"H" IS FOR A HEART HOLLY DAY!

On today’s post of the A to Z Blog Challenge I present to you Mr. Charles Hardin Holly, better known to us as Buddy Holly. Buddy Holly was really a shooting star in the rock and roll sky. Buddy was born in 1939 and graduated from High School in 1955. He died less than four years later in 1959. What he did in that short time had a major impact on future rock and roll stars.

Have you seen the “Buddy Holly Story” movie starring Gary Busey. The movie bears little resemblance to the facts of Buddy's life. For example, the Crickets did not originate in Holly’s garage. The demo tape of “That’ll Be the Day” was recorded in a Clovis, N.M, recording studio, not the show at the Roller Skating Rink. There are so many inaccuracies that the writers of the movie script should have their “poetic license” revoked.

Buddy had three older siblings, Larry born in 1925; Travis, born in 1927; and Patricia Lou, born in 1929. With the exception of Buddy’s dad, Lawrence, everyone in the family played an instrument or sang.

After High School Buddy pursued a music career. He opened for Elvis Presley and Bill Haley and the Comets. Buddy’s first record flopped. He then hooked up with Norman Petty who recorded the demo of “That’ll Be the Day” at his recording studio in Clovis, N.M, and became Buddy’s manager. Unfortunately for Buddy, Petty was depositing Buddy’s record royalties into his (Petty’s) own account. While Buddy was trying to get his royalties back he needed money so he went on that ill fated tour that ended his life.

On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JD Richardson, a.k.a. The Big Bopper, played a show in Clear Lake, Iowa. They were all killed after the plane that they were riding in crashed shortly after take off enroute to their next show’s venue.

Buddy Holly’s music influenced the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Elton John and others too numerous to name. Buddy was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Buddy was also ranked at thirteen by Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the top 100 Greatest Artists. One can only imagine Buddy’s impact on American music had he lived.

There are a couple of rock and roll pioneers that had their beginning in Seattle, WA, in the mid 1970’s. I’m talking about  Ann and Nancy Wilson, better known to all of us as HEART. Ann Wilson has an iconic powerhouse of a voice. She provides all the lead vocals. Nancy is a gifted guitarist who provides backing vocals.

Heart is one of the first rock bands to break the gender barrier and have women up front and rocking! Heart has had a number of personnel changes over the years as many bands do, but the one constant was the Wilson sisters.

Their first commercially successful album, Dreamboat Annie, gave us two of their greatest hits, Magic Man, and Crazy on You, two of my absolute favorite Heart songs. Heart has rocked out hard driving heavy metal music as well as sweet romantic rock ballads and folk rock standards.

Through the years Heart has been able to hold their own on the same stage and keep up with such artists as Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Van Halen and Journey, playing before crowds exceeding 100,000 people in sporting arena’s. They are an exceptional band with a proud legacy of great rock and roll music.

Heart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Another example of the respect that they have earned is when Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin were honored at the Kennedy Center, Heart appeared and performed “Stairway to Heaven” and gave such a fine rendition of that song that both Page and Plant had tears in their eyes.

Through the years Heart has given back by playing many benefit concerts or appearing and performing at other benefits shows. This group is truly the “Heart” of Rock and Roll. Long may they continue to Rock!