were no survivors. Buddy Holly was 22 years old. Lubbock had sent something rare out into the world, and the world has never quite stopped feeling it.
What the marker says
Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley was born in Lubbock on September 7, 1936, to Ella Pauline (Drake) and Lawrence Odell "L.O." Holley. The youngest of four children, Buddy grew up in a musical household, with his mother and siblings singing and playing instruments. Buddy showed musical aptitude, taking violin, piano and steel guitar lessons. He took up the acoustic guitar after his brother, Travis, bought a $15 harmony model. Buddy, with other young Lubbock "pickers," formed several country groups. In 1955, he saw Elvis Presley in concert and was impressed by Presley's rhythm and performance style. Buddy and his friends were opening for big country acts at the Fair Park Coliseum when Eddie Crandall, an agent and manager, saw a performance and helped Buddy broker a Decca Recording Contract. Buddy's last name was misspelled on the contract: "Holley" became "Holly." Buddy's relationship with Decca was short-lived as his early recording sessions failed to produce a hit. In 1957, Buddy and his new band, The Crickets, began working with producer Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico. On February 25, 1957, they recorded "That'll Be the Day," the first of several hits on the Brunswick Label. Their success led the band to tour widely in the United States and Canada. In 1958, Buddy Holly and The Crickets toured England. The group had a profound influence on Rock and Roll in England - from their sound to Buddy's distinct look. On February 3, 1959, during a three-week tour of the Midwestern United States, Buddy's chartered plane crashed after takeoff due to bad weather. There were no survivors. Buddy Holly was 22 years old.