Buddy Items Up For Auction

Christie's in New York will be auctioning off two lots containing Buddy Holly memorabilia on November 30, 2007. As part of their Rock & Pop Memorabilia auction, the legendary auction house will offer up 2 8x10 photos of Buddy from his high school yearbook. The photos were printed in the '70's from the original negatives. Also on the block is a gold record awarded to Buddy & the Crickets in the late '50's for Peggy Sue.

Fans can also bid on items related to Buddy Holly Influenced Artists, such as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones.

IMPORTANT - SITE DOWNTIME - UPDATE

Update - October 25, 2007

This maintenance has been postponed. We will let you know when it has been rescheduled.

We'll be performing extensive maintenance and upgrades to the site tomorrow night. This will cause the site to be offline for 6 to 8 hours beginning at:

• 9 PM EDT Wednesday October 24th, 2007 (GMT -4)
  
• 02:00 BST Thursday, October 25, 2007 (GMT +1)

We apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks for your understanding.

Rockabilly Legends on TV Tonight

South Carolina's ETV is airing the documentary The Rockabilly Legends: They Called It Rockabilly Long Before They Called It Rock and Roll at 7PM EDT tonight. Hosted by Wink Martindale, the show chronicles the beginnings of rock & roll/rockabilly through performances, interviews and archival footage. Some of the artists interviewed are Charlie Daniels, Paul McCartney and Billy Burnette (formerly of Fleetwood Mac. Along with performances by Elvis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and more, you can see Buddy and The Crickets perform "Peggy Sue and "Oh Boy". As part of this airing, Jerry Naylor will be performing live in ETV's studios.

The King Remembered

Today marks the thirtieth anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. The King, who single-handedly changed the face of rock and roll by crossing race and economic lines previously untouched by mainstream music, was a huge influence on countless performers, including Buddy Holly. With enduring hits such as “Heartbreak Hotel” and “You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Hound Dog” and a film career that included dozens of feature lengths releases, Elvis first swivelled his hips to international fame in the 1950s. In early 1955 Buddy Holly attended one of Elvis’ first concerts, which happened to be in Buddy’s hometown of Lubbock, TX. The show revealed a new world of rock and roll to the young man in the horn-rimmed glasses. Elvis returned to Lubbock a couple of months later, this time with Buddy as his opening act. The rest, as they say, is history.

In honour of Elvis's legacy, head over to Word From The Bird and let us know what you remember most about the King and his relationship with Buddy Holly.

Interview with Tommy Allsup

Eric Greenberg, Host and Executive Producer of the Just My Show website and blog recently did a phone interview with Tommy Allsup, on the 20th anniversary of the release of the movie La Bamba. In the interview, Tommy talks about that fateful night in Clear Lake, when he lost the coin toss to Richie Valens for a seat on the plane. Click the link to take a listen.

Site Maintenance

2007 Clovis Musical Festival

This year's Clovis Music Festival happens September 6 - 8 at the Clovis Civic Center. Buddy's brother Travis will be one of the featured guests. Also appearing at this edition of the festival will be Jack Neal, and Bobby Vee and the Vees. You can find more information on the Clovis Music Festival's web site.

Musical Performances

• Tommy Allsup
• Sonny West with The Knights
• George Tomsco and Stan Lark of The Fireballs
• Charlie Phillips
• Jack Neal
• Larry Welborn
• Travis Holley

• Buddy, Roy, Elvis musical tribute show

• The Texas PlayBoys
•  Bobby Vee and the Vees

Buddy Holly Wallpaper for Your Computer

Bo Diddley Hospitalized - Update

Guitar legend and rock & roll pioneer Bo Diddley has been placed in intensive care at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, NB. After becoming disoriented during a show in Council Bluffs, IA on Sunday, it was discovered that he had suffered a stroke. Sadly, the left side of Diddley's brain was affected by the stroke, and has impaired his speech and speech recognition. The "Bo Diddley Beat" was a direct influence on Buddy's own style, as can be heard on Not Fade Away, and on Buddy's cover of Diddley's eponymous hit, Bo Diddley. Diddley's latest condition is listed as "guarded", and it is not currently known how long he will have to remain in hospital.

