Rather than even attempt to come up with something new after all this time ... when there is really nothing I can add in any way, shape or form to all that has already been said ...
I decided instead today to rerun our piece from the 50th Anniversary of that fatal plane crash that took the lives of three up-and-coming stars ... in what has been described as Rock And Roll's First Real Tragedy.
Remember ... everything below comes from our February 3rd posts in 2009 ...
If there's time, we may even add some new commentary at the very end.
Please take a moment to review and remember ...
The Day The Music Died.
(Sadly, after so much time has passed, many of the original links contained in our 2009 piece are now disabled ... we removed as many as we could in order to help you avoid the frustration of not being able to find what we were once able to offer. Apologies for any that we may have missed.)
'60's FLASHBACK: 2009
If you listened to the radio at all this past weekend, I'm sure you heard ALL kinds of tributes honoring the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that took Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper from us on February 3, 1959.
It's hard to believe that it has been fifty years already ... and that this music, which was SUPPOSED to die out in just a few short months back in 1956, is STILL with us and stronger than ever. (In fact, I heard Dee Jay Jimmy Jay interviewing Dave Somerville of The Diamonds over the weekend ... Dave, who toured with Buddy Holly regularly back then, recalled the time that he and Buddy had a conversation surrounding this very topic. "How much longer do you think this rock and roll music can last?" asked Dave. Holly replied that he thought it might last another six months ... to which Dave responded, "Well, I hope you're wrong ... I'm hoping we can get another year out of this." LOL ... TOO funny. Who knew?!?!?
Sadly, in retrospect, it probably wasn't much more than six months after this conversation that the music died for Buddy ... he never knew the impact that he, himself, had made on the genre of Rock And Roll ... and how highly regarded his contributions to this new-fangled sound would become. His song catalog has been recorded by literally HUNDREDS of artists over the years ... and we'll never know what MIGHT have been had Buddy's career been allowed to continue and thrive ... instead it's just a constant source of speculation these days.
While this date has forever been immortalized as "The Day The Music Died" thanks to Don McLean's chart-topping hit American Pie, FH List Member David Lewis reminds us that a tribute titled "Three Stars" made the charts just a short time after we lost these music icons.
Tommy Dee had the most successful version, peaking at #11. (Dee did the narration on this record ... we should point out that the vocals were handled by Carol Kay and the Teen-Aires.) The song also charted for Ruby Wright (#99 ... on her version, the narration was handled by Cincinnati deejay Dick Pike.)
But perhaps the most MOVING version was done by rock legend Eddie Cochran, a true contemporary peer of these lost stars. I'm sure it took everything Eddie had to get his feelings down on wax ... and that's the version we're going to share with you today. (You won't find a more emotional reading of this song ... it's virtually impossible for the LISTENER to make it through the whole record without being overcome with emotion ... one can only imagine how difficult it was for Eddie to get through this recording session ... he was clearly beyond tears while committing his thoughts to vinyl.)
Lifetime personal friend of Cochran, John Rook, told me that Eddie broke down in tears when he first discussed Buddy's death with him, after being virtually inconsolable for days after the accident. "Promise me that if something like this ever happens to me, you'll take care of 'Shrimper,'" he said. (Eddie always referred to his mother, Alice Cochran, who was no more than 5'2" tall, affectionately as "Shrimper.") Sadly, Cochran himself would leave us just fourteen months later in a fatal car crash while on tour in Wilshire, England.
Special
thanks to Forgotten Hits Reader David Lewis for reminding us about this
one ... and to John Rook, a personal friend of Eddie Cochran ... for
sharing his memories of this with us as well.
