Buddy Holly: the rock and roll pioneer who died at 22

Buddy Holly, the musician who died at 22 in a plane crash, receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Wednesday, September 7, is his 75th birthday anniversary and it is declared Buddy Holly Day in Los Angeles. Maria Elena (Santiago) Holly, singer’s widow, receives the star, while Gary Busey (the artist who portrayed Buddy in The Buddy Holly Story), Phil Everly of the Everly brothers, and Peter Asher of Peter and Gordon speak at the ceremony. Buddy Holly‘s star is the 2,447th.

Charles Hardin Holley, known as Buddy Holly, was born on September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas.

He was a pioneer who established the standard instruments for rock and roll band, of two guitars, bass and drums. Buddy took the genre of rock and roll  from Elvis Presley and adjusted it to his own personality. He listened to Elvis in Lubbock in 1955, and started to assimilate a rockabilly style (like of Chuck Berry) with a strong rhythm acoustic and slap bass.

Holly’s works inspired performers like The Beatles (they took their name as a tribute to Buddy Holly and The Crickets), The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton. He also has a great influence on popular music. It is said that Holly’s eyeglasses encouraged other singers (John Lennon) to wear their spectacles in public. Anyway, the Memorial to Buddy near the Iowa crash site where he died features his eyeglasses.

Memorial to Buddy Holly near Clear Lake Iowa

Buddy Holly was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and Rolling Stone ranked him among The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004.

Holly formed The Crickets, consisting of Holly (lead guitar and vocals), Niki Sullivan (guitar), Joe B. Mauldin (bass), and Jerry Allison (drums), in 1956. Between 1956 and 1959 he put 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Peggy Sue, That’ll be the Day,  True Love Ways, Oh Boy!, Everyday became classics and recently two new all-star tribute albums have tried to interpret them like he did.

Buddy Holly died on February 3, 1959, in a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.

Waylon Jennings, who had given up his seat on the plane to Holly, was haunted by the crash. Along with Buddy Holly  Ritchie Valens and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson (another rock and roll pioneers) were killed. The Day the Music Died said about that day Don McLean in his song American Pie (1971). 

Holly’s pregnant wife, widow after six months, miscarried due to psychological trauma. Few months later authorities would implemented a policy against publishing victims’ names before the families had been informed.

Buddy Holly launched only three albums, but he recorded so much that Coral Records has released new albums and singles for 10 years after his death.

In Lubbock there is the  Buddy and Maria Elena Holly Plaza with a Walk of Fame and a statue of Buddy Holly playing his Fender guitar. A street was named in  Holly’s honor and The Buddy Holly Center contains a museum of Holly memorabilia and a Fine Arts Gallery.