Buddy Holly Biography

Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born and brought up in Lubbock, Texas, to a musical family during the Great Depression, and learned to play guitar and sing alongside his siblings. His style was influenced by gospel music, country music, and rhythm and blues acts, which he performed in Lubbock with his friends from high school.

10 Quick Facts About Buddy Holly

Here is a list of 10 facts about Holly

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• Name: Charles Hardin Holley
• Age At Time Of Death: 22 years
• Date of Death:  February 3, 1959
• Cause of Death: Plane Crash
• Date of Birth: September 7, 1936
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: Singer, Songwriter
• Marital Status: Was married to Maria Santiago
• Salary: Not Available
• Net worth: $1 million

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Buddy Holly Age At Time Of Death

Holly was 22 years old, he was born on September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas, U.S. and died on February 3, 1959, in Clear Lake, Iowa, the U.S. in a plane crash.

Holly, Valens, Richardson, and Peterson were killed when the aircraft they were on board crashed into a cornfield five miles northwest of Mason City shortly after takeoff. The three musicians, who were ejected from the fuselage upon impact, sustained severe head and chest injuries.

Buddy Holly Height

Buddy Holly stood at a height of 5 feet 11½ inches (1.82 m).

Buddy Holly Weight

Holly weighed 145 pounds (66 kilograms).

Early Life and Education

Holly was born on September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas, U.S. He had a very remarkable natural ability when it came to music. He began playing the piano, fiddle, and guitar around the age of eleven. Buddy was taught to play by his brothers, along with a brief series of piano lessons. By 1955, after graduating from Lubbock High School, Holly decided to pursue a full-time career in music.

Rise to Fame and Breakthrough Moment

Holly was among the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1986. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 13 in its list of 100 Greatest Artists in 2010.

Personal Life

Buddy Holly Family, Parents

Holly was born to his parents in Lubbock, Texas. He was the fourth child of Lawrence Odell “L.O.” Holley (1901–1985) and Ella Pauline Drake (1902–1990). During the Great Depression, the Holleys frequently moved residence within Lubbock; L.O. changed jobs several times. Buddy Holly has baptized a Baptist, and the family were members of the Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Buddy Holly Siblings

Holly elder siblings were Larry (1925-2022), Travis (1927–2016), and Patricia Lou (1929–2008). Holly was of mostly English and Welsh descent and had small amounts of Native American ancestry as well.

Buddy Holly Wife, Maria Elena Santiago

Holly was married to his girlfriend Maria Elena Santiago.  They met during one of his visits to the offices of Peer-Southern. He asked her out on their first meeting and proposed marriage to her on their first date. The wedding took place on August 15, 1958. Holly’s manager Norman Petty disapproved of the marriage and advised Holly to keep it secret to avoid upsetting Holly’s female fans.

Holly and Santiago frequented many of New York’s music venues, including the Village Gate, Blue Note, Village Vanguard, and Johnny Johnson’s. Santiago accompanied Holly on tours. To hide her marriage to Holly, she was presented as the Crickets’ secretary. She took care of the laundry and equipment set-up and collected the concert revenues.

The couple moved to New York. Santiago-Holly went on one tour (October 1958) with her husband and took on promotional duties. Maria’s life changed drastically on that fateful day of her husband’s premature death.

They had been married for only six months at the time of his death. She got to hear the news of her husband’s death from the reports on television. A widow after only six months of marriage, she suffered a miscarriage shortly after, reportedly due to psychological trauma.

Maria did not attend the funeral and has never visited the grave site of her late husband. She told the Avalanche-Journal: “In a way, I blame myself. I was not feeling well when he left. I was two weeks pregnant, and I wanted Buddy to stay with me, but he had scheduled that tour. It was the only time I wasn’t with him. And I blame myself because I know that, if only I had gone along, Buddy never would have gotten into that airplane.”

Buddy Holly Children

Holly died without a child. His wife Maria Santiago suffered a miscarriage shortly after his death.

Buddy Holly Net Worth

Buddy Holly net worth was estimated at 1 million dollars. This included his assets, money, and income. His primary source of income is his career as a Singer, and Songwriter. Through his various sources of income, Buddy has accumulated good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.

Facts: Everything You Need to Know About Buddy Holly

Here are some interesting facts you should know about Holly.

