Date of Birth: September 7, 1936
Date of Death: February 3, 1959
Cause of Death: Died in a plane crash along with Ritchie Valens and the
Big Bopper. They were doing a tour of the U.S. midwest called the 'Winter
Dance party Tour'. Holly had hired the four seater plane to fly ahead of
the rest of the touring party so as he could get his laundry done and avoid
the cramped, cold tour bus. They were flying from Clear lake, Iowa to Fargo,
North Dakota. The Big Bopper, tired of squeezing into the small tour bus
swapped his seat with bass player, Waylon Jennings. Valens wins a coin
toss for his seat. The plane crashed eight miles from takeoff. According
to Don McLean it was "the day the music died".
Final Resting Place: City of Lubbock Cemetery, Lubbock, Texas.
Claim to Fame: A true legend. Buddy along with his band the Crickets revolutionised
Rock 'n Roll. He made this style accessible to white, middle class America,
who may have been put off by flamboyant black artists like Chuck Berry
and Little Richard. He showed it didn't matter what colour you were, as
long as you could Rock!
Thats Buddy up the back with the glasses.
A memorial at the Crash Site. (Picture thanks to Marc Frank)
