Imagine it is 1956 and you have a little brother with a dream that sounds like noise to everyone else. Most people saw a skinny kid from Lubbock with thick glasses and a nervous smile.
But his big brother Larry saw a star waiting to happen. Larry reached into his own pockets and handed over one thousand dollars. That was a small fortune back then. But it was enough for Buddy to buy his very first Fender Stratocaster guitar.
That guitar became a part of him. When he stepped onto the stage for the first time, he looked like the boy next door. He had a funny little hiccup in his voice that made girls scream and boys want to start a band.
He went from a local kid to a household name during a legendary set on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets “Peggy Sue” on The Ed Sullivan Show
People remember that night in December. One fan said that seeing him was like watching lightning in a bottle. Another viewer mentioned that his smile was so bright it made the black and white television feel like it was in color.
It was the moment a local boy became a hero to every kid who felt a little bit different.
The music brought happiness. But it also led to a very cold night in a snowy field.
We often remember the tragedy of that February morning as a headline. We think about the plane crash and the loss of three young stars. But for Larry Holley, it was day he lost his ‘little brother.’
The Day the Music Died: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper
A documentary called The Day the Music Died looks back at that final tour. It was a cold and tiring trip across the Midwest. Buddy and his friends Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper were just young men trying to get to the next town.
Buddy was more than just a famous face on a poster. He was a son and a brother who loved his family deeply. Larry always wanted people to know the real boy behind the superstar image. Follow Buddy Holly on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to keep his memory alive.