Wednesday, February 03, 2021

The Day the Music Died

(reprinted every year on this day...which means you'd think it'd be better, but eff it.)

Today is The Day the Music Died – the day Buddy Holly died. No offense to Ritchie Valens, who was young and did have some great hits, or the Big Bopper who, inexplicably, has a box set available. I’m assuming there are 60 versions of Chantilly Lace on there.

Like any kid who grew up loving rock n roll and then bought a guitar, Buddy is a hero of mine – one of the first rock n roll guys I fell in love with; was always “my guy.” Amazing songs, amazing guitar, and looked a little geeky. With his perfect combination of simple, heartfelt songs mixed with studio experimentation (e.g. double-tracking vocals, bringing in strings for True Love Ways) it’s a downright crime we never got to hear more than the first 18 months of his career before he hit the ground in Clear Lake, Iowa. We can dream about what he would have done with the Beatles and the millions of other bands that were a direct result of his records, but of course we’ll never know. Every coupla years I go through an extended period of becoming obsessed with Buddy – listening to nothing but him, playing his songs only and watching The Buddy Holly Story over and over. One time back in college I had a million pops and then called directory assistance in Lubbock, TX and tried to get a hold of his parents. I’m sure had we talked, I would have been amazing. Hmm.

So anyways, raise your glass tonight for Buddy Holly and rock n roll. 
 
Tommy Allsup tells the spooky-spooky story of his losing a coin flip to Richie Valens, which of course has kept him alive 50+ years after the day the music died. His wallet & I.D. being on the plane when the plane was found of course led to his name being listed by the AP as among the dead. Still not as bad as poor ol' Waylon Jennings, then Buddy''s bass player: "when Holly learned that Jennings was not going to fly, he said in jest, "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up." Jennings responded, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes," a humorous but ill-fated response that haunted Jennings for the rest of his life."

And a side fact, if I heard him correctly, that I'd never read in all my years of worshiping Buddy Holly: Buddy's last-ever drummer? Richie Valens. And vice-versa. Cool.
 

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