Update - May 29, 2007

Bo Diddley was released from hospital last Thursday and is now recovering in a Florida rehabilitation center. His business manager, Faith Fusillo, stated last week that "[Bo] has little or no physical limitations from the stroke except difficulty with speech and speech recognition, but that is improving as well".

Jerry Naylor's New Book On Rockabilly

Jerry Naylor, the man who took over for Buddy, as lead singer of The Crickets, after the plane crash in February 1959, has completed a new coffee table book. The Rockabilly Legends: They Called It Rockabilly Long Before It Was Called Rock 'n' Roll, co-written with Steve Halliday, is being released tomorrow, May 8. It features many rare photos, as well as first hand accounts of what  it was like to be a part of the dawning of rock and roll music.

In an interview with The Express News, Naylor said of the project "It was a responsibility to tell the story as accurately as it can be told ... about great artists who literally changed the culture". The book is accompanied by a one-hour producer’s cut of the documentary of the same name, which was also written and produced by Naylor. To find out more, visit Jerry Naylor's site.

Site Maintenance Scheduled

Waylon Jennings To Be Honored As A Pioneer

On June 20th, Waylon Jennings will be one of the country legends to be honored by the Academy of Country Music, in Nashville. Along with Harlan Howard, Dolly Parton and Don Williams, Jennings will be the posthumous recipient of the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, which is awarded to "an outstanding "pioneer" of country music." Past honorees of the award have included Alabama, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Tex Ritter, Hank Williams Sr., Bob Wills and Nelson.

Tommy Allsup & Kevin Montgomery on Tour

It's official! Tommy Allsup and Kevin Montgomery have announced the full roster of dates of their mini-tour together, under the banner "An Evening With Tommy Allsup and Kevin Montgomery & Band. The tour will run from June 4th through the 26th at various locations in England and Scotland. This will be Tommy's first UK tour and his first time ever in Scotland! If you're in any of the towns Kevin and Tommy will be visiting,this should be a great evening of music, so do check it out.

A complete listing of the dates and venues can be found on Kevin Montgomery's website

Buddy's Outfit to Benefit Musicians

As part of a charity auction to raise money for musicians on the Gulf Coast of America whose lives were ruined by hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005, Music Rising is offering up a stage outfit worn by Buddy himself. The white dress shirt and blue pants, which has "Buddy" written in pen below the label, also come With letters of authenticity from Patricia Holley, Buddy's sister.

Music Rising was co-founded by U2 guitarist The Edge, producer Bob Ezrin and Gibson Guitar chairman Henry Juszkiewicz. The auction also features items donated by Jimi Hendrix, Bono, The Edge, Elvis, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The event takes place on April 21 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, New York, but bidders worldwide can also participate online, using Julien Auctions.

Crickets To Perform at Rockin' 50's Fest

Oneida Casino's Rockin' 50's Fest III happens May 16th - 20th 2007 in Green Bay, WI. Called the "planet's largest gathering of Rockabilly, Doo Wop, and Rhythm & Blues Stars", this years event will feature a performance by The Crickets!  Also appearing are Little Richard, Wanda Jackson and Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats. Among all this great Rockabilly, Doo Wop and Rhythm & Blues will also be clothing vendors and, back by popular demand, a huge car show featuring vintage hot rods.

Tickets are on sale now at all Oneida Casino Ticketstar locations including by phone, 1-800-895-0071, on-line at Ticket Star or at Oneida Casino Concierge. You can also check out the complete lineup and then talk about it here.

Crickets Honored in Nashville

During the second Music City Walk of Fame induction ceremony, The Crickets will be immortalized with commemorative markers on Nashville's "Music Mile".

