Buddy Holly: Biography (72 page)

Petty refused to acknowledge: NP quoted in Brooks and Malcolm, “NP,” RM 37, p. 8.

lacked vision:
Ibid.

Buddy purchased a gold chain: BG, “Buddy’s Wedding Present,” RM 32, Fall/84, p. 11.

Petty was aware of: MEH quoted in G&B, RB, p. 118.

perfectly well without the Crickets: Ward, “Fifties,” ROA, pp. 189–90.

“cheap girl”: G&B, RB, p. 118.

“picked up,”:
Ibid.

went around with numerous:
Ibid.

The executive denied everything:
Ibid.

NBC division responsible for: Ward, “Fifties,” ROA, p. 183.

“Rave On” was singled out:
Ibid.

“smash the records: Cited in
ibid.

Everlys could never put it: “Meeting With Mr. and Mrs. Holley on 6/12/69,” p. 4.

he rued having lost: Quoted in “Everlys,” TRSI, p. 145.

“I was in a restaurant in Nashville: Amburn,
Dark Star,
p. 73; Clayson,
Only the Lonely,
p. 47.

Chet Atkins hadn’t been: Fricke, “Roy Orbison Remembered,”
Rolling Stone,
1/26/89, cited in Amburn,
Dark Star,
pp. 80–81, 240.

“Buddy Holly came to visit: Emery and Carter,
Memories,
pp. 78–79.

Fender Precision purchased at: BHTLL, p. 96.

Buddy had been drinking: Author interview with Neal Winker, who says Buddy asked one of Winker’s friends to buy Buddy a beer in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

“unplanned dip in the river.”: “Holly Almost Drowned in ’58 Swimming Mishap.”

logs started turning: JBM quoted in
ibid.

stayed up all night, drinking: Bob Oestreich, drummer with the Roustabouts, who opened for BH at the Rothschild Pavilion, stated in MS, “Night Before Music Died,”
Voyageur,
Vol. 9, No. 2, Winter/Spring/93, p. 19, that after the dance he met Buddy at a bar and was with him until the early morning hours.

he tried to swim across: LL, “Holly Almost.”

“We knocked and woke him: Author interview with Neale Winker.

“Hey, Buddy,” he yelled:
Ibid.

“I’m here to collect my beer,”:
Ibid.

“Buddy made my friend buy him that beer”:
Ibid.

they were suddenly killed: JA quoted in RBHS.

Buffalo Springs Lake: Author interview with LH.

Owens outboard with a: BG, “Mrs. Holley,” p. 3; BG, “BH on Waterskis,” R50 36, 6/92, p. 7; Bilas,
Waterski,
April/92.

“bottom of the lake,”: “Mrs. Holley,” p. 4.

“crisp as if they:
Ibid.

innocent summer of 1958: “LH,” p. 9.

“salty”:
Ibid.

“Oh, no.”: Quoted in RB, p. 106.

Ella Holley wasn’t the only obstacle:
Ibid.

Petty was probably correct: JA quoted in G&B, RB, p. 117.

“There is a warm side: Author interview with PS.

Baptist neighbors felt: G&B, RB, p. 106.

“might as well not: Quoted in RB,
ibid.

“He didn’t have a red cent,”: Author interview with MEH.

hostile and jealous: NP quoted in G&B, RB, p. 118.

naive and inexperienced:
Ibid.

appeared to be undermining:
Ibid.

“Norman did not want Buddy to get married: Author interview with MEH.

“Norman said that Buddy:
Ibid.

marriage-license affidavit: BG, “PS,” Souvenir Program, p. 7.

They eloped the following: PS quoted in BG, “PS,” p. 8.

“what I was doing.”: Quoted in G&B, RB, p. 117.

“jumping the gun.”: Quoted in BG, “PS,” p. 8.

all going to Acapulco:
Ibid.

Buddy’s father liked Maria: RB, p. 118.

a mama’s boy, L.O.:
Ibid.

“come into his own,”:
Ibid.

power she was beginning: Author interview with MEH; Ward, “Fifties,” ROA, pp. 189–90; T. White,
Rock Lives,
p. 45.

“mother and father were so: Quoted in “Farewell to BH,” 16, reprinted in AC, BH, No. 1, p. 46.

“Buddy Charley Halley [sic]: LAJ, 8/16/58.

“There wasn’t a proper: Author interview with MEH.

“‘One karat is enough’:
Ibid.

the temperature hitting 97: LAJ, 8/15/58.

“a short—not even: Author interview with MEH.

a gold wedding band:
Ibid.

Jerry played Buddy’s record: G&B, RB, p. 107.

