The Buddy Holly Story

Gary Busey gives an electrifying Oscar® nominated performance as Buddy Holly – the self taught musical genius from Texas who changed forever the tune of rock ’n’ roll history.

With a groundbreaking combination of country music and rhythm & blues, Buddy Holly and his band The Crickets (played by Don Stroud and Charles Martin Smith) catapulted to stardom in three short years with such hits as “That’ll Be the Day”, “It’s So Easy” and “Peggy Sue”.

The movie follows their story from early beginnings playing live on local radio in Texas. Word spread like wildfire when Buddy premiered “That’ll be the Day” at a roller rink and the kids could feel something exciting happening.

A Decca Records executive heard the song and invited them to Nashville to make a test record but when they refused to conform to the traditional country style they were sent home disheartened that their new sound was not embraced.

However before too long a maverick New York record producer signed them and they began to tour – climaxing with their landmark appearance at the ‘Apollo’ –at that time a venue for only African American acts.

While in New York Buddy met Maria (played by Maria Richwine) a secretary at his record company, and after a whirlwind courtship, the two were married.

By the age of 22 Holly had it all: chart-topping singles, a beautiful wife and international acclaim – until Buddy agreed to perform on the Winter Party Tour of 1959. Tragically he and two other up and coming musicians (Richie Valens and the Big Bopper) were killed when their chartered aircraft crashed ending a brilliant career…
but not his music, which lives for ever.