Forgotten Hits Readers Remember The Day The Music Died
It was a cold snowy day
in early February of 1959 when Alice Cochran telephoned and asked if I
could fly out to be with Eddie ... he was in deep depression, mourning
the death of his good friend Buddy Holly. A single engine plane with
Buddy, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, known as the Big Bopper, had
crashed just a few miles outside of Mason City, Iowa. They were part of a
tour, traveling by bus that had been breaking down and, in need of
sleep, they decided to rent a small plane to fly them ahead in enough
time for them to get some much needed rest before the next show. The
tragedy hit Eddie especially hard as he and Buddy had formed a strong
friendship during the Australian tour the previous year. I left
immediately for Rapid City to catch a flight to Denver and on to
California. Red Julson picked me up at the Los Angeles airport and as we
drove to the house in silence, I only remember his saying, “Eddie’s
pretty torn up, Johnnie.” I shook my head in understanding. This would
be a gloomy visit to the Cochran home, not at all like the fun filled
days in the past. Alice met me at the door and, without saying anything ,
reached up to give me a hug and a kiss as I entered the house. She just
shook her head in distress with tears in her eyes and, as we walked into
the living room, Eddie appeared, advancing from his bedroom, offering a
combined handshake and hug saying, “Good to see ya, man.” We walked
silently into his bedroom and as I stared out the window to the outside
world, Eddie picked up his guitar and began to quietly pick on the
strings with a pained frown on his face. After several minutes, Eddie
was standing behind me reaching for my shoulders to turn me around
facing him and said, “If anything like this happens to me, promise me
you’ll take care of 'Shrimper,' ok?" I assured him I would and did honor
that pledge for the remainder of her life in the thirty plus years
ahead. Alice poked her head in the bedroom door and inquired if I was
hungry and as I answered I wasn’t, Eddie laid his guitar down on the bed
and motioned for me to follow him outside. It was nice feeling the
warmth of the California sun, but a cloud clearly shadowed Eddie’s mind
as he stopped to gaze blindly at some flowers. His back was turned to me
but I could see he was quietly crying. As I approached him and placed
my arm around his neck, he turned away and, with his hand, wiped the
tears from his face. That evening, brother Bob Cochran arrived and I
noticed an improvement in Eddie’s behavior as he embraced and smiled at
seeing his favorite brother. Bob looked at me and said, “How you been,
disc jockey John?” It was the first I had seen Bob since the change in
my career and Eddie picked up on the theme by remarking “Disc Jockey
John ain’t playin’ enough Eddie Cochran records.” The humor was a
welcome relief and I thought I would help it along by saying something
to the effect that I only played the hits. Bob responded, “Your job is
to make them hits, boy!” Coming from another area of the house, sister
Gloria interrupted, asking how my flight was, encouraging Eddie to add,
“Flight, I didn’t know they had airplanes out there in Indian country.” I
don’t recall seeing Frank during this visit, but I believe it was this
trip that I met Eddie’s sister Pat and her husband Hank as they stopped
by briefly. It would seem my arrival had broken some of the gloom that
brought me to the Cochran home and after two days, Alice managed a
limited smile as I said it was time for me to return to South Dakota.
Tears came to her eyes as I hugged her and Eddie goodbye and Red took me
to the airport for the return trip home. Several months later, Eddie
called asking if I would be interested in presenting him in concert. Of
course my listening audience was way ahead of the nation in being Eddie
Cochran fans, with his recordings a regular feature on my radio show. We
agreed he would appear in both Hot Springs, South Dakota, and Chadron,
Nebraska. Having just completed a survey of the record stores, I was
pleased that Eddie had been voted on top of the popularity polls of the
record buying public. Now as he planned on appearing, I had a trophy
made up announcing Eddie as the area’s number one singer and Keys to the
City of Chadron and Hot Springs would be given to him upon his arrival.
Even better, the Nebraska appearance would be on his 21st birthday, so
his fans would present Eddie with a giant birthday cake. Little did we
know, it would sadly be Eddie’s last. Both concerts were sold out, as
fans from all throughout the area came to celebrate Eddie’s birthday by
attending the concert. The shows were in top form as Eddie, wearing
those white bucks with
their tongue hanging out for comfort, put on great shows. He was
delighted not only to see me but in appreciation of the welcome I had
orchestrated for him. After both appearances we had some time alone
where we laughed heartily of past experiences and talked about the
future. Eddie encouraged me to “Take your act to a larger town” ... he
thought Denver and Salt Lake City would be excellent stepping stones for
my some day returning to Los Angeles. We laughed in unison how an
advancement in my career would improve his, too, as Eddie said, “We both
need to move up some, boy.” We toasted our friendship with swigs of
alcohol that surfaced from a bottle that came from out of nowhere. It
would be our last time together, as Eddie told me about an up coming tour
of England planned for early the following year. I thought how unusual
for Eddie to be actually looking forward to touring. He actually seemed
to be looking forward to traveling abroad to the UK, just the opposite
reaction he demonstrated for his tour of Australia. His excitement of
this trip was fueled by his being one of the very first American rock
acts to appear there. He also told me about a new all black leather
stage outfit he was planning to wear, that would break apart in pieces
if grabbed by fans. Eddie joked, he was debating about wearing anything
underneath the leather. “Can you imagine the attention that would get?”,
he said. Bidding him goodbye, Eddie walked me to my car and reminded me
of our plans for seeing each other in the following summer when I would
vacationing in California. As we hugged goodbye, I kidded that I had every
intention of actually being employed in radio in Los Angeles by then.
