G.A.C. Commision Statement
Buddy Holly Recording Sessions
1936
September 7, 1936 Charles Hardin Holley is born to Ella Pauline Drake Holley and Lawrence Odell "L.O." Holley on Labor Day at 1911 6th St. in Lubbock, Texas at about 2:30pm. Buddy was named after his grandfathers.
1940
April 19, 1940 Buddy attends the birthday party of a four-year-old girl, and the event is reported in a Lubbock newspaper article, which states "Buddy Holley sang a song for the occasion."
1941
The three Holley brothers enter and win a local music contest. Larry plays fiddle, Travis plays accordion and five-year old Buddy plays a small violin. His brothers grease the bow to cut down the screeching. They won the $5 first-place prize performing "Have You Ever Gone Sailing On The River Of Memories".
1947
Buddy’s parents buy him a steel guitar, but Buddy says he doesn’t want it and asks for a regular guitar instead. He gets an acoustic Epiphone.
1953
September 1953 Radio station KDAV in Lubbock begins broadcasting what is considered the first all-country music format in the United States. The Sunday Party aired by Hipockets Duncan, a disc jockey and talent scout, gives local musicians an opportunity to perform live. Buddy teams with Jack Neal to form the duo Buddy and Jack, and their show is broadcast live every Sunday afternoon at 3:15 & 3:30 from KDAV during "The Sunday Party". Whilst there Buddy hand prints a letter to send our to area schools looking for dance jobs. In it he says, “We are a group of high-school boys that has organized one of the leading hill-billy & Western bands in Lubbock. We are interested in helping neighborhood high schools to raise funds and at the same time raise money for us to help pay our way through high school. I know that you wouldn't want to let just anyone play at your school, so if you have not heard of us, we are the 580 Ranch Hands * Buddy and Jack, and we have two radio programs every Sunday afternoon at 3:15 o'clock and 3:30 o'clock respectively. The radio station we are on, is KDAV (580 on your radio dial). If it would not be asking too much, we would like to request your listening to our programs and see if you like us. If you need any references, you may write to Hi-Pockets, or Dave Stone c/o radio station KDAV here in Lubbock, and ask them about us. Now, here is what we would like to ask you about. We would like to come to your school and play a stage show for the entertainment of the citizens, school children, and neighboring farms people of your town. We could advertise over the radio when we were going to be there and get a good audience built up. I know that if your school is like our school, it can always use some extra money. We have helped quite a few schools around Austin, Texas, to gather money in this way and they were quite satisified with the results. If you are at all interested in this, we would qppreciate it very much if you would write to me, Buddy Holley, 2304-1st Street, Lubbock, Texas."
November 8, 1953 Buddy and Jack Neal begin their own weekend show, the "Buddy and Jack Show". On the first broadcast, they perform "Your Cheatin' Heart", "I Got You On My Mind"," I Couldn't Keep From Crying" & "I Hear The Lord Callin' For Me".
Late 1953 After Jack Neal marries, Buddy joins forces with Bob Montgomery and KADV's "Buddy and Jack Show" is replaced by the "Buddy and Bob Show".
1954
February 19, 1954 Lubbock High School, Lubbock, TX (Buddy, Bob Montgomery and Larry Welborn perform "Flower Of My Heart," a song written by Bob & Don Guess, for the School's "Westerner Roundup" contest. The song wins the competition and is chosen as the 1954 Senior Class Song. At either this show or a later one, Buddy sang "Too Old To Cut The Mustard" for a certain teacher, which didn’t go over very well with the faculty or the administration according to Buddy’s mother.
1955
? ?, 1955 KRLD Radio Station, Dallas, TX (with Bob Montgomery & Larry Welborn, performing "Down The Line" at "KRLD's Big D Jamboree")
February 13, 1955 Fair Park Coliseum, Lubbock, TX (with Bob Montgomery, supporting Elvis Presley, Ferlin Husky, Bill Carlisle & Martha Carlson)
April 14, 1955 Carter Elementary School, Lubbock, TX (with Bob Montgomery & Larry Welborn, performing "I Just Don't Care", "I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine" & "I'm Using My Bible For A Road Map")
April 14, 1955 Adair Music, Lubbock, TX (Buddy visits Clyde Hankins and trades in his gold Gibson Les Paul guitar (his first electric guitar) for his famous Fender Stratocaster, paying $249.50)
May 27, 1955 Fair Park Coliseum, Lubbock, TX (Buddy Charles Holley graduates from Lubbock High School in a ceremony held at the Coliseum)
June 3, 1955 Fair Park Coliseum, Lubbock, TX (with Bob Montgomery, supporting Elvis Presley at a 4pm matinee. At 7pm Buddy and Elvis sign autographs at the Johnson-Connelley Pontiac car dealership showroom.
July 10, 1955 Arnett Benson V-8 Ranch, Lubbock, TX (with Bob Montgomery & Larry Welborn, performing for AFROTC Cadets from the Reese Air Force Base)
October 14, 1955 Fair Park Coliseum, Lubbock, TX (with Bob Montgomery & Larry Welborn, supporting Bill Haley and The Comets & Jimmy Rodgers Snow)
October 28, 1955 Fair Park Coliseum, Lubbock, TX (with Bob Montgomery & Larry Welborn, supporting Marty Robbins)
1956
February 8, 1956 When Buddy receives his Decca Records contract from Jim Denny of Cedarwood Publishing in Nashville, he sees that his name has been misspelled to "Holly". He decides to leave it that way.
