Buddy Holly

Had two brothers: Larry Holley (born 1925), Travis Holley (born 1927), and one sister: Patricia Lou Holley (1929-2008).

Buddy Holly was born on September 7, 1936 in Lubbock, Texas, USA as Charles Hardin Holley. He was married to Maria Elena Santiago.

Attended and graduated from Lubbock High School in Lubbock, Texas (1955).

Buddy and his friends went to see The Searchers (1956) starring John Wayne. Several times throughout the film, Wayne says "That'll be the day". The repeated phrase stuck with Holly and he wrote the song that would become his first #1 hit.

Buddy Holly and The Crickets' first million seller for Brunswick Records in 1957, "That'll Be the Day", was a reworking of an earlier solo version by Buddy for Decca Records, the parent company. In order not to confuse the record-buying public, "The Crickets" were printed on the Brunswick label as the groups's full name. On Coral Records they were only listed as Buddy Holly. Subsequently, the group would continue to issue two singles at a time, instead of the usual one, one on Coral ("Peggy Sue") and the other on Brunswick ("Oh Boy"). This arrangement remained in effect for the rest of Buddy's recording career. A net result of 11 singles from 1957-58.

The Beatles took their name in tribute to Buddy Holly and The Crickets. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were both inspired to write their own songs after learning that Holly wrote (or co-wrote) many of his own songs. In the period of 1958 to 1960, the band had been using many different names, most prominently "The Quarrymen" (after the school they attended) and "Johnny and the Moondogs". According to some stories, it was Stuart Sutcliffe (the famed "fifth Beatle") who suggested the name "The Beetles" and that John changed the spelling to give the name a double meaning.

His date of death (February 3, 1959) was forever immortalized as "The Day the Music Died" in the song "American Pie" by Don McLean.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (charter member) (1986), the American Songwriters Hall of Fame (1986), and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1994).

Pictured on one of four 29¢ US commemorative postage stamps in the Legends of American Music series, issued in booklet form 16 June 1993. This Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues set of stamps also honored Otis Redding, Dinah Washington and Elvis Presley.

He was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California on what would have been his 75th birthday [September 7, 2011].

He was voted the 13th Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artist of all time by Rolling Stone.

The musical, "Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story (2018)," at the American Blues Theater in Chicago, Illinois were awarded the 2018 Joseph Jefferson Equity Awards for Midsize Musical Production and Musical or Revue Ensemble.