His final words to me were, “You’ll be staying out at the house with us,
won’t ya?" He was so proud of the new home he had just purchased for
his parents in Buena Park, and was looking forward to my visit and being
his guest. I assured him that would be the case and I waved goodbye to
Eddie … for the final time.
-- John Rook
(from his forthcoming book, "Passing Thru" ... used by permission)
Growing up, I always enjoyed The Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace". I actually thought it was a comedy record when I was little!
Ritchie
Valens and Buddy Holly were huge influences on many of the bands that I
listened to on a regular basis growing up. It wasn't until The Beatles
covered "Words Of Love" on the "Beatles VI" album that I actually became
aware of Buddy. I love Buddy Holly's and Ritchie Valens' recordings,
and am amazed at what great guitarists they both were. Even today, they
are both very underrated as a guitarists. Had they lived, I can only
assume that they would have eventually recorded their own Sgt.Pepper /
Pet Sounds masterpiece albums.
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords
I
was too young to appreciate the loss of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and
The Big Bopper when they died in 1959 ... I wouldn't discover their
music until YEARS later. Like Mitch, I first learned about the music of
Buddy Holly through The Beatles, who talked often about what a HUGE
influence he was on their lives. Their version of "Words Of Love" is
probably the first Buddy Holly song I ever heard ... and there's no
denying the fact that the artists of The British Invasion helped to
introduce a good number of us to this music, thanks to recordings like
"Not Fade Away" by The Rolling Stones and "True Love Ways" by Peter And
Gordon. Sadly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper seem to be forgotten at
times when people talk about the tragic events of February 3rd, 1959,
and that's a shame. ALL of these careers were cut short that fateful
day. I used to sing "Donna" in the early '70's and when La Bamba was
made into a feature film, the music of Ritchie Valens FINALLY came into
the limelight. (A film about the life of J.P. Richardson, aka The Big
Bopper, has been in the works for at least a decade now yet STILL hasn't
seen the light of day. Forgotten Hits readers may remember his son
looking into the details of his death last year ... it seems that The
Big Bopper's body was found quite a distance from the plane wreckage and
other bodies, leading some to suspect that he survived the plane crash
and was on his way for help that night before he was ultimately overcome
by his injuries and the elements of a cold February evening.) Surely,
their music HAS lived on ... and withstood the test of time. Untold
HUNDREDS of artists have gone on to cover Buddy Holly's tunes ... and
we'll never know what new heights these artists may have reached had
their careers not been so tragically cut short.
-- Kent Kotal / Forgotten Hits
I
truly understand that "The Day The Music Died" was a terrible day. My
problem is that it is ALWAYS "attributed" to Buddy Holly. I grant that
Holly was a "driving force" in the early days or Rock and Roll; however,
we will NEVER KNOW the impact that Ritchie Valens might have had on the
genre.
Kip Ecclestone / Kip's Klassic Records
I
have to agree that much of the focus these past fifty years have
revolved around Buddy Holly ... hopefully some of the testimonials today
will help to honor the OTHER artists that perished that sad day, too. (kk)
As
for remembering when they died, I was not here yet! But I have always
liked Buddy Holly's, Ritchie Valens' and The Big Bopper's Music. They
all had a lot of talent and it is fantastic that they shared it with
everyone. That it is still popular in today's world says a lot.
Dee
There
are those who would have you believe that there is some kind of "Buddy
Holly Curse" that infected people like Bobby Fuller (who sang Buddy's
"Love's Made A Fool Of You" before his own mysterious death.) I've never
bought into it. But if there is one, the chief victim would have to be a
guy named Ronnie Smith. Yes, Ronnie Smith.
After Buddy died, the remaining Crickets were enticed to stay on the Winter Dance Party with a promise that they would be allowed to attend his funeral (they weren't) and that they would be given Buddy's share of the group's fee (the promoters said they gave it instead to Maria Elena and whether that's true is questionable, as well.) Since none of the Crickets were vocalists (though Waylon Jennings soon would be), a singer named Ronnie Smith from a Texas group called the Poor Boys was brought in to finish the tour (in addition, Frankie Avalon and Jimmy Clanton were hired to fill out the bill, though Frankie contracted pneumonia and was soon forced to bow out himself in favor of Fabian.)
