Buddy Holly

The Profile

Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and pioneer of rock and roll, leader of the Crickets and a major influence on 1960s groups. He died in a 1959 plane crash.

Key facts: born in Lubbock, Texas; led the Crickets; wrote and recorded hits such as "That'll Be The Day", "Peggy Sue" and "Everyday"; influential on the Beatles and other 1960s artists; died in a 1959 plane crash often referenced as 'the day the music died'.

Three DeBaser reviews examine Buddy Holly's minimalist, heartbeat-like sound and his outsized influence on later rock. They cover his Lubbock origins, brief meteoric success with the Crickets, and the 1959 plane crash that ended his life. Overall the reviews are admiring, melancholic and reflective.