Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 - February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas, during the Great Depression, and learned to play guitar and sing alongside his two siblings. In 1956 Holly created the band, The Crickets, with drummer Jerry Allison, bassist Joe B. Mauldin, and, from 1956 to 1958, rhythm guitarist Niki Sullivan. On February 3, 1959, Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. The event became known as "The Day the Music Died" after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie." The following audio includes several brief interviews Holly made in the late 1950s.