Ronnie
had played with Carl Bunch, the unfortunate drummer who was
hospitalized earlier in the tour with frostbite. (In case you're
wondering -- Bobby Vee was a local Fargo youth, whose group, the
Shadows, played February 3rd in nearby Moorhead, Minnesota ... but he
did not finish the Winter Dance Party tour.)
Ronnie
joined the Crickets in Des Moines on February 5 (a day after Carl's
return), and completed the tour with them. But the original Crickets, the
ones who hadn't played with Buddy on the WDP, owned the rights to the
name. So when the tour ended, so did Ronnie, Carl, Waylon Jennings and
Tommy Allsup's careers as Crickets. While the originals went on without
Buddy, Ronnie and Carl formed a new group called the Jitters, joined up
with Norm Petty as producer and even got a contract with Brunswick
Records -- the Crickets' label. Unfortunately, "Lookie, Lookie, Lookie"
and "A Tiny Kiss," released that June, went nowhere. The group broke up
later that year when Carl entered the Army.
Ronnie
was into drugs even before hooking up with the Crickets. It's said he
brought along amphetamines bought in Mexico with him when he joined the
group in Des Moines. Carl Bunch is quoted in Larry Lehmer's book, "The
Day The Music Died" as saying, "Ronnie had some serious problems. He
didn't share those problem with me. I knew that he used pills every now
and then, but I didn't see him using the stuff. I kept trying my best to
keep him away from the use of drugs because I didn't think we needed
them. I thought they were hurting him." The efforts of Carl and Waylon
Jennings appear to have been in vain.
By
1962, things had gotten bad enough for Ronnie to be committed to a
Texas state hospital for rehabilitation. Tragically, he hung himself in
the hospital on October 25, 1962, at the age of 24. Ironically, Carl
went on to earn a PhD in clinical psycho-theology and worked as a
substance abuse counselor.
If
February 3, 1959 was indeed "the day the music died," it appears that a
small part of that music took 3 1/2 years longer to succumb. But
eventually it did, taking the life of the Crickets second lead singer, as
well.
-- Ron Smith
Hi Kent,
I
am one of Ritchie Valens' former classmates. We sat next to each other
in a 10th grade English class and he was a real nice kid.
They
performed their last concert on my 17th birthday on Feb 2nd, then they
were killed early that next morning shortly after take off.
Attached
is a newspaper article from the Dayton Daily News (Ohio) about my
association with Ritchie after an interview during the time 'La Bamba'
was showing in theaters. Perhaps you can find something in it to use in
your memories. I had blacked out my last name when I scanned the
article. I went to school with Donna for awhile, too. Also attached are two
scanned pages of Ritchie from my '59 and '60 high school yearbooks.
Regards,
Shirley
Thanks for sharing these with our readers once again! (kk)
Hi, Kent -
Here
are a few of the “History of Rock ‘n’ Roll with Gary Theroux” episodes
which deal with Buddy Holly. Some that we did are self-contained ... some are separated into the tease intro and then into the body of the episode. The
“Everyday” episode includes a 30 second commercial insert; this version
is the only one I have available to send you over this weekend.
Gary Theroux
Hi Kent,
The
"Day the Music Died" will always be remembered. Three great talents
gone. Just wonder what they would be doing with their music talents
today!
I had the opportunity to meet the Big Bopper's son and see one
of John Mueller's tribute shows plus the play "Buddy." It was the next
best thing to being at one of their original concerts ...
"That'll Be
the Day" is in my personal top ten of rock and roll songs. It was the
first 45 rpm record I bought and I still have it in my 1960 Seeburg
Jukebox!
I remember the Buddy Holly Story movie when after his last concert he said "See you Next Year!"
Well, they are gone now, but we will always have the great music of Buddy, JP and Ritchie.
Carolyn
Greetings, Kent....
Wow.
Your request for "Buddy Holly" remembrances caught me completely off
guard. Can't believe this is the 50th Anniversary of the 'day the music
died.' Are we all really that old? It was a long time ago, but fifty
years? No way!
I had already been working as a radio station 'gopher'
and teen news announcer for nearly two years prior to that fateful
early morning, February 3, 1959 and, like most of the others who eagerly
await your e-mails, I was totally absorbed by music. I ate, slept and
dreamed about music -- and the talented singers and singer / songwriters
who dominated the era. It was all about 'God-given talent' for the most
part. One can hardly call Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, and Patsy Cline a
'hunk' or a 'pin-up.'
