Profile of the Day: Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly

On this day in 1936, music legend Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock, Texas. A pioneering figure of 1950s rock and roll, Holly’s short career would go on to inspire many future generations of artists.

Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley on September 7, 1936 to Lawrence Odell Holley and Ella Pauline Drake. The fourth and youngest child in the family, Holly was given the nicknamed “Buddy” by his mother, who thought that his given name was too big for her youngest child. He grew up in a musical family and learned to play the guitar at a young age.

By 1955, Holly decided to pursue a career in music full time. In 1957, Holly and his band, the Crickets, released their first single, “That’ll Be the Day.” The tune proved to be a huge hit and Holly would go on to top the charts with several more hits, including “Peggy Sue” and “Everyday.”

Sadly, Holly died on February 3, 1959 when his plane crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa. He was only 22 years old. Musicians Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were also killed in the crash. Later, the tragic event would become known as “the day the music died,” when it was memorialized in the 1971 song, “American Pie.”

Explore Buddy Holly’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the to the influential rock and roll musician.
 

View Buddy Holly’s Geni Profile

Image: Wikimedia Commons