Buddy Holly

Died when his chartered plane (N 3794 N) crashed. Also on board and killed in the crash were Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson). An investigation determined the cause of the crash was "pilot error"; the pilot was not qualified to fly by instruments, and the plane took off in a snowstorm. Despite later urban legends, the plane was not named the "American Pie"; it had no name.

His date of death (February 3, 1959) was forever immortalized as "The Day the Music Died" in the song "American Pie" by Don McLean.

Many, including Hollys father and his manager, were against Buddys marriage to Maria Elena Santiago, a young Puerto Rican girl he met in New York months before his death.

Waylon Jennings was part of Buddys backup group and was supposed to be on the fateful flight but, instead, allowed The Big Bopper , who was sick, to take his place.

Buddys group was The Crickets and they stayed together after his death.

Had a cat named Booker T. and a dog named Alonzo.

Attended and graduated from Lubbock High School in Lubbock, Texas .

Had two brothers: Larry Holley (born 1925), Travis Holley (born 1927), and one sister: Patricia Lou Holley (1929-2008).

Pictured on one of four 29 US commemorative postage stamps in the Legends of American Music series, issued in booklet form 16 June 1993. This Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues set of stamps also honored Otis Redding , Dinah Washington and Elvis Presley.

He was voted the 13th Greatest Rock n Roll Artist of all time by Rolling Stone.

His wife was pregnant at the time of his death, but later suffered a miscarriage.

Following his untimely death, he was interred at City of Lubbock Cemetery in Lubbock, Texas.

Holly was a member of an independent Baptist church in Lubbock called Tabernacle Baptist Church; his funeral was conducted there. His brother is still a member.

Actual Crickets (the ones that chirp) got into the recording studio and are heard in the fade out of the single "Listen to Me".

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (charter member) , the American Songwriters Hall of Fame , and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Although he used the last name "Holly" as a professional recording artist (it was an uncorrected mistake on his first recording contract; he liked the spelling and kept it), his gravestone gives the correct spelling of his name which is Holley.

In recognition for his achievements, the city of Lubbock erected a life-size statue of Holly next to the convention center. The statue shows Holly strumming his Fender Stratocaster guitar and tapping his heel (he tapped his heel instead of his toe) which also serves as a monument to the West Texas Hall of Fame. At the base of Hollys feet, there are plaques with the names of famous Texans.

The Beatles took their name in tribute to Buddy Holly and The Crickets. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were both inspired to write their own songs after learning that Holly wrote (or co-wrote) many of his own songs. In the period of 1958 to 1960, the band had been using many different names, most prominently "The Quarrymen" (after the school they attended) and "Johnny and the Moondogs". According to some stories, it was Stuart Sutcliffe (the famed "fifth Beatle") who suggested the name "The Beetles" and that John changed the spelling to give the name a double meaning.

In 1959, The Crickets recorded a tribute to Buddy written by member Sonny Curtis , "(I Love You) More Than I Can Say". It was later a charted hit for Bobby Vee in 1961 (#61) and Leo Sayer in 1980 (#02).

Buddy Holly and The Crickets first million seller for Brunswick Records in 1957, "Thatll Be the Day", was a reworking of an earlier solo version by Buddy for Decca Records, the parent company. In order not to confuse the record-buying public, "The Crickets" were printed on the Brunswick label as the groupss full name. On Coral Records they were only listed as Buddy Holly. Subsequently, the group would continue to issue two singles at a time, instead of the usual one, one on Coral ("Peggy Sue") and the other on Brunswick ("Oh Boy"). This arrangement remained in effect for the rest of Buddys recording career. A net result of 11 singles from 1957-58.

Hollys longtime manager was independent studio owner and producer Norman Petty ; he eventually split with Petty because Petty insisted on a co-credit for the songs he recorded with Holly and the Crickets (entitling Petty to a share of the royalties). Petty withheld royalty money owed to Holly, after the split and Hollys move to New York. Financial reasons forced Holly to go on his final tour, the Winter Dance Party.

He was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California on what would have been his 75th birthday [September 7, 2011].

Buddy and his friends went to see The Searchers starring John Wayne. Several times throughout the film, Wayne says "Thatll be the day". The repeated phrase stuck with Holly and he wrote the song that would become his first #1 hit.

Buddy Holly had written a song for his niece called "Cindy Lou". It was a slow ballad. But then his bandmate, Jerry Allison, asked Buddy to change the title to "Peggy Sue" after his girlfriend. They had been fighting and he asked Holly to alter the song as a way of making up with her.

Buddys band was not originally called "The Crickets". The name came about after a recording of the song "Im Gonna Love You Too". At the end of the track is a real chirping cricket. The band took its name from that point on. Every issue of that track on record, tape, and CD still includes the cricket at the end.

The odd lyric "Drunk Man, Street Car, Foot Slipped, There You Are!" in the song "Im Looking for Someone to Love" comes from an odd saying of Buddys uncle. (According to family lore).

The title of the song "Maybe, Baby" is derived from a saying of Buddys mother.

Before forming The Crickets, Buddy Holly performed country and western music with a singing partner, Bob Montgomery. The two of them recorded some songs together but never drew any attention until Buddy turned his attention to rock-n-roll.

"Not Fade Away", a 1957 B-side to "Oh Boy" by Buddy Holly and The Crickets, written by Holly, is ranked #107 within "Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs". Featuring a "Bo Diddley backbeat", it became The Rolling Stones (group) first single. It was later reworked by The Who to form their signature standard "My Generation".

On October 25, 1958, he appeared, for the only time, on "The Dick Clark Show" . He performed "Its So Easy" with The Crickets. Later in the show, he performed "Heartbeat", solo, while standing on a makeshift bridge, with guitar in hand.

"Peggy Sue Got Married/Crying, Waiting, Hoping" was a 2-sided single, released after his death, in the summer of 1959 on Coral. The songs were found on his tape recorder, performed by Buddy with an acoustic guitar. A weak background chorus was added to both songs, in the first release. The record did not receive any degree of popularity at the time. "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" was later covered by The Beatles as well as other groups. "Peggy Sue Got Married" was later the title song of the 1986 film. There the original unedited version of the song was used and was well received.

He made his final television appearance on October 28, 1958 with The Crickets on "Bandstand" (1952) , performing "Its So Easy".

He is broached in Billy Joels "We Didnt Start The Fire.".

None of us could have made it without Elvis.