Along with The Crickets, singers Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Wynonna Judd and Michael W. Smith, and businesswoman Frances Preston will be honored during a ceremony April 22 in the Hall of Fame Park in downtown Nashville.

The organization says of The Crickets, "This induction is a fitting tribute to a band who literally defined rock and roll music and who today, over fifty years later, still help set the standard of excellence by which it should be judged."

The latest release from the band, "The Crickets and Their Buddies," features guests such as Eric Clapton, Rodney Crowell, Phil & Jason Everly, Nanci Griffith, Waylon Jennings, Peter Case, Albert Lee, Graham Nash, Vince Neil, John Prine, Johnny Rivers, J.D. Souther and Bobby Vee.

Collector Willing To Pay The Price

Andrew Hawley, a memorabilia collector out of Los Angeles, has put the word out that he's willing to pay up to $10,000 US for a poster promoting the April 13, 1958 stop, in Flint, MI, of the Alan Freed Big Beat Show. The show included performers such as Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The Flint Journal reports that Hawley is a long-time collector who has, so far, amassed a collection of 2,000 show posters from the 1940's through the '60's.

UPDATE - April 3, 2007

Mr. Hawley has found the poster he was searching for. The Madison area man, who chooses to remain anonymous, connected with Mr. Hawley through Capital Times columnist Doug Moe, after the man saw Moe's article about the search. Mr. Hawley flew to Madison, and went home a very happy man. Read more about the story here.
 

Big Bopper Autopsy Results Dispel Rumors

As previously reported, JP Richardson, Jr., son of The Big Bopper, requested a new autopsy on his father's remains, in part to dispel some of the rumors about what happened on that plane, carrying his father, Ritchie Valens and Buddy, on February 3, 1959. Forensics expert Dr. Bill Bass said the results show that Richardson, Sr. "died immediately. He didn't crawl away. He didn't walk away from the plane." There was also no indication that The Bopper was hit by a bullet. Richardson's remains will be moved to a new plot in the cemetary, which leaves room for a memorial statue to be installed later.

IMPORTANT: Site outages scheduled

Bob Montgomery on the radio

Today on ABC's (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Saturday Night Country, host John Nutting will have Bob Montgomery in the studio. Bob, who penned Heartbeat for Buddy in the early days, will be chatting with Nutting about his life in music, and what he's up to now. You can listen to the show live, depending on your time zone, or download the podcast after the broadcast.

Sheryl Crow sells hair color with Buddy

As part of its latest advertising campaign, Revlon has signed Sheryl Crow as their new spokesperson. Revlon has launched a new campaign that covers print, internet, TV and in-store advertisements. In a move meant to communicate the lasting effect of their newest hair color product, Crow will be featured in each of these, singing her version of the classic Buddy Holly song "Not Fade Away". You'll be able to check out Ms. Crow's version of "Not Fade Away" when the television commercial airs during Superbowl XLI on February 4. After the game, iTunes will have the commercial available as a 99¢ download, with proceeds going to the Revlon/UCLA Breast Cancer Research Program and the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund.

BuddyHolly.com grows again!

This time, in the form of a Holley Family tree. Our talented designer has created this interactive tree, which you can see in our In The Know section. There you can see many generations of the Holley clan, including our man Buddy. Click on any of the faces on the tree, and you'll get to see more details about them. So head on over. And stay tuned for more great features on BuddyHolly.com!

New and Improved Features

Next time you're on the home page, look to your right. You'll notice there's something different about "Today In Music History". When you click on "More calendar dates", you get to look at the whole year in a fun interactive way!

In the Discussion Board, we've added a birthday functionality that lets you see which of our members was born today. If you haven't yet, join the board and send best wishes.

We're also hard at work on the family tree, as well as bringing back some of the content that was put in storage. Stay tuned! 

