Buddy Holly is trending on what would have been his 75th birthday.
The rock-and-roll pioneer from Lubbock, Texas, was opening for Elvis Presley by age 19, and from 1957 to 1959 he generated 10 hit singles, including “Rave-On,” “That’ll Be the Day,” and “Peggy Sue.”
In February 1959 at the age of 22, Holly died in a plane crash along with Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. But he left an enduring musical legacy—from the standard rock-and-roll band setup of two guitars, a bass, and drums to a body of blues and rockabilly music that helped bridge the racial divide in popular music.
In June 2011, Rave-On, a Buddy Holly tribute album, was released and features covers by the Black Keys, Paul McCartney, Fiona Apple, Lou Reed, and others.
