Buddy Holly: A Biography [Paperback]

Ellis Amburn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996

The tragic, bittersweet story of the founder of rock 'n' roll, Buddy Holly presents the most revealing and enduring biography yet of one of America's greatest music heroes. "In illuminating the scope of Holly's influence . . . that inspired musicians from Paul McCartney to Keith Richards, this book shines."--Entertainment Weekly. of photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Since Holly's death, countless films and books have perpetuated his memory and evolved into myth. Dispelling the myths and concentrating on Holly's importance to the history of rock'n'roll, Amburn's work?which he describes as "the last book in my trilogy...on the Texas roots of rock & roll" (following Dark Star, LJ 5/1/90, about Roy Orbison, and Pearl, Warner, 1992, about Janis Joplin)?stands out as the definitive biography. Holly's music is important, and Amburn's serious and thorough research solidifies this position while offering a comprehensive view of the singer's life. Unfortunately, this very seriousness and thoroughness at times impedes the pace of the book; a detailed record-by-record, concert-by-concert account of a life does not make for an exciting read. Amburn's long passages of sociohistorical filler give Holly's place in rock history the status it deserves but also add to the tedium. Still, when Amburn concentrates on Holly's personal life, then the book picks up, and the dramatic day-by-day account of Holly's last days works, perhaps because the reader knows the ultimate outcome. Yet however dry, this is the book on Holly.?Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Lib. System, Cal.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Some dead celebrities pass beyond "legendary" status to become objects of downright cultish obsession. Buddy Holly, the skinny young Texan with horn-rims, is one such, and Amburn's biography will please true believers who tend to think Holly began the process by which the Beatles and their ilk transformed rock from kids' music into art. Amburn finds deep significance in the minutiae of Holly's life and career, and his prose bogs down periodically as Holly's old associates chew past events to dust. Yet from all this sedulous examination and reexamination, tidbits not aired in other sources emerge; for instance, Little Richard's assessment of Holly's genitalia, which may reveal more about Richard than Holly, contributes to Holly's "legend" just as the Plaster Casters' immortalization of Jimi Hendrix did to his. Occasionally, the book seems diffuse; subjects are minutely examined, then abruptly dropped. Still, this comprehensive look at one of the most influential early rockers deserves its place in most pop-music collections, all the more so because of its impeccable references, detailed bibliography, and discography. Mike Tribby --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St Martins Pr (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312145578
• ISBN-13: 978-0312145576
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #962,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Strong Five Star Book, July 24, 2000

By 

C. W. Emblom "Bill Emblom" (Ishpeming, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buddy Holly: A Biography (Paperback)

This book brought back a lot of musical memories from the late 1950's and provided a lot of information regarding this period of time. The fame that went with being a rock and roll star was not all that it was cracked up to be. Buddy's home town of Lubbock, Texas, didn't really appreciate the fact that they had a well known celebrity in their midst. In addition, there are stories about other rock stars such as Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen. An interesting story of Buddy's appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show regarding his singing the controversial song "Oh Boy" is told. Norman Petty was the one who controlled Buddy Holly's money and this made it difficult for Buddy to even buy groceries for himself and his wife. While Buddy and his wife were living in Greenwich Village in New York City in 1959 it was his wife's aunt who supported them. This lack of money was the reason Buddy decided to go on the ill-fated Winter Dance Party through the upper midwest that began in January of 1959. This turned into a poorly put together affair by GAC, General Artists Corporation, which provided a poorly equipped bus in which to travel. It was this constant travel in a freezing bus with a bad engine and a concert to give every night in a different town that led to using a chartered airplane. Ironically, February 2nd was supposed to be their only day off during this Winter Dance Party, but GAC then scheduled them to appear in Mason City, Iowa, for that night shortly before this date. Buddy decided to hire a chartered airplane to fly he and his band members, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup, to Moorhead, Minnnesota, so they could get some rest while the others took the bus. J. P. Richardson, The Big Bopper, was ill with the flu and he wanted to fly ahead, so he took Waylon Jennings place on the plane. Ritchie Valens also hoped to fly ahead and he and Allsup flipped a coin to see who would fly as the third passenger. Valens "won" the flip. The pilot of the airplane, Roger Peterson, wasn't fully qualified to fly the plane, but he didn't want to pass up a chance to fly the three stars. Peterson's mother blamed the rock stars for her son's death by saying that if they had not wanted to take a plane, her son would not have died. Despite the loss of these three members of the group, the remaining members including Dion and the Belmonts, had to complete the tour which ended in mid-February. Bobby Vee was a high school student in Moorhead, Minnesota, and he volunteered to help fill in for this next concert. Some careers start in strange ways. Following Buddy's death, his parents would make a few trips to Mason City to see where their son last performed. A person's life is not measured in how many years they live. Buddy's was a short one, but he did leave a lasting impact on a generation of his fans and influenced a number of singers who became popular after he died. There are a number of other interesting stories in this book. I would very much recommend this book to you. I only wish it was in hard cover.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WISH THEY WOULD HAVE BASED THIS BOOK FOR THE MOVIE!, February 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Buddy Holly: A Biography (Paperback)

After reading this book, I am disappointed with the movie "THe Buddy Holly Story". I don't see why this book is any worse than the other biographies on Buddy Holly. I read one called "Remembering Buddy" and it is just like this book. How do you people complaining know for a fact that this book isn't factual but that the other bigraphies on Buddy Holly are? I really learned a lot from this book on the real Buddy Holly and his influence on musicians that followed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warts and all, this is Buddy, February 13, 2002

By 

BC2112 (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddy Holly: A Biography (Paperback)

A very well-written book, meticulously researched, and logically paced. OF COURSE, Buddy's sex life needs to be discussed to fully understand one of the roots of his brilliance. For anyone who has ever pondered the origin of the words "rock 'n' roll," it should be obvious why some of these details are included. (If you want a pious, fictionalized recollection, go watch "The Buddy Holly Story.")

If your perception of Buddy was that of a nerdy, goody two-shoes hillbilly who hiccuped his way through a few catchy songs, you're about to have a wake-up call. Ambrose's portrait of Buddy as an explosively confident creative visionary and street-wise "ladies' man" makes for a fascinating and entertaining read.