New Autopsy for The Big Bopper

JP Richardson's son has requested the services of Dr. Bill Bass to perform a new autopsy on his father's remains. Jay Richardson stated he wants, once and for all, to put to rest the rumors that his father was hit with a bullet from a gun that was discharged on board the plane on that fateful February day in 1959. Another rumor Richardson hopes to settle is that his father didn't die immediately upon impact. The timing seemed appropriate to Richardson, as the Forest Lawn Cemetery, where The Big Bopper is buried, recently reversed their ban on above-ground memorials. JP's remains were already scheduled to be moved to another location in the cemetery, which will be marked with a life-size statue of the Bopper.

Changes Are Coming To The BuddyHolly.com Store!

Starting early next week, the login process for the BuddyHolly.com Store and the Discussion Board will be combined into one easy step. This means that you will be able to access the whole site with only one username and password.

If you already have a Discussion Board account set up, please use that login info to access the Store. All Discussion Board members will automatically have a basic Store account associated with their Discussion Board IDs. However, they will need to add in any address or credit card info. If you do not have a Discussion Board account, you will need to create one in order to have a Store account.

Please note that these changes are expected to take place on or after December 1, 2006. All Store accounts will work as they always have up until December 1, after which they will be deleted. If you have any questions, please post them in this thread or contact the website.

Buddy honored by his old school

KCBD.com reported last week that J.T. Hutchison Junior High School in Lubbock honored its famous alumnus - Buddy Holly. Travis Holley accepted the award on his brother's behalf at the ceremony on November 9th. Buddy attended the school starting in 1949 - the same year he got his first guitar!

New Mexico Music Hall of Fame 2007 Inductees

On November 11th, 2006, the New Mexico Music Hall of Fame will be inducting Norman Petty, as well as several of the artists he worked with at his Clovis studio. Along with Petty, members of The Fireballs, The Crickets, and Buddy himself will be honored at the awards ceremony in Albuquerque. Much of the recordings Buddy made with the Crickets were recorded at Norman Petty's studios, and it remains an important site to the rock 'n' roll faithful the world over.

Lineup announced for 2007 "50's In February"

GlobeGazette.com reports that the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa has announced the lineup for next year's Tommy Allsup & Friends, Bobby Vee, and The Crickets.

50's In February is an annual festival that pays tribute to the final performances of Buddy, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, that were part of the Winter Dance Party concerts. In addition to this year's musical entertainment, visitors can enjoy narrated tours, dance contests, a memorabilia exhibit, autograph sessions and more. The festival happens February 1 to 3, 2007 in Clear Lake, and tickets go on sale October 30.

Fender gets new Chairman

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation announced in a press release today their choice for a replacement for the late Bill Schultz as head of the company. Bill Mendello will be taking over as Chairman and CEO of the world-famous company, after a unanimous decision by the Board of Dirctors to appoint him to the position. Mr. Mendollo has been a member of the Fender family since 1971. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the company for nearly a decade, as well as being a Director of Fender since 1985.

Fender guitars are legendary in the world of rock and roll as being the favoured guitars for icons such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and of course, Mr. Buddy Holly.

Buddy Holly Story steps in for Cry-Baby

BroadwayWorld.com reported today that Seattle residents will be treated to Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story in February 2007. The 5th Avenue Theatre made the announcement after it was decided that John Water's Broadway-bound run of Cry-Baby would be postponed. Cry-Baby was to have it's world premiere at the 5th Avenue, but after realizing it would be some time before they could secure a suitable Broadway venue, the producers decided it would be best to postpone the Seattle production until they could have the right New York venue.

The Buddy Holly Story seems like a perfect alternative, as both plays are set in the same era of American music history and center around the world of rockabilly. According to the press release from the 5th Avenue, Buddy is "one of the most requested musicals among subscribers, and The 5th Avenue Theatre is thrilled to have the opportunity to produce this smash hit musical about one of the greatest rock 'n roll icons of all time."

Kevin Montgomery plays Belfast

On October 7th, Kevin Montgomery will be gracing the stage at Belfast's Real Music Club in their main home, The Errigle Inn.

Kevin is the son of Buddy's early songwriting partner, and the other half of "Buddy and Bob", Bob Montgomery. His mother Carol was a busy Nashville session singer, providing backing vocals for the likes of Robert Knight and Elvis.

