Buddy Holly timeline

Buddy Holly is Born

Charles Hardin Holley was born in Lubbock, Texas to Lawrence Odell and Ella Pauline (Drake) Holley on September 7 Labor Day, 1936. The Holleys were... Read more

Buddy Holly Meets Bob Montgomery

In 1951 Buddy met Bob Montgomery, a fellow seventh-grader at Hutchinson Jr. High, who also played guitar and sang country songs. Montgomery's taste... Read more

Buddy Holly Teams Up With Jack Neal for KDAV Radio Show

radio station KDAV in Lubbock begins broadcasting what is considered the first all-country music format in the United States. The Sunday Party... Read more

Buddy Holly Sees Elvis Perform

In January of 1955 Holly saw Elvis Presley perform in Lubbock, inspiring him to play rock 'n' roll. By the time he graduated high school that same... Read more

Buddy Holly Signs Recording Contract with Decca Records

Buddy negotiates a recording contract with Decca and a three-year songwriter's contract with Cedarwood Publishing Company. Throughout 1956, between... Read more

Buddy Holly's First Recording Session

Jan. 26 - Holley, Sonny Curtis, and Guess begin their first recording sessions for Decca at Owen Bradley's Barn in Nashville under the name Buddy... Read more

"That'll be the Day" by the Crickets is Released

On May 27, "That'll Be The Day" was released as a single, credited to the Crickets to try to bypass Decca's claimed legal rights. When the song... Read more

Buddy Holly and The Crickets Perform at the Apollo Theater

Holly managed to bridge the racial divide that marked rock n' roll. While Elvis made black music more acceptable to white audiences, Holly won over... Read more

"That'll be the Day" Hits the Top of the U.S. Singles Charts

Because Decca owned the rights to the earlier recording of "That'll Be the Day," Brunswick credited the song to the Crickets upon its release in... Read more

The Crickets Perform "Peggy Sue" and "That'll be the Day" on the Ed Sullivan Show

The Crickets performed "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue", on The Ed Sullivan Show on December 1. Read more

Buddy Holly Marries Maria Elena Santiago

In June 1958, he met Maria Elena Santiago, who was working as a receptionist for Murray Deutch, an executive at Peer-Southern Music, a New York... Read more

Buddy Holly's Last Concert at the Surf Ballroom

Following a performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa on February 2, 1959, Holly chartered a small airplane to take him to the next stop... Read more

The Day the Music Died: Buddy Holly Richie Valens and the Big Bopper J.P. Richardson die in plane crash

Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) died in a plane crash in Iowa. Don McClean called this "The Day the Music Died" in... Read more

Buddy Holly's Funeral

Holly's funeral was held on February 7, 1959, at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock. The service was officiated by Ben D. Johnson, who had... Read more

"American Pie" is released

"American Pie" is a folk rock song by singer-songwriter Don McLean. Recorded and released on the American Pie album in 1971, the single was a... Read more

Paul McCartney Organizes First Annual "Buddy Holly Week"

On what would have been Buddy Holly’s 40th birthday, the singer’s life and music are the subject of a week-long tribute organized by Paul... Read more

"The Buddy Holly Story" Is Released

The Buddy Holly Story is a 1978 biographical film which tells the life story of rock musician Buddy Holly. It stars Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles... Read more

Buddy Holly is Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Holly was in the first group of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Read more