From the Sacramento Bee:

 

Happy birthday, Buddy Holly

By Chris Macias
Bee Pop Music Writer
(Published Sept. 4, 2001)

Rock 'n' roll pioneer Buddy Holly would be 65 on Friday, had he not perished on "the day the music died." Holly's career was cut short, along with those of Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959.

But in Holly's hometown of Lubbock, Texas, the locals haven't forgotten their favorite son. The Buddy Holly Center has been running for two years, offering exhibits centered around both Holly and the musical history of West Texas.

Displays include Holly's high school ring, his glasses, which were recovered from the fatal plane crash, musical instruments -- and even his Cub Scout uniform.

"It's a permanent gallery dedicated to his life and music," says Jobi Martinez, cultural arts assistant for the Buddy Holly Center, speaking on the phone from Lubbock. "This is always a busy time of year for us, with Buddy Holly's birthday always near the Labor Day holiday weekend. We get visitors from all over country."

At his death, Holly left behind a share of hits, including "Peggy Sue," "Not Fade Away" and "That'll Be The Day." With his chunky glasses and unimposing stance, he also influenced generations of such nerdy- looking rockers as Elvis Costello, They Might Be Giants and Weezer's Rivers Cuomo. (Weezer even canonized Holly with its hit "Buddy Holly.")

"A lot of people credit Elvis (Presley) for being the innovator of rock 'n' roll, but before him was Buddy Holly," Martinez says. "He played with various sounds and musical styles.

"(Had he lived), I think he still would have been a legend. He was also trying to get in the recording industry and create his own company. He hoped that he could run the company here in Lubbock. This would've been a nice place for it."

For more information about the Buddy Holly Center, visit www.buddyhollycenter.org on the Web.