1955-1959 The Indispensable

In 1957 Buddy Holly emerged out of Texas as the new wind of first, rockabilly, then rock, full stop, going directly to Number One with a series of refined international hits such as “Peggy Sue.” The Beatles built their early style learning his tunes, and the first Rolling Stones hit was a Buddy Holly cover version. Bruno Blum here tells the story of a legend among legends: a singer whose `hiccups’ signature made his style inimitable. A lead guitarist and a brilliant melody composer, he was a revelation _ promised for a long career at the top. Sixteen months later, his plane crashed, killing him on the spot at the age of twenty-two. Patrick FREMEAUX