Charles Hardin Holley September 7, β February 3, , known as Buddy Holly , was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of mids rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas , during the Great Depression , and learned to play guitar and sing alongside his two siblings.
Holly made his first appearance on local television in , and the following year he formed the group Buddy and Bob with his friend Bob Montgomery. In , after opening once for Elvis Presley , Holly decided to pursue a career in music. He played with Presley three times that year, and his band's style shifted from country and western to rock and roll.
Holly's recording sessions at Decca were produced by Owen Bradley , who had become famous for producing orchestrated country hits for stars like Patsy Cline. Unhappy with Bradley's musical style and control in the studio, Holly went to producer Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico , and recorded a demo of " That'll Be the Day ", among other songs.
Petty became the band's manager and sent the demo to Brunswick Records , which released it as a single credited to the Crickets , a name chosen by the band to subvert Decca's contract limitations.
Its success was followed in October by another major hit, " Peggy Sue ". In early , he assembled a new band, consisting of Waylon Jennings bass , Tommy Allsup guitar , and Carl Bunch drums , and embarked on a tour of the mid-western US. During his short career, Holly wrote and recorded many songs. He is often regarded as the artist who defined the traditional rock-and-roll lineup of two guitars, bass, and drums.
