Buddy Holly & The Crickets

Buddy Holly is considered one of the most influential founding fathers of rock 'n roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #13 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Although his career was cut short, his body of work is considered among the best in rock music history. His music would influence not only many of his recording contemporaries, but also the future direction music would take.

The band personnel were drummer Jerry Allison, bassist Joe B. Mauldin, and rhythm guitarist Niki Sullivan. Sullivan dropped out within less than two years of touring and recording. He wasn't comfortable with the amount of traveling and to a lesser extent, he didn't fit in with Jerry and Joe. For the same reason, Jerry and Joe were not backing Holly after he moved to NYC. The big move was the real reason why the Crickets broke up, but Holly was not daunted by the breakup; he gained a new back-up band with Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings on the tour shortly after the Crickets folded. But after about 4 months, due to fans' mail and the band feeling nostalgic, a reunion was planned to start with all the original Crickets after Holly's winter tour through the northern mid-west was completed. It was on that tour that Holly was killed in a plane crash.