COLUMN: Buddy Holly still raves on

Last year, I was waiting for the school bell to ring so I could listen to my iPod.

I had just downloaded the best of Buddy Holly and I was eager to listen to those selections. The bell rang, and I immediately smiled and played my music.

The girl next to me asked, “What are you listening to?” and I reply “Buddy Holly.”

Puzzled, she asks me, “What is Buddy Holly?”

“What is Buddy Holly!?” I thought and replied, “He’s a singer.”

Apparently she didn’t grasp that Buddy Holly is a person because she insisted “it” was a band name. But, class was over and I didn’t have hours to explain to her who Buddy Holly was.

Now that the 51st anniversary has come and gone, it brought back that rough day. It got me thinking, “What’s happening to today’s youth?”

Although it has been several days since the 51st anniversary of “the day the music died” on Feb. 3, I feel it’s still fresh enough to discuss. If I came across a time machine, I would make it my first point to travel back to that night and tell those four souls not to get on the plane.

On that ill-fated flight to Clear Lake, Iowa on Feb. 3, 1959 for a last minute addition to “The Winter Dance Party,” four lives were taken to the snowy storm: the pilot Roger Peterson, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, 17-year-old Ritchie Valens, and 22-year-old Buddy Holly. The Big Bopper had a hit with “Chantilly Lace,” Valens with “Donna” and “Come On, Let’s Go,” but the list of Buddy Holly’s hits surpass these young stars.

“I’m not God’s gift to rockabilly,” said Stray Cats front man Brian Setzer. “There are great players out there, and some of them deserve a lot more than they’ve gotten. And one of those players, my dear readers is Mr. Holly himself.”

Although Holly was only in the music business for 18 months, he accomplished more in that short period of time than artists in 2010 could do in three years. Record after record, Holly kept pumping them out.

Unlike modern singers who create roughly 15 new songs every two years, Holly recorded over 60 in only a year and a half. Later in his short reign of rock, he began producing albums at only 22 years of age.

Born Charles Hardin Holley, he grew up in Lubbock, Texas. His family always called him Buddy, and it wasn’t until his contract with Decca Records in 1956 that he adopted “Holly” after the record company had a misspelling. He was inspired by Elvis to include rockabilly sound, which evolved into rock. Holly performed with Elvis, and Bill Haley & His Comets and one of the first Caucasian artists to perform in New York’s Apollo Theater and bridge the racial gap in rock and roll.

His hits included “That’ll Be The Day,” “Oh Boy,” “Peggy Sue,” “Rave On,” “Everyday,” and “Words of Love.”

The 1978 movie “The Buddy Holly Story” starring Gary Busey as Holly depicts Holly’s short life quite accurately. Even Busey’s singing is closely linked to the unique sound of Holly’s.

Holly has inspired many bands such as The Beatles, who recorded a cover of Holly’s “Words of Love” and derived their name as a tribute to Holly’s band The Crickets, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones whose first British hit was a cover of “Not Fade Away,” Don McLean who’s song “American Pie” is about the plane crash on “the day the music died,” the Beach Boys, The Stray Cats whom did a cover of “Oh Boy,” Hank Williams and Weezer even wrote a song called “Buddy Holly.”

Alice Cooper, another favorite artist of mine, commented “It’s like this — these five members have been influenced of course by other groups, because that’s where this generation’s groups came from — an environment like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, and The Who. People like that.”

The King of Shock-Rock even was indirectly influenced by Buddy Holly because he was influenced by the Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Needless to say that Buddy Holly was a huge influence in music history. Even bands inspired by The Beatles have also been influenced by Buddy Holly.

Even the black thick-rimmed glasses that people wear for sake of fashion were similar to the ones that Buddy Holly wore. An interesting fact is that he mainly wore them for the same reason, for his image. He had other glasses but chose the horn-rimmed, sometimes labeled “nerd” glasses. I even bought my own pair and wore them to school! He’s had such an impact on my life, and undoubtedly I am a huge fan. I believe that we can learn from his example.

As the Stray Cats’ Setzer puts it, “Veteran performers are dying off, and new acts simply aren’t emerging on the national scene.”

I agree with Mr. Setzer’s statement. New acts do emerge but not in the same quality. Many rock stars nowadays are setting bad examples for today’s youth. Most artists today have had problems concerning fame. Some, if not most, party, drink, do drugs. Some even proudly advertise it. Holly however, led a straight life. He didn’t do drugs like his fellow musician Elvis Presley, nor did he party like the original wild rocker Jerry Lee Lewis.

More remarkably, he actually sang and had talent. In the times before soundboards, singers actually had to sing. In concerts, they didn’t lip sync, they truly sang. They truly had the chops.

Holly came from the small town of Lubbock, Texas and worked his way up to achieve his dream. One of my favorite quotes is his, “This is one night that can never be repeated again ...you’ll never see all these people, all these stars on the same stage. This is phenomenal.” It truly is phenomenal to work all the way up to the top. It’s also phenomenal that it can all be taken away in one moment.

Holly once said, “Death is very often referred to as a good career move,” in the hopes that their legend lives on and inspires people. Like a painter’s work, it becomes more valuable usually once the creator has passed on.

However, Buddy Holly’s inspiration is muffled by the overwhelming Beatles sensation in today’s society.

I’ve asked many of my friends if they like the Beatles. Many of them say yes. The ones that say no have at least heard of them. When I ask them if they like Buddy Holly, I get not even a single yes. Many have never even heard of him! The short-lived artist that inspired one of the most popular bands in history that has influenced billions of people through the generations has his name lost in the archives. ‘Tis quite a tragedy.

I hope the next time you’re searching through iTunes or Napster, videos on YouTube, or in the store, you’ll stumble upon a record by Buddy Holly & The Crickets. Maybe when you watch Juno with your spouse, you’ll pay more attention to Holly’s song “Dearest,” and maybe you’ll even rent The Buddy Holly Story from your nearest video store.

All I know for certain is that Buddy Holly has influenced me to achieve the best I can be. When I’m sad, I’ll play his hit “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” and my sorrow goes away. When I feel like dancing I’ll play “Rave On” until the sun shines the next morning.

Holly is a musical genius, that will live on in the hearts of his fans. It’s crucial that we spread his legacy so that he may not be forgotten. It’s up to us to inspire the next generation.

And with that said, I leave you with one final quote:

“Well, rave on — it’s a crazy feeling
and I know — it’s got me reeling.
I’m so glad — that you’re revealing your love for me.
Rave on — rave on and tell me,
Tell me — not to be lonely.
Tell me — you love me only.
Rave on to me.”
— “Rave On”
by Buddy Holly

Rave on, Mr. Holly. Rave on.

Jessica Brown is the Barrow Journal’s photographer and a junior at Winder-Barrow High School. You can reach her at jessica@picsbyjessica.com.