April 15, 1956 American Legion Center, Lubbock, TX
May 6-10, 1956 Buddy Holly & The Two Tones (Sonny Curtis & Don Guess) join Faron Young's Grand Ole Opry Show on its tour. Other performers included Ray Price, Tommy Collins, Jimmy & Johnny, Red Sovine, Tom Pritchard & Joe Vincent.
May 6, 1956 Oklahoma City, OK
May 7, 1956 Tulsa, OK
May 8, 1956 Heart of Texas Coliseum, Waco, TX
May 9, 1956 Norman, OK
May 10, 1956 Broncho Stadium, Odessa, TX
May/June ?, 1956 Buddy and the Two Tunes back up Sonny James on a one-month tour.
August 25, 1956 Cotton Club OR North University Bamboo Club, Lubbock, TX
September ?, 1956 Buddy and the Two Tunes start a three-week tour with the Hank Thompson Show.
October 20, 1956 American Legion Youth Center, Lubbock, TX
November 22, 1956 American Legion Youth Center, Lubbock, TX
December 29, 1956 Buddy and his friends stop a robbery attempt. A shoplifter ran out of a store with 6 women’s slips. A woman saw a car going by and yelled for the occupants to stop the man. In the car, driven by 21-year old Buddy Holley, were Kenneth Austin, 16, Max Rogers, 16, Jack Neal, 20, and two girls, Connie Holton and Melba Barnett. Austin and Buddy took off after the guy and more teens, Jerry Bankston, 17, Mike Temple, 16, and James Long, 16, held him until they arrived. The man pulled a knife, but he was easily handled by all the teens.
1957
Hank Thompson Tour, with Hank Thompson, Buddy Holly & The Two-Tones (Sonny Curtis & Don Guess), Cowboy Copas, George Jones, Hank Lockin, Justin Tubb, Wanda Jackson & Mitchell Torok
January 9, 1957 Little Rock, AR
January 10, 1957 New Orleans, LA
January 11, 1957 Birmingham, AL
January 12, 1957 Jacksonville, FL
January 13, 1957 Tampa, FL
January 14, 1957 unknown
January 15, 1957 Savannah, GA
January 16, 1957 Charleston, SC
January 17, 1957 Ocala, FL
January 18, 1957 Miami, FL
January 19, 1957 Macon, GA
January 20, 1957 Atlanta, GA
January 21, 1957 Montgomery, AL
January 22, 1957 Pensacola, FL
January 23, 1957 Memphis, TN
March 3, 1957 Elks Ballroom, Carlsbad, NM (Larry Welborn couldn't make the gig so was replaced by the Four Teens bass player Joe B. Mauldin)
The Crickets:
- Buddy Holly - lead vocals and lead guitar
- Jerry Allison - drums
- Niki Sullivan - rhythm guitar
- Joe B. Mauldin - bass
May 10, 1957 Village Theater, Lubbock, TX (The first concert by the Crickets was a Battle of the Bands against Tinker Carlen and the Cats, The Four Teens & Pat and Shirley Richardson)
May 11, 1957 KFDA Television Studios, Amarillo, TX (The Crickets audition for a chance to appear on the "Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts" TV program, but are turned down)
July 13, 1957 Elks Ballroom, Carlsbad, NM
August 2-8, 1957 Howard Theater, Washington, DC (with Clyde McPhatter, The Cadillacs, Edna McGriff, Otis Rush, Lee Andrews and The Hearts, The G-Clefs & Oscar and Oscar)
August 9-15, 1957 Royal Theatre, Baltimore, MD
August 16-22, 1957 Apollo Theater, New York City, NY
August 23, 1957 New York City, NY ("Alan Freed Show")
August 26, 1957 Philadelphia, PA (US TV "Dick Clark's American Bandstand" performing "That'll Be The Day")
August 27, 1957 New York City, NY (US TV "Ted Steele TV Show")
August 30-September 8, 1957 Paramount Theater, New York City, NY (The Alan Freed "Great Holiday Rock'n Roll Third Anniversary Show" with Little Richard, The Del Vikings, The Diamonds, Mickey & Sylvia, The Moonglows, The Five Keys, Larry Williams, Jo-Ann Campbell, Shaye Cogan, Ocie Smith, the ClefTunes, Jimmie Rodgers & King Curtis)
Biggest Show of Stars of 1957 Fall Edition with Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly & Crickets, Everly Brothers, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Lavern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, Paul Anka, Spanials, The Drifters, Johnnie and Joe, The Bobbettes, Jimmy Bowen, Sam "The Man" Taylor & Paul Williams Orchestra
September 6, 1957 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA
September 7, 1957 The Mosque, Richmond, VA
September 8, 1957 Washington, DC (cancelled when city commissioners banned headliner Fats Domino from appearing because his behavior would lead to a riot requiring every policeman in the city)
September 8, 1957 Carr's Beach Ballroom, Annapolis, MD
September 9, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Norfolk, VA
September 10, 1957 Akron Armory, Akron, OH
September 11, 1957 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH
September 12, 1957 Fairgrounds Coliseum, Columbus, OH
September 13, 1957 Sports Arena, Hershey, PA
September 14, 1957 Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON (Chuck Berry comes down with the flu and is unable to perform)
September 15, 1957 Forum, Montreal, QC (2 shows)
September 16, 1957 Onondaga Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, NY
September 17, 1957 War Memorial Audiorium, Rochester, NY
September 18, 1957 Coliseum, Baltimore, MD
