February 3rd defined the anniversary of Buddy Holly’s death, as well as Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. The legendary plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa continues to trouble our conscious souls; otherwise our society would not persist in honoring these celebrated artists. For example: Hollywood’s somewhat biographical depiction of The Buddy Holly Story, an actor’s brief rendition of Buddy in La Bamba, Broadway’s production of Buddy- The Buddy Holly Story, an Australian musical which opened on Feb. 3rd of 2009, the movie dedicated to one of his songs, Peggy Sue Got Married, and of course, the ever-so infamous song, "American Pie." And certainly there is a much longer list of pop cultural influences such as Pulp Fiction, The Simpsons, and Quantum Leap, but I think you get the picture.
Dying at the age of 22, (and how many of us dare to remember our early twenties?), his life had just rose the anchor before sailing off into uncharted waters. He began his rock ‘n roll profession in the late 50’s when this new and wild music propelled a hurricane. Although he wasn’t the founder of rock ‘n roll, (and it’s a difficult journey to track as to whom truly was the founder because the styles of rhythm and blues, boogie woogie, folk, country, and spirituals fused like a nuclear bomb,) Buddy’s influences were just as powerful. Even after his death his influences are persevered in the ashes of his wake. But since he had made such a forceful impact, I have to ask the paradoxical question: What if Buddy Holly had lived?
I realize I am NOT the only who has indulged in this kind of musing. Obviously. Nevertheless, let’s first take a peek at where he came from to the point of his emergence. I also realize for those who are die-hard fans, this reflection is something you may already know and has become second nature. Be patient and humor me.
It may be common knowledge that he was born in Lubbock, Texas on September 7, 1936, (the same year the summer Olympics were held in Nazi Germany, Roosevelt ran a second term for president, Mutiny on the Bounty won best picture, and the Spanish Civil War as well as the war in China against Japan were set in motion. Also it was the year that Robert Redford, Jim Henson, Mary Tyler Moore, Roy Orbison, Bobby Darin, and Louis Gossett Jr. were born.) Furthermore it might be common knowledge that his real name was Charles Hardin Holley, Buddy being his nickname, and that his last name was a misprint on a recording label, dropping they "e" after the "y" but he decided to keep the misspelling to save future confusion. He was raised in a musical family and had been playing in a duet since junior high. But how many of you knew that although he played guitar, piano, and the violin, he could not read or write music? And that although he occasionally smoked but didn’t drink alcohol due to a stomach ulcer?
Now there are other legendary stories revolving around Buddy and his former band, The Crickets. For instance, picking names of animals and insects for band names were a popular fad, and ironically The Beetles were almost a consideration, but The Crickets band name was ultimately chosen. Their reasoning: Texas usually harbors millions of crickets, and since Texas was their home, it naturally suited them. In addition to their name, at the end of “I’m Gonna Love You Too,” a chirping of a cricket can be heard.
And then there’s the song “Peggy Sue,” which was changed from “Cindy Lou.” The drummer, Jerry Allison, wanted to impress his girlfriend, Peggy Sue Gerron, after having an argument, but Buddy had wanted to keep the title honoring his sister and niece, both named Cindy. On a bet, Buddy told Jerry that if he could speed-up the beat of the song, then they would change the title. Needless to say, Buddy lost that bet.
And then there’s the song “Peggy Sue,” which was changed from “Cindy Lou.” The drummer, Jerry Allison, wanted to impress his girlfriend, Peggy Sue Gerron, after having an argument, but Buddy had wanted to keep the title honoring his sister and niece, both named Cindy. On a bet, Buddy told Jerry that if he could speed-up the beat of the song, then they would change the title. Needless to say, Buddy lost that bet.
Sadly the band parted ways when Buddy wanted artistic sovereignty
Because Buddy had dealt with the complications and contradictions of the recording studios, before his death his funds were frozen due to lawsuit claims that continue even today, therefore had plans to build his own recording studio called Prism outside of Lubbock and then to create a publishing music company called Taupe Publishing. In fact, he and Ritchie Valens were constructing plans to work together to help record and publish Ritchie’s music without the big company’s restrictions. This naturally would have liberated various possibilities for those who were dismissed by the bigger companies. Not just for the rock ‘n roll industry, but for the world of music in general. In particular, minorities, and perhaps specifically, the Latino community. Since Buddy was a Texan, he grew up in a mixed culture, even if his town was predominately white and was named after a former Confederate soldier.