Sure, Elvis and Ricky Nelson caused the girl's
hearts to flutter, but many of the artists and groups having hit records
at the time were average 'Joe's.' Except for appearances on "American
Bandstand" or "The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show," we rarely
saw these artists on television. By the time we did see them, we were
already hooked on their music, so it really didn't matter what they
looked like.
I grew up in Sacramento -- in a quiet middle class
neighborhood in the northeast part of the city. We had a three bedroom,
one and a half bath home. My bedroom was down the hall from my parents'
bedroom, which provided me with the perfect opportunity to listen to
music late into the night -- when I should have been sound asleep.
Of
course, the little blue transistor radio, with an earpiece nearly twice
the size of my daughter's 'ear bud,' could be easily hidden from my
parents by placing it under my pillow:) I would often fall asleep at
night listening to Bill Gavin's "Lucky Lager Dance Time" -- credited
with helping establish the 'Top 40' format -- on KGO Radio -- eighty
miles away in my 'hometown' of San Francisco. Little did I know that ten
years later, as head of the Beach Boys' Brother Records label, I would
be honored to become a friend of Bill -- and his lovely wife, Janet.
So
on that fateful February night in the winter of 1959, I was listening
to the radio as Buddy, The "Big Bopper" and Ritchie Valens were
performing their final show at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. At
approximately 1:00 AM in the morning, on February 3, the three stars (a
few weeks later the title of a 'tribute' song in their honor) -- along
with twenty-one year old pilot, Roger Peterson -- crashed shortly after
takeoff in a frozen Iowa cornfield. It was only 11 PM on the west coast.
Within several hours of the crash, early reports of the tragedy began
to be announced on the radio. I was falling in and out of sleep by that
time, and could not discern if I had been dreaming or if the fatal
accident had really taken place.
When I went into the kitchen for
breakfast that morning, and prior to leaving for school, on the dinette
table was a copy of The Sacramento Union -- the morning newspaper. And
there, on the front page, was a short story of the plane crash. My worst
nightmare had been confirmed: Buddy Holly, at age 22, was dead. JP
Richardson, 28, the Texas deejay turned recording star, and one of
rock's first Latino stars, Ritchie Valens, 17, were gone.
Little did I
know that barely five years later, a day after my 20th birthday, I
would hire The Crickets to open for The Four Seasons at the Sacramento
Memorial Auditorium, March 25, 1964. Little did I know that I would
become friends with Waylon Jennings, who had given up his seat on the
Bonanza aircraft that cold February night, and Bobby Vee, who, at age
15, would get his first big 'break' by filling in for Buddy on the
February 3 "Winter Dance Party" date in Moorehead, Minnesota. Yes, I've
been truly blessed, just as all of us were blessed by the great music of
three rock n' roll legends.
Fred Vail
Treasure Isle Recorders, Inc.
Nashville, TN
"Music City, USA"
50
years ago, tragedy struck the music world in a way which took several
years to recover from. Three bright young stars of the day were wiped
out in a split second due to a pilot error. I've been alive less than
half of that time, but their music has touched me and my life, as it has
for millions of other people. Why else would people still remember the
great tragedy some 50 years later? People still sing the songs, listen
to the old 45's, and enjoy the music as much as they did when the tunes
first came out -- or whenever they heard them for the first time. "The
day the music died?" The music will never die ... rock and roll is here to
stay! As long as somebody out there still knows their songs and passes
them on to the next generation, the music will live on forever. Nobody
gets out of this world alive, and it was their time to go, in spite of
how short their lives were when they died. Two of them were younger than
I currently am, and it's safe to say they had accomplished more in
their short lives than I have so far in mine. They all left behind a
legacy of great music, and memories for millions of people that will
last a lifetime. Where were you the first time you rocked out to La
Bamba? I was in the basement of my neighbor's house with the radio
turned all the way up on the oldies station. How about Oh Boy? I was on
the deck of my old house, in the middle of summer, with a tiny radio
next to me, lying out in the sun... how about Chantilly Lace? Well, I
discovered that one on a Time Life Rock And Roll Era cassette tape.
Everyone has memories of the first time they heard certain songs ... and
sometimes I think of other artists whose careers were directly affected
by the passing of this trio. Would Bobby Vee have been discovered and
become a national treasure if Buddy had lived? What about Bobby Fuller?
