Buddy Holly Microbox
Buddy Holly Microbox
| Placed By: | Silver Eagle |
|---|---|
| Date: | 03/19/04, replaced log (05/12/09) |
| Nearest Town: | Lubbock, Tx |
| County: | Lubbock |
| Terrain Difficulty: | Easy (flat, 50 yards RT) |
| Status: | alive (05/12/09) |
Considered one of the founding fathers of rock 'n roll, Buddy Holly demonstrated his love for music early in life. As a child, he learned to play the violin and the piano, but soon discovered a preference for the guitar. By age 13, Holly and his friend Bob Montgomery were playing a kind of music they called "Western Bop," as well as mainstream country songs which they performed at local clubs. Later he and his friends formed a band called "The Crickets", which featured Holly as the group's guitarist and vocalist. Among the songs they recorded was a lively version of "That'll Be the Day," which caught Decca's attention and from that moment on, the group's songs were released on Decca's subsidiary, the Brunswick label. The group's music talent, together with Holly's unique "excited" style of singing, quickly made them a success. Songs such as "Maybe Baby," "Oh Boy!" and Holly's solo hit "Peggy Sue" became extremely popular, especially among teenagers. Holly soon felt that the Crickets could produce their own music but the rest of the group didn't agree, and this caused Holly to leave the group. In 1959, as part of a rock show, Holly toured with Ritchie Valens and "The Big Bopper," J.P. Richardson. They began the tour riding from performance to performance in buses, which kept breaking down. One day, after a concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly chartered a small plane to get the musicians to the next town. He had hoped to get them there with extra time to rest. On the morning of February 3rd, the plane carrying Holly, Valens and Richardson took off from Mason City, Iowa. Sadly, the plane crashed after traveling eight miles, and everyone on board was killed. Despite a rather short career on the charts, Holly's innovative style, as well as his enthusiastic and energetic performances, made him one of the most popular singers in music history. Today his life is celebrated at the Buddy Holly Center and the West Texas Walk Of Fame, where his statue and this microbox reside.
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Last updated on 05/13/2009