In 1996, Kevin recorded the Bob Montgomery-penned "Wishing", as a duet with Mary Chapin Carpenter, for the tribute album Not Fade Away: Remembering Buddy Holly. Kevin has spent the last ten years building his own career and gaining fans all around the world, and has built up quite the fan base in the UK.

"50's In February" Management Change

Management of the annual 50's in February event in Clear Lake, Iowa has been taken over by The Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, globegazette.com reports. The change in management was mutually agreed to by the Chamber and management of the Surf Ballroom.

The event, held at the Surf Ballroom, is a tribute to the careers of Buddy, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper. The Surf Ballroom was the location of the fateful Winter Dance Party in February 1959 - the last for this legendary trio. This year's 50's In February runs February 1-3.

“Pavarotti of the Plains” passes on

Country singer/songwriter Don Walser passed away at the age of 72 on Wednesday, the Houston Chronicle reported. Walser was one of the early opening acts for Buddy Holly, but didn’t start performing professionally until he retired from the National Guard at age 60. In 2000, he was a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Bobby Vee makes a tribute to "The Day The Music Died"

On Saturday September 23, Bobby Vee will be among the performers paying tribute to Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. It's all part of the fourth Solid Gold Rock 'n' Roll Show in Port Arthur, Texas. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 at the door. Performers will take the stage at 8 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center, 1800 Lakeshore Drive.

Proceeds from the show will go to the Museum of the Gulf Coast — home of Big Bopper and Janis Joplin memorabilia. For information, call the Museum of the Gulf Coast at 409-982-7000.

Richie Lee to play at Coca-Cola Days festival

Young Buddy Holly impersonator Richie Lee will be performing this Friday, September 22, at the "Rock N Roll Classic" themed Coca-Cola Days festival, happening in Atlantic, Iowa until September 24.

Richie has been listening to Buddy since he was 6, and at 8 years old, won a Buddy Holly look-alike/lip-synch contest! He's performed with some legends like The Drifters, The Shirelles, Bobby Vee, Tommy Allsup and Carl Bunch.

John Mueller’s Winter Dance Party Band Plays Altadena Tonight!

Tonight in Altadena, California, fans can enjoy John Mueller’s tribute to Buddy at the Coffee Gallery. John and a few guest musicians from his Winter Dance Party Band will put on an unplugged performance in this intimate, 49-seat venue. John is sure to put on a fantastic set of Buddy songs, so if you’re in the Altadena area, drop by the Coffee Gallery (2029 N. Lake Ave.) for the 8:00 pm show! You can also call (626) 398-7917 for more details.

Restoration of Rothschild Pavilion Underway

Originally built in 1908, this historic pavillion, also known as the Pine Park Pavillion, hosted shows by some of rock and roll's most legendary names, including Buddy Holly on July 12, 1958.  Read about the restoration plans in the Wausau Daily Herald.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

To celebrate Buddy's 70th birthday, and to honour his life and music, there are some new features we hope you'll enjoy. The Tour Notes section has gotten a major revamp, added an interactive Timeline of Buddy's life, and best of all, while you check out the new site, you'll be able to listen to some of Buddy's best loved songs on the shiny new Jukebox!

And there's plenty more in the works. For example, we're looking to include a Holley Family Tree, expand our Influenced Artists page, add to the new Songography, and put up new Pictures. If you have anything you'd like to contribute - photos, personal stories, album reviews - drop us a line. Let's keep this community vibrant!

So, take a look around. We'd love to hear what you think. Is there other content you'd like to see on BuddyHolly.com? Send your suggestions to info@buddyholly.com.

On behalf of all of us here at BuddyHolly.com, welcome - or welcome back. And a great big Happy Birthday to Buddy!