He likely wouldn't have covered the Crickets' I Fought The Law and
Love's Made A Fool Of You, and himself could very well have been alive
today still. The people may be gone, but the music lives on, and that is
the most important thing. For me, the day the music dies is the day I
die too.
-- Tom Diehl
Kent ...
How
ya' doin'? Of course I remember the day that Buddy Holly, Ritchie
Valens, and the Big Bopper died, but I prefer to think of them when I
saw them live and in-person at an Alan Freed Stage Show in 1958. It was
advertised as having the biggest Stars in the Rock and Roll Galaxy.
Although I enjoyed Bo Diddley, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, The Moonglows
and The Flamingos, I was there to see one group, whose song, “That’ll
Be The Day,” was at the top of the charts.
I remember Alan Freed came
out at the 10:00 AM show, in his trademark plaid jacket and was about
to introduce Buddy Holly and the Crickets. From where I was sitting, I
could see someone in the wings waving and trying to get Alan's
attention. On a strict time schedule, he saw only two-thirds of the
group waiting in the wings, but he made his announcement anyway, "Now
here's Buddy Holly and The Cricket!". Fortunately, Joe B.Maudlin ran
onstage with his stand-up bass, halfway through the first song, and
added the icing on the cake.
Buddy had been such an inspiration to me; I was determined to meet him, even if it meant I had to stand in the rain to do it!
(For the rest of the story click onto)
http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/buddy-holly-rip-rock-in-perpetuity/
As
a special treat for Forgotten Hits Readers, here’s a 1955 home movie clip
of Buddy without the Crickets in his first appearance in Lubbock, Texas,
on the same bill as Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8k2b_johnny-cash-elvis-presley-buddy-hol_music
Copyright 2009 Artie Wayne from the forthcoming book, “I Did It For A Song”
http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/ /
Kent,
What's
more incredible to contemplate? The extraordinary work he did in such a
short time or the great things he would have done had he lived?
I
wonder how many of your readers are familiar with the Holly written and
produced "Stay Close to Me" by Lou Giordano from late '58. It features
Buddy on guitar and the Everlys participated, too. It was recorded in
NYC in late 1958. Giordano returned to obscurity. I wonder if he's still
around?
By the way, the new Rarities cd looks excellent. Here's a link to the complete information as posted on amazon.com:
Click here: Amazon.com: Down the Line: The Rarities: Buddy Holly: Music
Tim English / Sounds Like Teen Spirit
Hi, Kent and Company,
First,
a moment in memory of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper ...
Holly was my first musical hero; I still remember the feeling of loss when that crash happened. They died, but their music (especially that of Holly and Valens, and their influence) lives.
Country Paul Payton
(proud to be living in New Jersey)
The
first artist I ever interviewed after I got into Country radio in the
early 70s was Waylon Jennings. His management asked specifically that I
not talk to him about Buddy Holly. As a rock and roll fan, that final
concert in Clear Lake is what I wanted to know about most. After the
obligatory questions about his latest album, Waylon himself brought up
the subject. Waylon always seemed to have a good feeling for people, and
in light of later times I spent with Waylon, I’m not surprised he
sensed that Buddy was on my mind. I’ll always appreciate the opportunity
I had to hear a first person account of that night from him. A few
years later, Waylon introduced me to The Crickets when they were touring
with him, and over the years I’ve been fortunate to hear a lot of Buddy
Holly stories from those closest to him, but hearing the story from
Waylon’s viewpoint will always be special.
Ed Salamon
Nashville, TN
I've
had the great pleasure of meeting and working with some great names in
our business -- from Bo Diddley and Eddie Cochran to Paul McCartney and
Van Morrison ... but one of my greatest regrets is never having met
Buddy Holly. There's no question that Buddy was an innovator. I've
always loved his stuff -- and I still do songs like Rave On and That'll
Be The Day in my own sets. Also, one has to admire the fact that Buddy
seemed to have more creative freedom in the studio than many of us --
his peers -- ever had ... and he used that advantage to establish a
sound and a style better than anyone at that time. His music still
sounds fresh to this day!
Luckily, I've had the pleasure of working with the Crickets several times in recent years
-- here and in England: Joe B. Mauldin, Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis
are a great bunch of guys and they do a fabulous job.