Buddy Holly Bio.

• Full Names: Charles Hardin Holley
• Popular As: Holley
• Gender: Male
• Occupation / Profession: Singer, Songwriter
• Nationality: American
• Race / Ethnicity: White
• Religion: Not Known
• Sexual Orientation: Straight

Birthday

• Age At the time of death: 29 Years Old
• Date of Death: February 3, 1959
• Zodiac Sign: Virgo
• Date of Birth: September 7, 1936
• Place of Birth:  Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
• Birthday: 7th September

Body Measurements

• Body Measurements: Not Available
• Height / How Tall?: 5 feet 11½ inches (1.82 m)
• Weight: 281 lbs which are equivalent to (127.4 kg).
• Eye Color: Dark brown
• Hair Color: Dark brown
• Shoe Size: Not Available

Family and Relationship

• Father (Dad): Lawrence Odell “L.O.” Holley (1901–1985)
• Mother: Ella Pauline Drake (1902–1990)
• Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Three
• Marital Status: Was Married
• Wife/Spouse: Was married to Maria Elena Santiago
• Children: None

Net Worth and Salary

• Net Worth: $2 million
• Salary: Not Available
• Source of Income: Singer, Songwriter

Buddy Holly Music

Booby and Buddy sang in clubs and in High School Talent Shows with inspiration from bluegrass music. When performing for Bill Harley, he met the moment of his life. As a result of this performance, Holley was offered a contract with Decca Records to work alone. However, early success as a solo artist eluded him. Buddy formed his own band in Lubbock naming it “The Crickets”.

They had produced several songs including ‘That’ll Be the Day. The song had its nationwide release and became a smash hit. Holley played lead guitar on the hit single ‘Starlight’, recorded in April 1957, featuring Jack Huddle. Holly’s play on guitar is mentioned as rhythmic and influential as noted in “Peggy Sue” and “Not Fade Away”.

His songs mainly feature boy-girl love-like lyrics. In addition to that one of the main different characteristics of his song is the “hiccup” technique he does. The hiccup emphasizes on keywords of the song. Holly also managed to bridge some of the racial divides that punctuated rock. This won him over an all-black audience when accidentally booked for New York’s Apollo Theatre.

Bobby Holly Music Influence

John Lennon and Paul McCartney named him to influence their songs. This was on a tour in the United Kingdom together with his band, the crickets. The Beatles, a band chosen as an homage to The Crickets, did the cover for the song ‘Word of Love”. Later on, the Rolling Stones band did the cover for ‘Not Fade Away. Differing from the current western star style, Buddy had a controlled cerebral innovative life. The style is written to have a positive influence on the youth.

Buddy Holly Solo Tour

Holly mentioned his separation from the crickets to tour solo but with other performers. They include Ritchie Valens and J. P. Richardson. Later on, they arranged to fly to their next performance. This was after a performance at Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake on 2nd February.

Buddy Holly Memorial Places

Holly’s headstone carries the correct spelling of his name, Buddy Holley. It also features a carving of his favorite guitar. The tragic plane crash impressed singer Don McLean’s well-liked 1971 ballad ‘American Pie’, and immortalized Gregorian calendar month third as “The Day the Music Died”.

Contrary to the popular myth, ‘American Pie’ was not the name of the ill-fated airplane. The Surf Ballroom, a popular and old-fashioned dance hall that dates to the height of the Big Band Era, continues to put on shows, notably an annual Buddy Holly tribute on the anniversary of his last performances.

Songs

•  I’m Gonna Love You Too
•  Peggy Sue
•  Look at Me
•  Listen to Me
•  Valley of Tears
•  Ready Teddy
• Everyday
• Mailman
• Words of Love
• You’re So Square (Baby I Don’t Care)
• Rave On
• Little Baby
• 1999 Bonus tracks
• That’s My Desire
• Think It Over
• Fool’s Paradise
• Well… All Right
• Take Your Time

Buddy Holly Albums

•  The “Chirping” Crickets
•  Buddy Holly
• That’ll Be the Day
• The Buddy Holly Story
• The Buddy Holly Story, Vol. 2
• Reminiscing
• Showcase
• Holly in the Hills
• The Best of Buddy Holly
• Buddy Holly’s Greatest Hits

Contacts

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