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Reflecting on the Legacy of Buddy Holly

04 Feb 2025

On February 3rd 1959, a small aircraft carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson crashed shortly after takeoff, tragically taking the lives of all on board. All three musicians were traveling to Fargo, North Dakota, for the next show on their Winter Dance Party Tour. After consistent bus breakdowns in freezing conditions throughout the run, Holly made the fateful decision to hire a plane to allow himself time to rest before the next gig. A week later, Holly was buried in Lubbock, Texas, with his headstone reading 'Holley' (the correct spelling of his given surname) alongside a picture of his guitar.
 
'I would daydream to his music and, later, mourn his death... My love of Buddy Holly was there from the beginning and it never wavered.' - Don McLean
 
Coined as 'The Day that Music Died' by Don McLean in his famous 1971 song, his strength of feeling about that awful day mirrored the sentiment of a generation. In his short life of 22 years, Holly made a profound impact on the world of music and early rock'n'roll, a legacy that remains meaningful 66 years after his untimely passing.
 
 
As many of our subscribers will know, Genesis is publishing Words of Love, a book that documents the incredible legacy of Buddy Holly in partnership with Marķa Elena Holly, Holly's widow, and the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation.
 
In the process of putting this edition together, we have been struck by the number of musicians who cite Buddy Holly as a central influence on their own incredible careers: Joe Bonamassa, T Bone Burnett, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Mickey Dolenz, The Edge, Noel Gallagher, Vince Gill, Dave Grohl, Emmylou Harris, Debbie Harry, Julian Lennon, Brian May, Van Morrison, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Robert Plant, Keith Richards, John Sebastian, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Pete Townshend, among many more.
 
 

The book's contributors, nearly 100 in all, talk about Buddy's distinctive voice, his songwriting and infectious melodies, his inventive guitar playing, the live performances, and his pioneering recording methods. Quite simply, so much music would not have existed without him. 
 
'It was Buddy who was the major inspiration to us... We wanted to be a group like that. We even made our name The Beatles because we thought it was very clever of them to name themselves The Crickets.' - Paul McCartney
 
So today we mark and celebrate Buddy Holly's short, but extraordinary life and his lasting legacy.
 
Discover the Edition >>
Words of Love

Words of Love

Buddy Holly

£945



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