Not Fade Away: The Life and Music of Buddy Holly UK ed. Edition
Author(s): John Gribbin (Author)
Publisher: Icon Books
Publication Date: 1 Jan. 2009
Edition: UK ed.
Language: English
Print length: 240 pages
ISBN-10: 184831034X
ISBN-13: 9781848310346
Book Description
Buddy Holly was killed at 22 when the plane he was travelling in crashed on 3 February 1959. Although this was less than two years after Holly’s first hit record, Don McLean described this as ‘the day the music died.’ But Sonny Curtis, Holly’s friend and musical colleague, told us that the music didn’t die, because ‘Buddy Holly lives every time you play rock’n’roll.’ Fifty years after Holly’s death, his lasting influence is clear; a musical based on his life seems set to run for longer than his lifetime and artists as diverse as Blink 182 and Bob Dylan call him an inspiration.The Beatles chose That’ll Be the Day by Buddy’s group The Crickets as their first attempt at recording, as well as taking the idea for their name. Clearly, the music didn’t die!John Gribbin, an ardent fan since he was twelve, presents this labour of love written in the spirit of Sonny Curtis’ lyric, as a celebration of Holly’s all too brief life, and as an introduction,for all those not around in 1959, to the man and his astonishing musical legacy. “Not Fade Away” also includes – uniquely – a full and detailed account of every Holly recording session, which any Buddy fan will devour.
Editorial Reviews
Review
If you want an introduction to the man and his music, you should read this charming and enthusiastic volume by John Gribbin. — Daily Express
Buddy Holly and The Crickets had an electrifying effect on us as young lads in Liverpool … things would definitely not have been the same without his huge talent. Love ya’ Buddy! — Paul McCartney
Buddy Holly and The Crickets had an electrifying effect on us as young lads in Liverpool. We were inspired to learn guitar by seeing him on television and listening to his records. ‘That’ll Be The Day’ blew our minds and Lord knows how long we took trying to learn the opening riff. His guitar and vocal style was massively influential on us as writers and players and things would definitely not have been the same without his huge talent. Love ya’ Buddy! P.S. The name of his band, The Crickets, also influenced our choice of band name so those boys have a lot to answer for! — Paul McCartney
This new book provides the excuse to keep Holly’s music-making memory and influences alive. — Screentrade Magazine
Review
“Buddy Holly and The Crickets had an electrifying effect on us as young lads in Liverpool. We were inspired to learn guitar by seeing him on television and listening to his records. That’ll Be The Day blew our minds and Lord knows how long we took trying to learn the opening riff. His guitar and vocal style was massively influential on us as writers and players and things would definitely not have been the same without his huge talent. Love ya’ Buddy!
P.S. The name of his band The Crickets also influenced our choice of band name so those boys have a lot to answer for!”
Book Description
Buddy Holly was killed at 22 when the plane he was travelling in crashed on 3 February 1959. His lasting influence is clear; a musical based on his life seems set to run for longer than his lifetime and artists as diverse as Blink 182 and Bob Dylan call him an inspiration. This title offers detailed account of every Holly recording session.
About the Author
John Gribbin’s numerous bestselling books include In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat and Six Impossible Things, which was shortlisted for the 2019 Royal Society Science Book Prize. He has been described as ‘one of the finest and most prolific writers of popular science around’ by the Spectator. In 2021, he was made Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Astronomy at the University of Sussex.
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