Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama - October 17th, 1920
George Manley Atwood has packed a lifetime into the music profession in every style & also in the business sense. He received a Purple Heart during his service in the Navy during World War II, and was also well known in Lubbock for his work at KLLL Radio and appearing on television as Go-Ee The Clown. Having worked with Gene Krupa, The Dorsey Brothers, Roy Orbison, Eddy Arnold, and Buddy Knox, he was for years a session musician at Norman Petty Studios. In late 1958, he played bass on Buddy's recordings of "Heartbeat", "Love's Made A Fool Of You" and "Wishing".
George recalls the last time he saw Buddy: "December 28th, 1958 had turned out to be a really nice day after the big snow storm over New Years Eve. I had just finished lunch when the phone rang. It was Buddy Holly. He asked me if I could come down to KLLL radio station for a while as he wanted to talk to me. When I arrived at the studio there were several other people there I knew, some I didn't. Waylon Jennings, Hi-Pockets Duncan, & The Corbin Brothers. Buddy came over & said "let's get a cup of coffee". We went across the street to the old Walgreen drug store, sat for a minute then Buddy said "I'm going to build a recording studio here in Lubbock & I want you to be a part of it".
Buddy began to explain his plans for the studio, and if my memory serves me right, he had already bought the land. He showed me the basic layout as to what the studio would look like. He had everything planned, right down to where he could distribute his own records. He asked me to do two jobs for him; one as studio musician, the second was to serve as one of his PR men. We talked for another half hour or so then went back up to KLLL. Buddy & Maria were leaving the next morning for New York & the family had a get together planned. We shook hands & he said "I'll call you just before the tour is over & we'll get things going". That was the last time I saw or spoke to Buddy. He really didn't want to go on that tour, he just wanted to get started on his studio"
George has a ton of tales about his days in Clovis, unfortunately many of his treasured items were ruined in a hurricane when he lived on the South coast. George & his wife Betty then relocated to where she had family in Idaho. Betty passed away in 2000.
George was inducted into the Norman Petty Studios Hall Of Fame June'99 and received the award at his home, as well as the Mayor declaring it George Atwood Day in Jerome, ID.
George passed away March 27, 2005.
