Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Buddy Holly

He was only 22 years old--exactly half the age I am now--when he, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash 50 years ago today. And accomplished more in that short life than I will if I live to be 88.

2 comments:

JB said...

"Indiana" Tom, my buddy, remembers very well when the crash happened. Only a few months away from his 13th birthday, he was a serious fan of the young sound called Rock and Roll. He told me all about it by phone last evening. It was still considered very cool and "edgy" to dig Rock and Roll in 1959, he said. He and his boys sported dungarees, loafers, immaculate white t-shirts, and ducktail cuts -- much to their mothers' chagrin. When the news broke that these three young sensations had perished in a plane crash, Tom went outside behind his house and cried. He said that some part of him grew up very suddenly that day. His next emotional growth spurt would happen when President Kennedy was killed.

belsum said...

Oh so today is the day the music died. I wasn't sure but I knew it was coming up.

I worked in the field in Mason City, IA for a while and one session we stayed in Clear Lake instead. So I went to check out the Surf Ballroom. It's shitty but it was still cool to see.