Mears Mazda Dealership
1211 19th Street
Lubbock businesses often had live entertainment to
attract customers to their establishment. The Womble
Oldsmobile car dealership hired Buddy Holly and The Crickets
to play at one of their sales promotions. To attract greater
public interest and increase the visibility of the event,
Buddy and The Crickets performed on the roof of the building.
Lubbock High School
2004 19th Street
Buddy Holly graduated with the class of 1955 of Lubbock
High School. Holly was a member of the Lubbock High Choir and
performed in the Lubbock High Auditorium in various talent
shows and concerts. While attending Lubbock High, Holly
studied leather working, and blueprint reading. Buddy was
also involved in his first fender bender in his mother's car
in front of the school, when the teen was waving to friends
as he drove.
Venture Recording Studio
1926 19th St (A few doors down from Lubbock
High)
In late Nov/early Dec. 1956
Buddy, J.I. & some unknown musicians thought they'd check
out friend Bobby Peebles' recording studio. They recorded 11
rock & roll standards & 1 guitar instrumental (now
known as "Holly Hop") in front of a few friends
onto 3 3/4 ips tape. Most of these can be heard on the
Vigotone Box Set. Now a vacant building, but some rock & roll history
was made inside of it!
Roscoe Wilson Elementary School
2801 25th Street
Buddy attended first through the middle of fifth grade here
before his family moved to a different county, where he then
spent a year and a half at Roosevelt.
Hutchinson Junior High
3102 Canton
Buddy Holly entered 7th grade here & became friends
with Bob Montgomery. The duo quickly became known for their
musical talent and lack of stage fright. Buddy, Bob, and J.I.
began performing together at school functions. Holly's mother
recalled one parent's night the duo dedicated "Too Old
to Cut the Mustard" by the Carlisle Brothers to their
teachers.
Photo by Joe Price
Tabernacle Baptist Church
1911 34th Street
Buddy Holly and his family attended church at the
Tabernacle Baptist Church. Buddy Holly's funeral was later
held in the sanctuary on Saturday, February 7, 1959. Please
do not enter unless attending services.
Lawrence & Ella Holley's Home
1606 39th St.
Buddy Holly married Maria Elena Santiago on August 15th,
1958 in a private ceremony at his parents home at 1606 39th
Street. The Holley's family pastor, Ben Johnson, conducted
the ceremony, and Joe B. Mauldin and J.I. Allison attended
the small affair, along with several friends. As soon as the
service was over, Joe and J.I. played the record "Now
We're One." The Holly's & Allisons honeymooned in
Acapulco for a week after the wedding.
KDAV Radio Studios (presently KRFE AM
580)
6602 Martin Luther King Boulevard
The KDAV Studios began operation in September 1953 and
may have been the first full time country music station in
the U.S. "Pappy" Dave Stone gave Buddy Holly and Jack Neal a chance to perform on the air during the
"Sunday Party." This later evolved into a regular
slot at 2:30 p.m. every Sunday for the trio (Buddy, Bob Montgomery and Larry
Welborn). The segment was called "The
Buddy & Bob Show."
City of Lubbock Cemetery
E. 34th Street
Buddy Holly died at age 22 in a plane crash near Clear
Lake, Iowa, on February 3, 1959. Fellow musicians Ritchie
Valens and J/P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were
also killed in the crash. The funeral was held in Tabernacle
Baptist Church, and he was buried in the city of Lubbock
Cemetery on Saturday, February 7th, 1959. Fans have traveled
from up to ten thousand miles away to view Holly's final
resting place. It is customary to place a guitar pick beside
the headstone so that the "music lives on."
This is the second gravestone for Buddy, the original
headstone was stolen.
Buddy is buried to the left of his father Lawrence Holley & mother Ella,
on Buddy's other side is brother-in-law Lee Weir.
Fair Park Coliseum
Ave. A & 10th St.
The Fair Park Coliseum was the host to many of the
popular musicians of the era. Buddy was
"discovered" here and performed many times during
the 1950's. This is also where he opened the shows for many
musicians including Bill Haley and Elvis Presley.
The Cotton Club
Approx. 15 miles East of Lubbock on Slaton Highway 84
This is the spot where the original Cotton Club was, which burnt down
in the early '60s. This is the rebuilt version.
It was in 1955 that Buddy saw Elvis Presley perform at the Cotton Club and Buddy
forever changed his style from country standards to rock
& roll. Almost torn down in 1978, the building was sold
and turned into an Adult Club/Bookstore and a sad story is
that all of the stars that performed there had signed one of
the clubs walls. When it was sold, the new owner simply
painted over the wall!
Color backstage film footage of Buddy, Sonny Curtis, Don
Guess, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash & the earliest film
footage of Elvis exist from his performance at the Club in 1955 (taken by Ben Hall, writer of "Blue Days, Black
Nights").
Site of Hi-D-Ho - 3rd St. &
University
Drive-in restaurants combined America's love of the
automobile with their desire to socialize and dine, becoming
a classic part of the 1950's American culture. The Hi-D-Ho
Drive-in restaurant was a favorite gathering place for most
Lubbock teenagers including Buddy Holly and The Crickets.
"Circling the Ho" meant driving around the Hi-D-Ho
in order to be "seen" and to socialize with your
friends. Besides spending free time at the Hi-D-Ho, Buddy and
the Crickets performed at the establishment for promotional
events. Unfortunately it's been demolished long ago and a new
burger stop "Tommy's" is in its place.
Lawson Roller Rink
2nd & University
A matter of blocks from where The Hi-D-Ho once stood is
another once popular 50's teen spot, The Lawson Roller Rink.
In the 1978 "Buddy Holly Story" Gary Busey movie,
one of the first scenes is of Buddy & The Crickets
ripping it up at this rink as the teens & kids
roller-skated. Here it is!
It later changed into a youth center and is now a warehouse
for Bell Dairy (across the street also). It was almost
recently demolished until a handful of Holly fans, friends,
and nostalgiac citizens asked the city to make it a
historical landmark instead of tear it down, which was
approved by the City Of Lubbock.
Buddy's First Home
1911 6th Street
Lawrence and Ella Holley lived in a small one-story home
at 1911 6th Street when their fourth and last child, Charles
Hardin Holley, was born. Nicknamed "Buddy," he
chose to adopt the spelling "Holly" when it was
first misspelled on his first record contract in 1956. The
house has since been moved from the original lot, which now
stands empty.
Photo courtesy of John Goldrosen
J.I. Allison's Home
2215 6th Street
This area has since been leveled for redevelopment, so there's
nothing to visit anymore. Buddy Holly and The Crickets often rehearsed in the back
room of this home, which still belongs to J.I. Allison
of the Crickets. This is also the house in which the
name "The Crickets" was chosen, inspired by a
musical group called "The Spiders." Buddy Holly and
J.I. actually wrote "That'll Be The Day" at this
home. Some documentaries have featured color footage of the
group in front of this house.
Year 2000
2002
Buddy Statue & "Walk Of
Fame"
Avenue Q & 8th Ave
The Buddy Holly Statue is located across from the Lubbock
Memorial Civic Center. Created by Utah sculptor Grant Speed,
it stands 8'6" tall & is 2500 pounds of bronze. It
was unveiled Sept. 5th, 1980.
The "Walk Of Fame" circles the statue with plaques
honoring West Texas musicians, actors & artists.