He tipped pastor Johnson: BG, R50, 8/91, p. 24.

not even Maria Elena: Author interview with MEH.

“no bank account:
Ibid.

“No. Just Norman:
Ibid.

ample proof: BG, “Second BH Auction,” pp. 22, 24. Items from BH’s checking account, including the canceled $100 check to Ben Johnson, sold at Sotheby’s (lot 621) for $1,650 on 6/23/90.

Acapulco, nestled: Video,
Acapulco,
Travel-view International; Moldvay and Fabian,
Photographing Mexico City & Acapulco.

they skipped this attraction: Author interview with PS.

tension between Peggy Sue and Jerry:
Ibid.

“It was uncomfortable,”:
Ibid.

altered after marriage: BG, “PS,” p. 8.

Buddy was indeed different:
Ibid.

“a happy person:
Ibid.

“I don’t think that Buddy:
Ibid.

differences in background and age: Author interview with PS.

They all stayed at Las Brisas: Author interview with PS.

El Cano, “which was:
Ibid.

They rented a boat: Bilas,
Waterski,
3/92, cited in BG, “BH on Waterskis,” p. 7.

Buddy taught her how:
Ibid.

over in Mexico City … Hilton: Author interview with PS.

“We spent the night:
Ibid.

In the photo, Jerry: BG, “PS,” p. 9; G&B, RB, p. 107.

Jerry was not as happy: RBHS.

“uncomfortable,”:
Ibid.

“weird”:
Ibid.

abject poverty: Author interview with MEH.

move in with Buddy’s parents:
Ibid.

even afford to buy groceries:
Ibid.

“My aunt was the one:
Ibid.

“Norman said, ‘No:
Ibid.

Buddy’s father looked on: G&B, RB, p. 106.

the most beneficial thing: Quoted in G&B, RB, p. 118.

Ella Holley’s apron strings:
Ibid.

“
man.
”:
Ibid.

“She was running Buddy’s: Author interview with Jerry Coleman; NP quoted in G&B, RB, p. 121; author interview with MEH, who said JA “felt uncomfortable with the fact that I was making decisions too.”

“Jerry and Joe B. felt a little: Author interview with MEH.

drama beyond his wildest: G&B, RB, p. 117, maintain that Buddy’s marriage was the reason for the Crickets’ breakup and the rupture of Buddy’s relationship with his manager.

Chapter 11

Billy Graham: Szatmary,
Rockin’ in Time,
p. 54.

imposed on unsuspecting teens: Ward, “Fifties,” ROA, p. 174.

“cheap music”:
Ibid.

“largely engineered: Szatmary,
Rockin’ in Time,
p. 54.

“cretinous goons”: Frank Sinatra article in
Western World
cited in Szatmary,
Rockin’ in Time,
p. 26.

Oscar Hammerstein:
Ibid,
p. 65.

207 DJs in forty-two: Szatmary,
Rockin’ in Time,
p. 66.

“Clean up this whole: Quoted in
ibid.

“so bad that it’s: BBH, p. 294.

“approximately” $100 a month:
Ibid.,
p. 164.

Clay admitted that DJs:
Ibid.,
p. 252.

“the backbone of American:
Ibid.,
p. 255.

“If somebody sent you:
Ibid.

blackballed:
Ibid.,
p. 318.

“awash in a sea of alcohol:
Ibid.,
pp. 315, 318, 321–22.

Little Richard was studying: Lazell et al.,
Rock Movers and Shakers,
p. 301; T. White,
Rock Lives,
p. 34.

Elvis … was abusing drugs: Presley,
Elvis and Me,
p. 52.

Jerry Lee’s reputation: Pareles and Romanowski,
Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock ’n’ Roll,
p. 327; T. White,
Rock Lives,
p. 49.

Chuck Berry would eventually: Berry,
Autobiography,
p. 213.

Everly Brothers were close: Dodge,
Everly Brothers,
pp. 51, 64; Loder, “Everlys,” RSI, p. 142.

“a teenage wasteland,”: p. 7.

“people kept waiting”: Ward, “Fifties,” ROA, p. 172.

Petty, who refused to: Author interview with MEH.

Petty was named sales: NP quoted in Brooks and Malcolm, “NP,” RM 37, 7/85, p. 12.

“was just sitting around: WJRBH, p. 72.

“immensely popular”:
Cash Box
cited in G&B, RB, p. 128.

high-strung, demanding: Denisoff,
Waylon,
p. 53.

$75 a week: Denisoff,
Waylon,
p. 53.

“top C&W DJ in:
Cash Box
cited in G&B, RB, p. 128.

“began to pitch Waylon: Denisoff,
Waylon,
p. 56.

