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Legendary American singer and songwriter Charles Hardin Holley – known to the world as Buddy Holly – was born on this day in history, September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas.
The spelling change from Holley to Holly is due to an error in a contract he was asked to sign, listing him as Buddy Holly, according to “The Buddy Holly Story” website.
As the fourth and youngest child in her family, Holly was nicknamed “Buddy” by her mother, who felt her first name was too big for her young boy, according to Biography.com.
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In her youth, Holly learned to play the piano and the violin, while her older brothers taught her the basics of the guitar.
His parents were supportive of their son’s emerging musical talents, the same source said.
The African-American rhythm and blues he heard on the radio influenced him, according to Britannica.com.
Buddy Holly and the Crickets (left to right), Joe B. Mauldin, Buddy Holly (with Fender Stratocaster guitar) and Jerry Allison, pose for a group photo on the set of the BBC television show ‘Off The Record” on their UK tour. tour in March 1958. (John Rodgers/Redferns)
“Already well-versed in country, bluegrass and gospel music and a seasoned entertainer from the age of 16, he became a rhythm and blues enthusiast. In 1955, after hearing Elvis Presley, Holly was a rock and roll full time,” the same source chronicled.
Elvis’ influence had a huge impact on Holly, who fell in love with Elvis’ charisma and energetic, exciting sound, says the New World Encyclopedia.
Late that year, Holly purchased a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar and developed a playing style featuring major chords that became her trademark, notably in the solo break of the song “Peggy Sue”, a said Britannica.com.
Elvis Presley had a huge impact on Buddy Holly.
Holly’s big break came when the band opened for Bill Haley and his Comets at a rock and roll show in Lubbock, Texas.
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Following this performance, Holly was offered a contract with Decca Records to work on her own.
However, his early success as a solo artist eluded him, according to the New Work Encyclopedia.
It was reported that Holly’s public name changed from “Holley” to “Holly” on February 8, 1956, when he signed the Decca contract, the same source said.
Jerry Allison (far right), batsman for Buddy Holly (centre) and the Crickets, died aged 82 in August 2022. Joe B. Mauldin (1940-2015) is far left. (Harry Hammond/V&A Images/Getty Images)
Holly formed her own band, the Crickets, and began recording records at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico.
Among the songs they recorded was “That’ll Be The Day”.
After the release of several hit songs, in March 1958 he and the Crickets toured the UK, according to “The Buddy Holly Story” website.
Holly married Maria Elena Santiago on August 15, 1958 – and in 1959 Holly split from the Crickets and embarked on a solo tour with other notable artists including Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson, the same source said.
On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, along with JP “The Big Bopper” Richardson and Ritchie Valens, died in a tragic plane crash.
After the February 2, 1959 performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, after mechanical problems with a tour bus, Holly chartered a plane for her band to fly between Winter Dance Party tour stops, according to History.com .
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However, Richardson, who had the flu, convinced Holly band member Waylon Jennings to give up his seat, and Ritchie Valens won a lottery for another seat on the plane, the same source said.
On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, along with JP “The Big Bopper” Richardson and Ritchie Valens, died in a tragic plane crash.
The crash happened minutes after takeoff from Mason City on a flight to Moorhead, Minnesota.
Photo by Buddy Holly and the Crickets, circa 1958. Singer Don McLean forever commemorated Holly, Valens and Richardson in the 1972 #1 hit ‘American Pie’, which refers to February 3, 1959 as “the day the music is dead. (Steve Oroz/Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images)
Investigators blamed the accident on bad weather and pilot error, according to multiple sources.
Holly was only 22 when he died.
Holly’s headstone bears the correct spelling of her name, Buddy Holley reported, History.com reported. It also features a sculpture of his favorite guitar.
The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences opened in Lubbock in January 2021.
Singer Don McLean forever commemorated Holly, Valens and Richardson in the 1972 No. 1 hit “American Pie,” which refers to February 3, 1959, as “the day the music died.”
Holly’s talents continued to be noticed even after her untimely death.
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“Unreleased recordings and compilations of Holly’s work were released in a steady stream throughout the 1960s. Due to the continued popularity of her music and film adaptations of her life story, framed glasses in Holly’s horn are easily recognizable today,” Biography.com said.
His hometown of Lubbock, Texas, also paid tribute to him.
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Downtown Lubbock has a “Walk of Fame” with plaques dedicated to various area artists such as Mac Davis and Waylon Jennings, with a life-size statue of a guitar playing Buddy Holly as the centerpiece.
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Additionally, the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences opened in Lubbock in January 2021.
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