Buddy Holly and the day the music died.

Byline: By Jane Hall

Jane Hall looks back on the all too short life and career of Buddy Holly 

Like many cult heroes Buddy Holly was famous in life, but made even more so by an early death.

The day he was killed in a plane crash along with Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (JP Richardson) he was elevated into the realms of superstardom, which includes in its ranks the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and James Dean.

His story has been told countless times, yet it seems his fans never tire of him.

It will be 45 years on February 3 since Buddy's life was brought to an abrupt end at the age of just 22. It terminated a meteoric career which had brought him acclaim on three continents.

But the tragedy near Clear Lake, Iowa, ended not just the dreams of millions of music lovers, but also the aspirations of a young man who was in a hurry to reach his goal - and had shown every indication of doing so.

Buddy, Ritchie and JP Richardson were all at the peak of their popularity and among them had sold over 10 million records in just over 12 months.

But of the three who were to die on that snowy winter's night, Buddy Holly's loss was perhaps felt the deepest.

He was the brightest new star since Elvis and his potential was unlimited. He had achieved 10 hits in America and Britain and his influence was beginning to be felt throughout the pop world. Who can guess how he might have developed had he lived.

Buddy Holly began life as Charles Hardin Holley on September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas. He was the fourth child of Ella Holley who decided to call him Buddy, which was traditionally the nickname of the youngest member of the family. In his younger days he was influenced by Hank Williams and Jimmy Rodgers songs and began to play the piano at the age of 12.

The surname Holley became Holly after Buddy's name was misspelt on a recording contract in 1956 and he never changed it.

By the time he was 18, Buddy had already achieved point number one on the road to the top. He had a chance to cut a recording for Decca in September 1955, and he turned out such songs as Blue Days, Black Nights and Modern Don Juan.

It was after he graduated from high school that he formed his backing group, The Crickets, who were also destined to become known worldwide.

By December 1957, Buddy Holly and The Crickets were fast becoming household names to millions of teenagers and at the start of 1958 they embarked on their first overseas tour. After a stop-over in Hawaii for a concert, they toured Australia before arriving in Britain.

The Melody Maker ran the headline: "The Rock Sets In" and added: "Rock solid are the concert halls of Britain. Gyrating like some rival sputniks round the provinces are these two rocking package shows, headed by Paul Anka and Buddy Holly and The Crickets. The beat, like it or not, is here. And the beat is packing theatres, record stores, cinemas and holding viewers to TV. The beat is big business and it is music business that's benefiting most."

Buddy Holly and The Crickets were just days into their only British tour when they raised the roof at Newcastle City Hall.

Before going on stage the then 21-year-old Buddy told a Journal reporter: "Audiences in the States just go wild, here they are reserved. They come to listen, not to scream."

Moments later he was forced to eat his words as the packed auditorium erupted. In 1958, while the 60s were just around the corner, concerts by chart-topping bands still conformed to standards set during the age of Variety.

Des O'Connor compered the City Hall event which featured other acts, including a penny whistle player.

In the audience that night was Rod Stockley, from the West End of Newcastle, who in an article in The Journal some years ago remembered the concert, but not just because it was part of a seminal moment in pop music history.

"I used to buy programmes and try to get them signed," explained Rod, who was once a teenage teddy boy with an ear for the hottest sounds.

"That night the road manager said if I helped him move the gear he would take me to meet the band. I picked up a drum, turned round and dislocated my knee.

"Before they called the ambulance, they took me to the dressing room where Buddy and the others signed my programme.

"There aren't many left now so it's an antique."

Buddy Holly and The Crickets came to Newcastle riding high on the wave of three hits, That'll Be The Day, Peggy Sue and Oh Boy.

When they returned to America they immediately set off on another tour.

The package comprised Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Larry Williams and Frankie Lymon. The first Buddy Holly solo album was released, simply called Buddy Holly.

The most unusual feature of this record is that it depicts Buddy without the thick horn-rimmed glasses that are associated with his image.

In the early days, he often wore contact lenses or appeared without any kind of visual assistance whatsoever. As his biographer, John Breecher reported: "Only after he had dropped his guitar pick and had been unable to find it, did he wear glasses on stage."

On a trip to New York in 1958 Buddy met and fell in love with a Puerto Rican girl, Maria Elena Santiago, and they married in Lubbock on August 15 that year.

Day-by-day the world opened up new vistas for Buddy. He had songs recorded and awaiting release and had also reportedly turned down movie offers.

If he had still been alive in March 1959, Buddy would have been winging his way back to Britain for another tour. On the night of his death, he had been performing at Clear Lake, Iowa. He had chartered a four-seater plane to take some of the entourage on to the next date in Minnesota.

The plane took off shortly before 1am on February 3. The snow and overcast sky obliterated all visible landmarks and the horizon, while the gusty wind caused most of the instruments to fluctuate.

The official report later said: "When approximately five miles had been traversed, the tail light of the aircraft was seen to descend gradually until it disappeared from sight."

Thirteen years later, Don McLean recalled that cold fateful February day in his No 1 hit song American Pie. It was, he said, "The Day The Music Died."

An irony of Buddy Holly's death is that he was studying to be a pilot.

He had wanted to learn how to operate a plane so that he could use it on cross-country tours.

But while Buddy died 45 years ago, his music still enjoys popularity with generations that never saw him.

Numerous tribute bands follow in Buddy's footsteps, and the musical Buddy has performed all over the world.