The Buddy Holly Center celebrates Buddy's 70th Birthday

If you're planning to be in Lubbock for the celebrations, here's what's going to be happening at the Buddy Holly Center from September 7 to 9. Admission is free to all the events, along with Refreshments and Live Music all three days! With Guided Tours, Prize drawings and other activities, it's sure to be fun for the whole family!

Thursday, September 7

• 11am & 4pm Screening of The Real Buddy Holly Story
• 2:30pm Free guided tour w/Rock historian Bill Griggs
• 3:30*5pm Buddy Holly Song-Along with John Mueller
• 5:30*7:30pm Summer Showcase Finale - Patricia Vonne

Friday, September 8

• 11am & 1:30pm Screening of The Real Buddy Holly Story
• 3:30pm Free Guided Tour
• 3:30*6:30pm Susan Grisanti's 'Guitar Then & Now'

Saturday, September 9

All day prize drawing & family activities!

• 11:30am & 3pm Free Guided Tours
• 11am*3pm Retro-Active Accessories Workshop
• 11am, 1 & 3pm Screening of The Real Buddy Holly Story
• 11:30am*3:30pm Jack Neal & Friends Concert
• 2:00pm Free food and Birthday Cake
• 3:30*5:30pm Tommy Allsup & Johnny Rogers Concert
• 3:30pm Cupcake Music Walk

Dixie Chicks new song "Lubbock Or Leave It" hurts Holley family

In "Lubbock or Leave It", Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks sings some lyrics that have hurt and confused the Holley family and the city of Lubbock. In "Lubbock or Leave It", Natalie sings, "I hear they hate me now/Just like they hated you./Maybe when I'm dead and gone/I'm gonna get a statue, too."

The lyrics have struck a chord with Larry and Travis Holley who have stated that their brother Buddy "...was loyal to his hometown, his church and his family," clearly indicating the brothers' feelings about the lyrics of the song.

According to the Dixie Chicks website, the song "is not just about Lubbock, but about any small, hypocritical town."

Buddy Holly Auction to take place April 14 and 15, 2006 in Dallas, Texas

Some of Buddy Holly's rarest items will be auctioned April 14 and 15 at the Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas, TX. Items such as Buddy's diamond and engraved watch, pulled from the plane wreckage and a gift from his wife, Maria Elena could sell for six figures.

Fourty-seven years after Buddy Holly plane crash death, his wife Maria Elena decided it was the right time to give back to the fans:

Buddy Holly on the Library of Congress List

Along with 49 amazing recordings, Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The Day" will be preserved in the Library of Congress' National Registry! Others on the list include Fatts Domino's "On Blueberry Hill", Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" and the Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Are you Experienced?"

American Idol hopefuls perform some Buddy Holly tunes!

Two American Idol contestants chose Buddy Holly as their inspiration for last night’s performance. Both Bucky Covington and Taylor Hicks sang their very own renditions of Buddy Holly classics that sent the crowd back to a time when Buddy was king! Bucky Covington, from Rockingham, NC, tried his best with “Oh Boy!”, but missed the mark…according to some viewers he made “Oh Boy!” very O-boring! Taylor Hicks from Birmingham, AL, the most unique performer in this year’s contest, captured the spirit of “Not Fade Away” and impressed the judges with his voice and not-so-cool dance moves.

One American Idol contestant will be voted out tonight at 9PM EST!

Help out a child this Christmas!

The Buddy Holly Center and the Silent Wings Museum will be accepting toy donations to benefit local children from December 1st to December 20, 2005. Help out a child this Christmas!

Lubbock Music Festival A Hit!!

Despite the rain and cold, the Lubbock Music Festival has been dubbed a hit by KCBD - NewsChannel 11! By the time Pat Green was on stage, 16th and Buddy Holly Ave. was filled with 12,000 music fans, ready to party it up! Event organizers are already making plans to make next year's festival bigger and better!

BID on a B.B. King Autographed Guitar!

B.B. King's Black Epiphone Dot Studio Archtop Collection Guitar Autographed by King himself is now being auctioned at the Universal Music Store on Ebay!