“to see the swingingest:
Ibid.,
p. 55.

Supporting his wife and children:
Ibid.,
p. 56.

“Maxine stayed at their:
Ibid.

preference for black women: Quoted on p. 56.

“I’ve been with some pretty: Quoted in Riese,
Nashville Babylon,
p. 56.

“Buddy liked Waylon: Denisoff,
Waylon,
p. 56.

write songs, play them: Quoted in Melhuish and Hall, VHS-PC 105.

“local pickers”:
Ibid.

“personality DJs”:
Cash Box
cited in G&B, RB, p. 128.

“Lubbock boys, and we’re:
Ibid.

work in the back room: Larry Corbin quoted in BG, “KLLL radio,” RM 7, 6/78, p. 7.

singing along with it: EH quoted in BG, “Mrs. Holley,” p. 4.

“looking for the guy”: WJRBH, p. 3.

pounded on trash: Larry Corbin quoted in BG, “KLLL radio,” p. 7.

jingles as station IDs: Quoted in video,
Waylon.

Buddy asked if he could: WJEN quoted in BG, “KLLL radio,” p. 8.

“All I got out: Quoted in Denisoff,
Waylon,
p. 55.

“best times of my life,”: WJEN quoted in video,
Waylon.

“big old Lincoln”: HPD quoted in BG, RM, 3/79.

“Let me put it this:
Ibid.

Waylon was his latest: G&B, RB, p. 108.

Spur, Texas:
Ibid.

Ray Price’s bass: Denisoff,
Waylon,
p.56.

“His dad said to Buddy: Quoted in WJRBH, p. 73.

“When Waylon Jennings wanted to: Author interview with MEH.

“goose bumples.”: WJRBH, p. 73.

“Buddy knew always that: Author interview with MEH.

“he was
smart,
man”: WJEN quoted WJRBH, p. 73.

go to southern Louisiana: LH quoted in G&B, RB, p. 124.

Petty wouldn’t provide the: Author interview with MEH.

Harry Choates: Horstman,
Sing Your Heart Out, Country Boy.

Waylon was the first:
Waylon,
video.

orchid-colored Lincoln: LH quoted in BG, “LH,” p. 8.

Cadillac:
Ibid.

“pink”:
Ibid.

“taupe.”: IC.

Larry had ended up paying:
Ibid.

drove the Cadillac to Clovis: Jerry Engler quoted in McLeod, “Jerry Engler,” R50 32, 10/91, p. 19.

“King Curtis helped define: “BH,”
Rolling Stone Album Guide,
p. 399.

“distinctive, almost: ROA, p. 181.

“lickety-split: p. 135.

“That’ll be five-hundred dollars: Quoted in Denisoff,
Waylon,
p. 57.

startlingly different from: LW quoted in G&B, RB, p. 110.

increasingly difficult:
Ibid.

“an event,”:
Ibid.

Most of Buddy’s friends: Denisoff,
Waylon,
p. 57.

“just marveling a whole: WJRBH, p. 72.

full-time sax man: Wexler and Ritz,
Rhythm and the Blues,
p. 208.

stabbed him to death:
Ibid.,
p. 248.

“an integral conveyor of:
Ibid.,
p. 127.

“loved to eat, shoot:
Ibid.,
p. 248.

Buddy had intended to cut: Denisoff,
Waylon,
p. 57.

“to see his friends: Quoted in
Waylon,
video.

“privileged”: Author interview with SC.

“Buddy’s idea” and added: Quoted in
Waylon,
video.

“Jolie blonde,”: Horstman,
Sing Your Heart Out, Country Boy,
p. 173.

“scared,” he remembered the: Denisoff,
Waylon,
pp. 57–58.

“I wasn’t near ready:
Ibid.,
p. 57.

“acquits himself to listenable: Quoted in AC,
BH,
No. 1, unidentified article dated 5/18/59, p. 47.

“interesting, infectious issue:
Ibid.,
5/30/59.

Doug Kershaw: Malone,
Country Music U.S.A.,
p. 312.

“an upper, happy all: Quoted in
Waylon,
video.

“laughed a lot,”: WJRBH, p. 72.

“leave while you’re ahead:
Ibid.

If a singer retires:
Ibid.

Petty was busily trying: JBM quoted in G&B, RB, p. 120. JBM said that it was in the autumn of 1958 that NP convinced them they’d be robbed of their money if they went to New York.

Maria Elena was luring:
Ibid.
JBM said that NP, not MEH, was responsible for breaking up the band by convincing JBM and JA that they must never move to New York.

Vi and Norma Jean made: Author interview with MEH; MEH quoted in G&B, RB, p. 119.