Customer Reviews

Buddy Holly: A Biography

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I have read and studied Buddys Music and life for many years and found this book to be a very detailed accout of both. I also wish the movie would have been like this book. Yes, their are a few disturbing facts in the book not only about Buddy but about some of the other pioneers of rock. Little Richard. Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddie Cochran etc..This makes the book that much more of a good read. Those who condem this book need to watch the documentary "The Real Buddy Story" done by Paul McCartney for the BBC some years ago. I think it validates allot of the stories in the book, except some about the last moments before the crash. Whose to say these are not true? I have yet see or here anyone that can say for sure what did happen. Buy this book and the documentary (both avaiable from Amazon) you will enjoy them for many years.

"In the summer of 1998 I bought Ellis Amburns book about Buddy Holly in England. Buddy was my favourite music hero in the end of the fifties. My first record was "Peggy Sue got married". I always imagined Buddy Holly as a clean cut american singer, who fundamented modern popmusic. I was rather amazed about the facts Amburn states in this hardcover edition. Buddy is written down as a fundamental Christian in one way, and a gambler and drinker in the other. I couldn't find any balance in the behaviour of this forerunner of the Beatles. All the facts about Buddy's hometown life as a good boy and son of a loving family are interrupted by facts about a brutal sexlife in his early youth, gambling during the tours and even violence. Thre are a lot of quotes in this narrative, which the author found in other books, so the story doesn't seem much comprehensive to me. There is also a story about a fight in the plane during Buddy's last moments of life, concluding in rumours that Buddy Holly shot the pilot. I cannot prove that is is untrue, but I think it is rather ridiculous. The coroner must have found some clues. In the book there is also a discography of Buddy Holly. I always was convinced, that I had all of Buddy's recordings, but that is not true. I was very amazed that Bob Dylan, the artist I admired most in the sixties and afterwards, attended one of Buddy's last concerts in Duluth. The book was in more than one ways an eyeopener.

The true story of Buddy Holly told by his friends,family,wife and fans. I loved this book i hope you do too! This book traces Buddy's career from the day he was born to the day he died (and after). This is the best book on Buddy Holly i've read (i am a huge Buddy Holly fan). So,if you want to know about Buddy Holly this book is for you!!!!

Can I give this book negative stars? This is NOT the definitive biography of Buddy Holly. This book is in the "Goldman tradition" of trashing the lives of deceased celebrities. Amburn misquoted and distorted what other people told him, and probably also made up some of it.

THE definitive biography of Buddy Holly is "Remembering Buddy" by John Goldrosen & John Beecher. Another bio that is not too bad is "Rave On" by Philip Norman. As for what happened during the Last Tour, read "The Day the Music Died" by Larry Lehmer. If you can get a hold of it, I also recommend the 5 part series "Buddy Holly Day by Day" by Bill Griggs who is the expert on Buddy Holly; go to "rockin50s.com" to see about ordering it but please be patient about getting the series as Bill has been having major health problems.

Buddy did not shoot the pilot. Official documentation shows that the gun was missing a bullet, but that was due to the fact that after the snow in the cornfield melted away that the farmer who owned the land found the gun and then fired off a shot to see if it still worked (to his own admission). This is also how the rumor got started. No foul play here. End of story.

I HAVE BEEN A BUDDY HOLLY FAN SINCE THE AGE OF 3 IN 1970.HIS MUSIC HELPED ME DISCOVER THE BEATLES AND EVERYTHING SINCE.THIS BOOK IS ABOUT 60-40 ON AN ACCURACY SCALE.I HAVE MET MANY OF BUDDYS CONTEMPORARIES INCLUDING JERRY ALLISON AND NIKI SULLIVAN.THIS BOOK WOULD BE MUCH BETTER WITHOUT THE SENSATIONALISM(SEX AND ALCOHOL)THAT IS OF QUESTIONABLE VALIDITY.WHAT MADE THE MAN GREAT WAS HIS MUSIC AND THAT SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF ANY DISCUSSION ON HIS LIFE.STILL WRTH PICKING UP BUT DONT PAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE TABLOID STUFF

Contains embellishments like his Subterranean Jack" A major dramatic staging-biographical tribute to Holly opened ON Broadway--& should help sales of this,#1 ranked book..