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Considered one of the fathers of rock 'n roll, Buddy Holly demonstrated his love for music early in his life. As a child, Holly learned to play the violin and the piano. However, he soon discovered a preference for the guitar. Holly's parents, Laurence O. and Ella Holley, continuously supported the young artist in his music ventures. 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.
Holly's first opportunity in the music industry came when a scout for Decca Records saw the duo at a local rock show where they had opened for Bill Haley and the Comets. Decca signed Holly alone to produce a few singles. However, Decca decided Holly wasn't quite ready yet, and they advised him to return to Lubbock and keep working on his music. Holly followed the advice and with the help of some friends formed his own band, the Crickets. Holly was the group's guitarist and vocals. Much of the band's music was produced by Norman Petty's studios in Clovis, New Mexico. Among the themes they recorded, was a lively version of "That'll Be the Day" which caught Decca's attention once again. From that moment on, the group's songs were released on Decca's subsidiary, Brunswick label.
The group's music talent, together with Holly's unique "excited" style of singing 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 and the Crickets entered areas of music such as rhythm and blues which until then, had been exclusive to black artists. Once, they were even mistaken for a Black group and booked to perform at the Apollo Theater for a mostly Black audience. Although at first the band was booed, by their third day performing they had become a hit.
The Crickets were also extremely successful abroad. In March of 1958, they toured Great Britain where they became more popular than in the U.S. Latter that same year, Holly met Maria Elena Santiago, a receptionist at a New York city music publishers. Two weeks later, they were married. After a short honeymoon, the couple returned to Lubbock, Holly's home town. Feeling that the Crickets could produce their own music, Holly broke relations with Petty. However, the rest of the group didn't agree, causing Holly to leave the group. Soon afterwards, Holly and Maria Elena moved to New York where he performed with a new group of musicians.
In 1959, as part of a rock show, Holly toured with Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson "The Big Bopper." From performance to performance they rode in buses, which kept breaking down. One day, after a concert in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly chartered a small plane to get to the next town with some extra time to rest. On the morning of February 3rd, the plane carrying Holly, Valens, and Richardson took off from Mason City, Iowa, and crashed after eight miles, killing everyone on board.
Despite a rather short music career, Holly's innovative music style, as well as his enthusiastic and energetic performances, made him one of the most popular singers in music history.
