THE REAL BUDDY HOLLY STANDS UP

THE MYTHOLOGICAL IMAGE AND PERSONALITY THAT HAVE BEEN
ATTACHED TO "BUDDY HOLLY" SINCE HIS DEATH IN A PLANE CRASH IN 1959
IN CLEARLAKE,IOWA IS ALLMOST AN IDENTICAL POLAR OPPOSITE OF WHAT
THE REAL BUDDY HOLLY WAS LIKE.PEOPLE THINK OF HOLLY AS A NERD-WHEN
IN FACT HE WAS ONE OF THE HIPPEST CATS AROUND WHEN IT CAME TO HIS
ENCYCLOPEDIC KNOWLEDGE OF BLACK R & B AND EVERY ROCKER THAT
HAD MADE A RECORD-BEFORE HOLLY WAS ABLE TO CATCH A BREAK IN1956.
BEFORE HOLLY BECAME A FULL TIME ROCKER HE PLAYED COUNTRY
MUSIC IN A LITTLE DUO CALLED "BUDDY AND BOB" WHO HAD A POPULAR
RADIO SHOW IN LUBBOCK.THE SHOW WAS VERY POPULAR AND SO WAS BUDDY-
AS LONG HE PLAYED COUNTRY MUSIC MOST OF LUBBOCKS RESIDENTS AND
BUDDY'S SCHOOLMATES WERE ALL HOLLY'S BIGGEST FAN'S-FAR FROM BEING
AN UNPOPULAR NERD-HOLLY WAS THE MOST POPULAR PERSON IN LUBBOCK
AND THE MOST WELL KNOWN.
ALL THAT CHANGED HOWEVER AFTER ELVIS PRESLEY PLAYED A SHOW
IN LUBBOCK WHEN HE WAS STILL AN ARTIST ON SUN RECORDS OF MEMPHIS.
HOLLY IMMEDIATLY GRASPED THE THE IMPORTANCE OF ELVIS PRESLEY-
A WHITE MAN PLAYING BLACK MUSIC.HOLLY HAD ALLREADY PROCURED A
RECORD DEAL AND HAD GONE TO NASHVILLE TO RECORD.THE PEOPLE IN
NASHVILLE DIDN'T GET WHAT HOLLY WAS TRYING TO CREATE AT ALL-SEVERAL
SONGS WERE RELEASED BUT THEY WERE COMMERCIALLY UNSUCCESSFUL.
THE RECORD COMPANY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH BUDDY AND SO
HE WAS PUT ON THE BACK BURNER.ONCE HOLLY STARTED PLAYING STRICTLY
ROCK 'N ROLL-MOST OF HIS FANS IN LUBBOCK ABANDONED HIM.HE LOST THE
RADIO SHOW AND IN A TOWN OF CONSERVATIVE COUNTRY MUSIC FANS
BUDDY HOLLY WAS A LONE ROCK 'N ROLL REBEL.HE WAS HARRASSED BY
REDNECK BULLY'S AND COMPLETELY OSTRASIZED FROM THE THE REST OF
LUBBOCKS POPULATION FOR PLAYING "NIGGER MUSIC".THE ONLY PEOPLE
WHO STAYED FAITHFUL TO HOLLY WERE HIS FAMILY AND A FEW OTHER
LUBBOCK MUSICIANS WHO LIKED ROCK 'N ROLL.HOLLY BEGAN LIFTING
WEIGHTS AND WORKING OUT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE PREPARED WHEN
PUSH CAME TO SHOVE.
WE ALL KNOW SOMEHOW BUDDY HOLLY WAS ABLE TO GET A RECORD DEAL
THAT GAVE HIM COMPLETE ARTISTIC CONTROL-BUT IT WAS A LONG TIME IN
COMING-AND BY THE TIME "THAT'LL BE THE DAY" WENT TO #1 ON THE BILLBOARD
CHARTS-HOLLY AND THE CRICKETS HAD GONE THROUGH THE SAME KIND OF
HAZZING THAT BOTH THE BEATLES AND ELVIS PRESLEY HAD TO GO THROUGH.
IF YOU WANTED TO BE A ROCKER IN AMERICA IN THE 1950'S AND EARLY 60'S THERE WAS NO WAY YOU COULD DO IT WITHOUT BEING INSULTED,OUTCAST AND CALLED
EVERY RACIST NAME IN THE BOOK.
THE EXPIERIENCE HARDINED HOLLY-HE BECOME MORE DETERMINED THAN
EVER TO BECOME ONE OF AMERICA'S BIGGEST ROCK STARS.THE PHOTO THAT
GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT HOLLY WAS A CLEANCUT WHOLESOME NERD WAS
TAKEN IN THE LAST MONTH OF HIS LIFE AFTER HE HAD BEEN GIVEN AN IMAGE
REMAKE BY HIS RECORD COMPANY.HIS TEETH-YELLOWED FROM A LIFE TIME
OF DRINKING LUBBOCKS WATER-WERE BLEACHED SO WHITE THEY SPARKLED.
THE BLACK FRAME GLASSED WERE ACTUALLY THE HIPPEST NEW THING IN
EYEWARE AT THE TIME-BUT UNFORTUNATLY HOLLY ONLY GOT TO WEAR
THEM FOR HALF OF THE WINTER CARNIVAL ROCK 'N ROLL TOUR.HIS HAIR
WAS DYED AND PERMED.HE ONLY GOT TO ENJOY HIS NEW LOOK FOR LESS THAN
A MONTH-BEFORE HE WAS KILLED.
HOLLY LOVED BLACK MUSIC-HE BECAME FRIENDS WITH LITTLE RICHARD-
SAXAPHONIST KING CURTIS AND ALSO THE EVERLY BROTHERS.HOLLY DRANK,
SMOKED,SWORE AND CARRIED A LOADED PISTOL WITH HIM AT ALL TIMES ON
TOUR.HOLLY WAS NEVER A NERD OR A GEEK OR EVEN A STRAIGHT.HE WAS
ALLWAY'S IN A HURRY.HE WAS A TALL,STRONG ,AND TOUGH TEXAN WHO IT
SEEMED COULD WRITE A GREAT HIT SONG IN HIS SLEEP.WE WILL NEVER SEE
HIS KIND OF GREATNESS AGAIN-BUDDY HOLLY WAS A VERY SPECIAL PERSON-
THE KIND THAT ONLY COME AROUND ONCE IN A LIFE TIME-IF YOUR LUCKY.