The A-Z of Buddy Holly

and the Crickets

Fully revised and expanded

50th Anniversary edition

Alan Mann

The plane crash of 3 February 1959 which claimed the life of Buddy Holly was both a human tragedy, and a tragedy for rock'n'roll. In a little under two years, Holly and his band, the Crickets, had become major stars, thanks to their high standard of musicianship and a string of memorable hits including 'That'll Be The Day', 'Rave On', 'Peggy Sue', 'Oh Boy!' and 'Heartbeat', only for their career to be cruelly cut short. Nevertheless, Holly's records continued to sell in quantity for many years after his death – a testament to the timeless popularity of his songs.

The A-Z of Buddy Holly and the Crickets draws together a mass of Holly facts and info from a variety of published sources, as well as the author's own original research, and presents them in an easy-to-use encyclopaedic format. Now in its third edition, it has proved to be a popular and valuable reference work on this seminal rock'n'roller.  It is a book that every Holly fan will want to keep at their fingertips. It is a book about a musical genius who will never be forgotten.

REVIEWS

"The death just over 50 years ago of Buddy Holly in a tour-plane crash may have marked “the day the music died” – as Don McLean remarked the occasion in a hit recording of 1971 – but Holly remains a vital and influential figure, nonetheless... The scope of Holly’s influence becomes patent in this encyclopedic volume. Mann’s masterstroke with the new A–Z is to place Holly in a big-picture perspective... The book is as rich in compelling marginalia as it is in essential information.  The pilot of Holly’s doomed 1959 fight, Roger Peterson, commands an insightful listing, as does Lubbock-area musician Clyde Hankins, who had found Holly to be an impatient guitar student. The listings are as generous for such provincial figures as “Pappy” Dave Stone – a Northwest Texas broadcaster whose radio stations helped to launch Holly – as for such major-leaguers as Dick Clark and Ed Sullivan. Such Holly-come-latelies as Bobby Vee and Tommy Roe, who scored hit records with eerie sound-alike abilities, are discussed to enlightening effect."  Fort Worth Business Press

"A wonderful resource for fans, even those who have collected a megaload of magazines, records and memorabilia. Most of their answers will be readily accessed in a much more agreeable way than any internet search machine! The book is a triumph of research and remarkable testimony to the fascination and significance which a tall Texan can have on those who have been forever influenced by his music and personality."  Now Dig This

"In his introductory acknowledgments the author credits the John Beecher/John Goldrosen book, Remembering Buddy, as the definitive biography and last word on Holly. But this A-Z of Buddy Holly and the Crickets is the ideal companion, a fabulous reference work that aficionados will value as an ever-present next to their collection of Holly recordings. And, despite being fact-filled and presented in alphabetical order throughout, it also makes a jolly good sit down and read."  Pipeline

back

Published: 3 February 2009

ISBN: 978-0-9547068-0-7

Format: Paperback

Edition: 3rd

Extent: 320 pages

Dimensions: 234 x 156 mm

RRP: £22.99

Our price: £20.99 + p&p

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