Buddy Holly died 50 years ago today - the first major rock 'n' roll star to die. Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper also died in the same plane crash. This doesn't seem to being marked in any great way. Is this an insult to their memory?

 

Buddy Holly was one of the first rock 'n' roll stars to write their own songs. Among the people lucky enough to see him live in his short career were Keith Richards and Bob Dylan. Paul McCartney has always cited him as a huge influence. He left a huge legacy given that his career was so short. Songs such as That'll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, It Doesn't Matter Any More (a posthumous number one) and Rave On.

 

Without him there might have been no Beatles, no Rolling Stones. Why is this anniversary so low-key?

 

 

 

tbh i never 'got' the fascination with buddy holly.... some geek hung up on peggy sue ..

 

but maybe its hard to appreciate his era in rock n roll because most of us live in a much more modern post beatles era where things are so much more advanced. maybe the real impact has been lost by subsequent advances in music, by todays standards he was very straight, square, but at the time his music and image was cutting edge by 1959 standards.

That's a fair point. But without Buddy Holly the term "post Beatles era" might never have existed. His songs do sound dated now but that's more to do with the relative lack of production technique. There are still some fantastic songs.

That's a fair point. But without Buddy Holly the term "post Beatles era" might never have existed. .

 

oh i dunno.... holly wasnt the only major imfluence on the beatles

oh i dunno.... holly wasnt the only major imfluence on the beatles

Hence the use of the word "might".

Hence the use of the word "might".

 

fair play

 

oops did i really use an 'm' not an 'n'...typo.