In spite of the growing Latino culture in America, only a handful have actually permeated through mainstream. By the time Buddy emerged into the music scene, there was Dezi Arnaz, AKA Ricki Ricardo, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, and Ritchie Valens. At the time it was. Following them much later were Carlos Santana, Gloria Estefan, Selena, (another untimely death,) Jennifer Lopez, and Jon Secada. Of course they are more I have yet to mention, but he point I’m trying to convey is that by comparison to the majority of musicians in the United States the number is still underdeveloped. Perhaps Buddy could have sponsored a handful more.
I have no doubt he would have been involved with the Civil Rights movement. In high school he named his cat after Booker T. Washington and gave his dog a Spanish name, Alonzo. He and The Crickets played at the Apollo Theater, one of the few white bands to do so in the late 50’s. If he became more politically active, how would that have been reflective in his music? The Beatles had started with fun diddles, but the much needed social change forced America to change and their songs did reflect those challenges. Who knows, Buddy could have also been on J. Edgar Hoover’s list which included John Lennon, Charlie Chaplin and remarkably, Eleanor Roosevelt, (due to her public speaking for racial equality. But because Eleanor was the president’s wife, the matter wasn’t pushed.) The reason Elvis wasn’t on that list is because Elvis, with sincere intentions for being a loyal American, agreed to give Hoover any names of people he knew in the entertainment world who were suspect of Communism or any other radical ideology.
Buddy probably would have done the Hollywood scene, even if briefly, competing with Elvis, Bobby Darin, Bobbie Fisher and Doris Day, just to name a few. More than likely he would have done the typical romantic-musical comedy bits. But since he was highly intelligent and versatile, it would be interesting to see if his career could have become more serious, dramatic; similar to Frank Sinatra.
Would his old band have reunited with him? After shaking my magic black Eight Ball, most definitely. First of all, when Buddy had left The Crickets it wasn’t because of personal clashes which often plague bands with outbreaks of mutiny! And I’m quite sure the guys had missed his company as well as his success which is rumored that they were considering reuniting with Buddy. Not only that, if he was in the process of opening his own recording studio in Lubbock, that would have resolved all of their concerns regarding keeping true to their roots!
Would he have still been married to Maria? Well, that really is a much more difficult question to mull over little alone answer. He did propose to her on their first date after only spending five hours with her. She has been noted to have understand the legalities of the music business and has been a fierce advocate in preserving his music. Being an orphan and raised by her aunt, she never came to terms with Buddy’s premature death. She didn’t attend his funeral and never has visited his graveside. As she explained to 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." Because they married so young, it could have gone either way, but there seemed to be a mutual respect for each other that could have remained in a long-term friendship. Also, Buddy was raised by a strong, supportive family which would have made him a faithful family man.
Would he have kept his glasses? If he wanted to change his image, and didn’t want to deal with eye surgery, soft contact lenses were first created as a prototype in 1961 but would not be ready for commercial distribution in the United States until ten years later. Prior to that, contact lenses were first assembled from glass and hard plastic which made them uncomfortable to say in the least. But it wasn’t until 1982 when bifocal contact lenses became available. Nevertheless, by the time technology made contact lenses an easier option, Buddy would have been in the public eye for about twenty years and to see him without his glasses would seem a bit odd. When you think of Buddy, those thick glasses often come to mind! After all, whether intentional or not, those glasses are his trademark!
I’m not the only one who has conceived of this “what if” paradox. Bradley Denton, another writer from Kansas by the way, wrote a science fiction prophecy called, Buddy Holly is Alive and Well on Ganymede. It’s a humorous spin on American culture, comparing Buddy to Jesus’ second coming, with a sci-fi swivel that includes the supernatural and aliens. And Denton plays off of Greek mythology of Ganymede, a divine hero who was a Trojan prince and was considered so gorgeous among the mortals that Zeus had to have him to serve as an immortal cup bearer to the gods.
Another sci-fi paradox is an anthology series called, Wild Cards, written by various authors on a single theme, also known as a shared universe. This theme, as you can guess, is about Buddy, the divine hero.
So, would his career have survived fifty years? He influenced The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen. His popularity continues to charm us, so I would have to say, “yes!” I believe his career would have survived along side of his legacy.
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