The 3rd February 2009 was the 50th Anniversary of Buddy Holly’s death. Singer-songwriter Buddy Holly was born 7th September 1936 in Lubbock, Texas and died 3rd February 1959 in that awful plane crash in the snow-filled fields of Iowa. This was the date about which Don McLean wrote the song ‘American Pie’.

I first heard Holly in my Aunt Elizabeth’s house in Old Camden Street. She had bought a Telefunkin radio (no TV then) in May’s of St Stephen’s Green. Older readers will surely remember this lovely, big music store.

The radio truly had a great, warm, rich sound and it was perfect to catch the sound of Holly and the Crickets and the crashing, jangling fender Stratocaster guitar.

Holly was a ground-breaker. He wrote his own songs, played lead guitar and wore glasses. Until he came along, the idea of a bespectacled rock star was unthinkable.

In his late teens he formed his group and named them The Crickets. He recorded his first track on the Decca label and they insisted he record only country songs, which sank without trace.

In 1957 The Crickets went to the Norman Petty Studio in Clouis, New Mexico, and recorded Buddy’s own ‘That’ll be the Day’, which was a huge hit. It was followed by ‘Oh Boy’, ‘Not Fade Away’, ‘Peggy Sue’ and the list goes on and on.

All of his songs were issued on the Coral label and The Crickets’ tracks were released on Coral’s sister label Brunswick, a very sharp money-making move by Coral.

The money was pouring in to Norman Petty, but the band saw little of it. Petty built himself a new home and studio in Clouis which was nicknamed ‘The House that Holly Built’.

In late 1958, Holly split with Petty and The Crickets and went to New York where he recorded solo songs on tape. When Holly died his family gave these tapes to Petty. This was a bad move as Petty dubbed and overdubbed the tapes and made a mess of them.

In 1978 Coral issued a six-LP box set of all his work. Remember he only had a recording life span of one and a half years. Such a small catalogue, yet everyone of note has covered his songs including the Beatles, Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys.

Don McClean dedicated his album ‘American Pie’ to Holly. When Holly died his family sold his catalogue of songs to Norman Petty who, in turn, some years later sold them to Paul McCartney.

In early 1959, Holly was in New York, newly married, a baby on the way and no money. He went on tour. It was bitterly cold and the coach had no heater and was constantly breaking down.

When the tour party got to Clear Lake, Iowa, he decided to hire a small plane to fly to their next gig. That fateful night in a heavy snowstorm, minutes after taking off, they crashed, killing all four on board, Ritchie Valens, Big Bopper Richardson, Buddy Holly and the pilot.

Let’s leave the last word to Bob Dylan who said “Holly’s music transcends nostalgia. I carry it with me all the time. Buddy Holly’s music is as valid to me today as it was so many years ago.”