PEGGY SUE - BUDDY HOLLY (1957) on Coral original 45 RPM (Ritchie Valens, Big Bopper, The Crickets)

Peggy Sue was co-written by (Buddy Holly &) The Crickets’ drummer, Jerry Allison, and Norman Petty, the owner of Clovis Studio where Buddy and The Crickets recorded. Petty had also produced all of the Buddy Holly & The Crickets’ rockabilly hits and was Buddy Holly’s manager until late 1958. The song was originally titled ‘Cindy Lou’, the name of Buddy’s niece, but was later changed to ‘Peggy Sue’, after Allison’s girlfriend.

Holly’s records were released on three labels, Decca, Coral and Brunswick, the latter two both being subsidiaries of Decca Records. Released on the Coral label in September, 1957, ‘Peggy Sue’ was the first hit that credited Buddy Holly without the Crickets. The song was the follow-up to the Brunswick #1 hit release, ‘That’ll Be The Day’, by The Crickets. ‘Peggy Sue’ also became a chart-topper. The 45 record, in fact, became a two-sided hit featuring a Buddy Holly/Norman Petty composition on the B-side; ‘Everyday’, mistitled from its lyrical meaning of ‘Every Day’.

After Buddy Holly’s untimely death that, with Jerry Allison’s insistence, Buddy’s name was added to the song writing credits. It became known that Buddy had penned at least some of the original song, ‘Cindy Lou’, although there is dispute and uncertainty as to how much, or how little. of the song existed before Allison and Norman completed ‘Peggy Sue’.

By December 1958, Buddy had distanced himself from The Crickets to work as a solo artist. He recruited a new band which included an unknown at the time, Waylon Jennings, on bass. While on the Winter Dance Party Tour, It was Jennings who gave his seat up to The Big Bopper who was suffering from the flu.

Buddy Holly, while on tour in February 1959 with Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper and Dion & The Belmonts, was killed in a plane crash shortly after leaving Clear Lake, Iowa. Buddy had elected to charter the flight that he didn’t have to ride on the tour bus which had no heat. Just after midnight, on February 3rd, the small six-seater aircraft crashed while en route to Fargo, North Dakota, the next performance stop on the ‘Winter Dance Party’ tour, killing all aboard. Along with the pilot, three major music stars perished; Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) and young Ritchie Valens.

In 1971, the three musician’s deaths were immortalized in Don McLean's song, ‘American Pie’, and the infamous day, February 3rd, 1959, became known as ‘the day the music died’.

Peggy Sue Gerron, the woman who’s name decorated Buddy Holly’s hit song died October 1, 2018, at the age of 78.

I recorded this video of my original 1958 Coral record being played on my turntable to share the experience of playing 45s with those who also enjoy the hobby and history of vinyl records, especially that of early influencers of today’s music. I do not claim or own, nor imply, ownership of the song or music recording in any way.