He Changed the World in Only 18 Months
Among other things, Buddy Holly popularized the rock lineup of two guitars, bass & drums.
He was the first rock star to write and produce his own songs.
He was the first rock star to wear glasses.
And the Beatles named themselves (in part) as a tribute to his band (the Crickets).
Who knows what he might have done if he'd lived.
Link for Gmail subscribers.
And one more for good measure.
RIP Buddy Holly (Sept. 7, 1936 - Feb. 3, 1959).
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
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7 comments:
Those glasses. I just love the look.
Yeah, he was terrific.
Pretty sure Holly was also the first rock star to use that most iconic of rock guitars, the Fender Stratocaster.
I'd read somewhere that he was the first person to multi-track vocals, but I'm not sure if that's true and now I can't find where I read it.
Alex, he was the first major performer to do so, with Words Of Love (maybe you read it over at my blog; I posted the song recently).
Anyway, Buddy's career was going down the toilet at the time of his death, with even songs we now consider classics not making an impact.
I suspect that he would have continued recording, but that his greater contribution would have been as a svengali, producer, songwriter etc. He had already started scouting talent, and he was an innovator in production techniques.
Ah, AMD, don't shatter our illusions!
I was too young to really remember Buddy Holly, although those songs stew around in the sediment of my primal music memories. It was quite a revelation to learn about him long after his death, and absorb the whole catalog at one swoop. I do have to say I've always had a thing for rock and rollers wearing glasses.
Excellent and re who knows what he would have done had he lived, I cannot recommend too highly to any B. Holly fan the great novel Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede. And you know what that means Alex -- time to SPRING INTO ACTION! :-)
Who, it must be a cosmic coincidence... I just got heard about that book a couple weeks ago and started reading it a few days ago.
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