New book Words Of Love celebrates the life of the late rock and roll musician and songwriter Buddy Holly as Sir Paul McCartney reveals how he inspired The Beatles
A new book shows Buddy Holly as you’ve never seen him before – including without his trademark glasses.
Buddy Holly: Words Of Love celebrates the life of the late rock and roll musician and songwriter and the inspiration he had on many of the greatest musicians of the last six decades. Released this week in hardback, the book documents Holly’s career and legacy through a collection of never-before-seen photography and personal items as well as stories from those close to him.
One shot in an open neck checked shirt shows him without glasses aged 17 and was taken from his 1954 school yearbook. He is also shown in an oversized white or cream jacket on stage in Tampa, Florida from January 1957 when he supported Hank Thompson.
The following month in February 1957, Buddy would rehearse and re-record That’ll Be The Day with his new band the Crickets. It would achieve widespread success and go gold with more than a million sales in the US.
Born in 1939 the book also traces things right back to his childhood and his first radio shows in 1953 at the age of just 14 where he performed in Lubbock, Texas.
By 1955 he had his own group and opened for Elvis Presley before landing a record deal with Decca. He became a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s in shaping rock and roll music.
A picture in the book from 1957 shows the band in matching suits on stage at Paramount in New York at a time around the time they had three records riding high in the charts – That’ll Be The Day, Oh Boy and Peggy Sue which was backed with Everyday.
He made one UK tour playing 25 dates in 1958 which is also illustrated in the book.
Buddy died in a plane crash when he was 22 years old in 1959 and is best known for his songs It Doesn’t Matter Anymore, Peggy Sue and Everyday.
Big name musicians also line up to sing his praises and reflect on the influence he had on so many singers and songwriters afterwards.
There are also contributions from Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Emmylou Harris, Brian May, Van Morrison, Dolly Parton, Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Pete Townshend and Ronnie Wood, among many more. Illustrating their text, each contributor has provided a handwritten dedication to Buddy, their own ‘Words of Love’.
Beatle Sir Paul McCartney says: “The first time I ever heard Buddy Holly was when the record ‘That’ll be the Day’ came out. It sounded energetic. I thought it was a black band and we couldn’t figure out how they did it. It was Buddy Holly and the Crickets. He was playing lead guitar which we loved, but he was also singing on it, which we loved, and he had written it, which we loved. So on a number of levels, he was very inspirational. He became a hero for us and gave us the idea to go and do it ourselves.”
Eric Clapton says: “Buddy Holly made a very very big impression on me. Because of a lot of things, but especially the way he looked and his charisma – there was something lonely and ordinary about the guy, he gave hope to millions of kids with glasses.”
And Dolly Parton says: “Buddy Holly was one of the greatest talents ever. His songs are as up-to-date now as they were 60 years ago. I loved Buddy – still do.”
The book was made in partnership with Buddy’s widow Maria Elena Holly and the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, and features an original cover art created specially by Ronnie Wood.
Writing in the foreword, Buddy’s widow Maria Elena Holly says: “Buddy would be overwhelmed and humbled that so many of the world’s finest artists and musicians, covering eight decades, have dedicated such warm words about him and the music he and his close friends created.”
The hardback edition of Buddy Holly: Words Of Love follows from the limited-edition version – of which only 559 copies were made.
The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation continues to preserve Buddy Holly’s legacy. They focus on promoting his legendary music so that it continues to remain relevant and inspirational for future generations of fans and musicians. Their mission is to bring Buddy and María Elena Holly’s dream of extending musical education, including songwriting, production, arranging, orchestration, and performance, to new generations regardless of income or ethnicity or learning levels
Proceeds from the sales of the new hardback edition will benefit Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.
Buddy Holly: Words of Love is published by Genesis Publications and is out on Tuesday with an RRP of £60.
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