In February of
2006, I was invited to perform at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake and it
was a great thrill for my wife Joan and I. That show also featured the
Crickets, Albert Lee, Wanda Jackson, Narvel Felts and the Nelsons. We
had a great time ... and it was very touching to be part of that
particular tribute.
I can hardly believe its been 50 years since we
lost Buddy, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, but what a great legacy
they've left to us. We were all just kids then, but they will remain
forever young.
God Bless Their Souls!
Charlie Gracie
Charlie Gracie, performing in Clear Lake, Iowa, 2006, at The Buddy Holly Fest - Charlie
and all the artists (The Crickets, Albert Lee, the Nelson Twins and
Narvel Felts) were interviewed on KRIB in Mason City, Iowa. This was a
banner year!
Like
most youngsters of my generation, I LOVED Buddy Holly. Sadly I never
got to see him, though a friend of mine did, and I've been jealous ever
since.
Here's my contribution, but the show is only available for a few days, so listen NOW !!!
George Van Win
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00h9y5n/Crying_Waiting_Hoping_The_Story_of_Buddy_Hollys_Last_Tour/
As
far as my career goes, Buddy Holly has been one of, if not the most,
significant influences. It's the simple genius of his writing and
singing. I feel that had he lived, he would have been an important
writer for years. Many of today's songs have a Buddy Holly sound to them.
Here's to Buddy,
Austin Roberts, a true fan
Had Holly been born with Presley's sex appeal, it would have been no contest.
Holly was the 50's true rock renaissance man. He wrote it, he sang it, he played it, he produced it and he imagined it. He accomplished more in 22 years than most will accomplish in a lifetime. His music was deceptively simple, while being the foundation for much that lay ahead. We're all better off that Buddy Holly came along, if only for 17 months.
Bob Stroud / WDRV - FM
Hi Kent,
I did a piece on Buddy 38 or so years ago when I was doing radio in Omaha and I remixed it (digitally) a couple of years ago. Hope you enjoy!
Regards,
Robert
Thanks, Robert ... unfortunately, this is one of the links that is no longer active.
Robert, if you happen to see this and have a new link to share, please let me know and I'll update the site. Thanks! (kk)
Hi,Kent,
I hope all finds you well. Great Newsletters.Thanks!
Wanted
to give you some info on a exhibit I am doing at Clear Lake, Iowa at
the Surf Ballroom in tribute to the 50th Anniversary of "The Day The
Music Died." I've enclosed a link of the events. Mine, as you will see,
is the last night, February 2nd, the night of the big concert. I have enclosed
some items in my collection for the exhibit. Hope all the readers will
enjoy them.
1. Ritchie Valens and Waylon Jennings (Cricket) at Winter Dance Party signed on back of receipt.
2. Big Bopper handwritten letter
3. Buddy Holly's childhood Homework. Notice he has an "E" in Holley. When he became famous, he dropped the e from his name.
Thanks!
Tom Fontaine
(click photos to enlarge image)
The
British Invasion was built by Buddy Holly and his pop roots and country
influences. Look at this: Beatles named after Crickets... The Hollies
... Herman's Hermits were originally called Pete Novac and the
Heartbeats ... The Stones even did a Buddy Holly song! I dare say Buddy
was the prime influence of British Rock and Roll and the reason we were
all so melodious. I have trekked to Lubbock and met other English fans
(amazing) wandering around, looking for hints of his genius and why it
was born there. I have been to Iowa to see the plane crash site and say
"Hello, Buddy, we thank you, we miss you and we will see you in heaven,
but I hope not soon!"
-- Peter Noone / Herman
And YOUR version of "Heartbeat" is absolutely one of those gems!!! (kk)
Hey Kent,
Great job as usual.
This story hits close to home for me.
It
was 50 years ago on February 3rd that I was born ... the exact date and
time Buddy Holly and friends perished in that terrible plane crash.
I never understood how important those men were until I was older and in high school.
Although it is a milestone birthday for me, I am still saddened by the loss.
I
have included a picture from 2006 when the Crickets came to Cool Scoops
for a visit. The music may have died here, but it's still going strong
in Heaven!
All the best,
Paul Russo / Cool Scoops
Since
you asked for thoughts, I'll share one with you because I could share a
TON ... but a LOT of people are sharing thoughts with you ... so the
one Buddy Holly thought I have is that his song that he co-wrote with
Norman Petty, "True Love Ways" is, in my opinion, STILL one of the most
beautiful Love Ballads that has ever been written, sung and produced by
ANYBODY.