Epiphone Dot Studio Guitar - Part of the Gibson family of brands, autographed by B.B. King features:

• Black body binding
• Black hardware
• No fingerboard inlay
• Die-case machine heads and open-coil Alnico-V humbucking pickups

Lubbock Music Festival - October 6-8, 2005

Buddy Holly’s hometown will be celebrating their biggest music festival in 6 years at the Lubbock Music Festival from October 6-8, 2005 in Lubbock’s Depot District on Buddy Holly Ave. The festival will feature the “Giant Side of Texas BBQ” cook-off and free street concerts by Joe Ely, Pat Green, The Platters, The Coasters and The Drifters!

Clovis Music Festival Announcement!

The annual Clovis Music Festival begins one day after Buddy's birthday on September 7th and will be a tribute to the artists that recorded with Norman Petty! With performances by Buddy Holly tribute artist John Mueller, The Crickets, Sonny West and The Fireballs as well as a classic car show and tours of Norm Petty's studios, this festival is sure to be a rockin' good time.

"The Night The Music Died" Musical focuses on that one tragic night.

The Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston, Texas is host to "The Night The Music Died", a musical produced by Mike Skiles. The musical is a "live rock'n'roll" concert and re-enacts Buddy Holly's final show at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. The show includes various songs from the artists on the Winter Dance Party Tour, as well as the finale performance of Don McLean's "American Pie". The show runs from July 26th to August 7th. Visit The Galveston County Daily News for more information.

Celebrate Buddy Holly's 69th Birthday at The Buddy Holly Centre!

The Buddy Holly Centre is inviting the public to attend Buddy Holly's 69th Birthday Celebration on September 3, 2005! Activities include a free guided tour with Bill Griggs, a free guitar "then and now" workshop, live music, food and much more!

Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra pay Tribute to Buddy Holly!

"That'll Be the Day: A Buddy Holly Tribute" On Saturday, October 22, 2005, The Buddy Holly Rave On Band and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra pay tribute to rock 'n roll's legendary singer-songwriter, Buddy Holly.

Show times: 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm Tickets to either performance are: $12, $25, $35, $45, $55. Single tickets go on sale August 29, 2005. Contact the Orlando Philharmonic Box Office at: 407-770-0071 or visit their website.

Carl Bunch interviewed by RAMagazine

Carl Bunch, one of Buddy Holly’s post-Crickets drummers, was recently interviewed by RAMagazine and talks about how he met Buddy and how he felt after Buddy’s death. Here you can also hear a Newscast clip on the tragic plane accident that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson.

Discuss this interview here!

New Buddy Holly Children’s Book Available!

Author Anne Bustard and Illustrator Kurt Cyrus have recently released Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, a children’s book detailing the life and legend of Buddy Holly. Click here to read an interview with the author; learn about the book and find out where you can buy the book! The author has also created a lesson plan for the book so that children can study Buddy Holly! To view the lesson plans, visit Anne Bustard’s website.

Buy "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story" here!

Buddy Holly actor Brendan Murphy receives AMAZING reviews!

The Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, NH is currently running “The Buddy Holly Story” musical and actor Brendan Murphy is definitely the real deal! Performing in three “Buddy Holly Story” musicals (in Manhattan, L.A., and Florida), Brendan is definitely a natural and does justice to a sweet Texas drawl, according to the Portsmouth Herald. The musical is currently running at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre and you can watch Buddy…we mean Brendan Murphy, pull off tunes like “Peggy Sue”, “That’ll Be the Day” and “Oh Boy!” Buy your tickets at The Seacoast Rep's website.

"That'll Be The Day" production in Johannnesburg, South Africa!

Buddy Holly has arrived in South Africa! The hit production "That'll Be The Day" is currently playing at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg, South Africa!

"America's Greatest Teen-Age Recording Stars" poster sells for $41,000!

Only 23 inches high and 17 inches wide, the "America's Greatest Teenage Recording Stars Tour" poster, sold for a hefty $41,000 on eBay! See the poster and read about the auction!