I play it for older groups in retirement communities and
Alzheimer groups as a part of my "Memories" Show, and when I see those
folks listening to it and enjoying the 'memories' they have of it from
when they used to listen to it back in the old days when it was on the
charts and on his records, I can see that it STILL makes them feel good.
I
think it's going to be a song that is remembered centuries from now. It
is a magic song ... entirely "timeless," "inter-generational," and
NOBODY could EVER sing it like Buddy sings it. When you listen to it
knowing a little about his life, you can tell that it is his deeply
sincere lyric written for his wife, and that chokes me up to think of a
love that strong, the way he sings it to her and creates the beautiful
song about their "True Love Ways." A love that strong never dies and
he's alive in that song today.
I just noticed that he and I share the
same birthday, September 7th, so that's cool for me to know, too. Being
over 60 now, I've had a lot of experiences with playing in groups from
Rock bands to BIG bands, and I'm still involved in music, but in my
early teens as a singer / guitar player / sort of folksinger, I sang his
songs "Oh Boy," "Peggy Sue," and 'Maybe Baby," and later on, in a Rock
band, so like most people my age I've felt connected with Buddy and his
music my whole life. But Kent, there's no song I can think of that
brings out that deep love feeling like "True Love Ways" does, and it's
sad to think that he and his wife didn't have too much time together
before he was killed.
Remembering him and Ritchie and The Big Bopper
is the right thing to do EVERY February 3rd, so take it easy, Kent, and
thanks for all the work you put into your incredible newsletter for us.
Veeder Van Dorn
Camarillo, California
Buddy
Holly was not your traditional Teen Idol. He wasn't all that good
looking ... in fact, for the most part he probably looked like the
dorkiest kid in your class!
He
wasn't a dynamic performer and didn't command the stage presence of an
Elvis Presley or a Jerry Lee Lewis ... for that matter, he wasn't a
great singer or an outstanding guitarist ... in fact, his records were
pretty basic, rudimentary performances ... simple arrangements with very
little background accompaniment ... easy enough for virtually ANY other
kid with a guitar to reproduce on stage. (As such, nearly EVERY remake
ever recorded sounds better than Buddy's original!) The BEST thing Buddy
Holly had going for him was the uncanny ability to write a song ...
just look how many of his songs have been covered over the years!!! As
Peter Noone mentioned above, a good chunk of The British Invasion owes
their roots (and perhaps a bit of their success) to Buddy Holly ... The
Beatles did "Words Of Love", The Rolling Stones did "Not Fade Away" and
Peter And Gordon did what I think is the BEST version
of "True Love Ways" ever recorded. Heck, even hard rock Super Group
Blind Faith did an interesting version of "Well, All-Right"!!! In the
'70's his music was being recorded by Linda Ronstadt (That'll Be The
Day, It's So Easy, It Doesn't Matter Anymore ... which is actually a
Paul Anka song, by the way ... while Holly was quite the songwriter
himself, early in his career he recorded songs written by his
contemporaries like Anka and Bobby Darin!) and James Taylor did
"Everyday," a song that placed very high on our recent Favorite,
Forgotten B-Sides Poll. There's been SO much speculation as to what
Buddy may have accomplished in his career had the music NOT died on
February 3, 1959 ... but it's ALL speculation. Odds are he would have
continued to have a few hits on his own but then he, too, would have
been derailed by The British Invasion that he helped to inspire!
Hopefully, he would have continued to write music for other artists ...
and maybe produce some of these acts, too. (Then again, who knows ...
had HE lived, perhaps Ritchie Valens would have inspired a late '50's
Latin Music Revolution and the whole British thing never would have
happened!!!) Like I said, it's ALL speculation.
Even though we've
featured quite a bit of Rick Nelson music lately in Forgotten Hits, I'm
hoping you'll indulge me in one more. Near the end of his career, Nelson
would record an AMAZING stripped-down version of Holly's "True Love
Ways" ... powerful in its own reading ... and all the more so when you
consider that Nelson made it out of the '50's alive as one of Buddy's
contemporaries ... but would perish decades later in his OWN plane
crash. Give a listen ... it just doesn't get much better than this!!! (kk)
More:
https://bestclassicbands.com/buddy-holly-ritchie-valens-big-bopper-2-2-21/ ... written by our buddy Harvey Kubernik
And Gary Pig Gold ... https://popdiggers.com/charles-hardin-holley-sep-7-1936-feb-3-1959