September 19, 1957 Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh, NC
September 20, 1957 Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
September 21, 1957 Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
September 22, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, GA
September 23, 1957 New Auditorium, Columbus, GA
September 24, 1957 Memorial Auditorium, Chattanooga, TN (Starting today, Paul Anka, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, and the Everly Brothers are dropped from the lineup for the next five shows since black performers and white performers cannot appear together in those cities)
September 25, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Birmingham, AL
September 26, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA
September 27, 1957 Auditorium, Memphis, TN
September 28, 1957 Municipal Theater, Tulsa, OK (2 shows 7.00 & 9.30. The Everlys, Buddy Holly and the Crickets and Paul Anka return to the lineup tonight)
September 29, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Oklahoma City, OK (2 shows 4.00 & 8.00)
September 30, 1957 City Auditorium, Wichita Falls, TX
October 1, 1957 New Auditorium, Dallas, TX
October 2, 1957 Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Worth, TX
October 3, 1957 Heart of Texas Coliseum, Waco, TX
October 4, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX (2 shows 7.30 & 10.00)
October 5, 1957 Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, TX (2 shows 7.00 & 10.30)
October 6, 1957 Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX (2 shows 4.00 & 8.00)
October 7, 1957 City Coliseum, Austin, TX
October 8, 1957 City Auditorium, El Paso, TX
October 9, 1957 Civic Auditorium, Albuquerque, NM
October 10, 1957 Calalina High School Gym, Tucson, AZ
October 11, 1957 Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ
October 12, 1957 Mission Beach Ballroom, San Diego, CA
October 13, 1957 Memorial Auditorium, Fresno, CA
October 15, 1957 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA (Starting with today's show and running the remainder of the tour, The Bobbettes, The Spaniels and Johnnie and Joe are dropped and replaced by Eddie Cochrane, Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen. Fats Domino also choses to close the first half of the show so he can have his evenings free for partying and socializing)
October 17, 1957 Civic Auditorium, San Jose, CA
October 18, 1957 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, CA
October 19, 1957 Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
October 20, 1957 Civic Auditorium, Stockton, CA (matinee)
October 20, 1957 Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, CA (evening)
October 22, 1957 Paramount Theater, Portland, OR (2 shows 7.00 & 9.30)
October 23, 1957 Georgia Auditorium, Vancouver, BC (The Crickets were interviewed by DJ Red Robinson backstage. They talked about wanting to go home where the temperature wasn't so "cool". When questioned about the future of rock and roll, Buddy said that "it'll probably last about 1 1/2 more years")
October 24, 1957 Temple Theater, Tacoma, WA
October 25-26, 1957 Orpheum Theater, Seattle, WA
October 27, 1957 Coliseum, Spokane, WA
October 28, 1957 University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
October 29, 1957 Stampede Corral, Calgary, AB
October 30, 1957 Edmonton Gardens, Edmonton, AB
October 31, 1957 Exhibition Auditorium, Regina, SK
November 1, 1957 Arena Auditorium, Denver, CO (The Diamonds are added to the lineup, increasing the number of white artists to over half. Local DJ, Freeman Hover, interviewed Buddy and Eddie Cochran in Cochran's hotel room at the Albany Hotel in Denver, before the show)
November 2, 1957 Forum, Wichita, KS (2 shows 7.00 & 9.30)
November 3, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, MO
November 4, 1957 Music Hall City Auditorium, Omaha, NE
November 5, 1957 Arena Municipal Auditorium, Topeka, KS (The Crickets were interviewed backstage by Dale Lowery for Topeka, Kansas's radio station KTOP)
November 6, 1957 Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO
November 7, 1957 Indiana Theater, Indianapolis, IN (2 shows 7.30 & 9.45)
November 8, 1957 Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN
November 9, 1957 Fairgrounds Coliseum, Louisville, KY
November 10, 1957 Fox Theater, Detroit, MI (2 shows 2.30 & 8.30)
November 11, 1957 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
November 12, 1957 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA
November 13, 1957 Warner Theatre, Erie, PA (2 shows 7.00 & 9.15)
November 14, 1957 RPI Field House, Troy, NY
November 15, 1957 Boston Gardens, Boston, MA
November 16, 1957 State Theater, Hartford, CT
November 17, 1957 Forum, Montreal, QC
November 18, 1957 Ottawa Auditorium, Ottawa, ON
November 19, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
November 20, 1957 Arena, Philadelphia, PA
November 21, 1957 Paramount Theater, Brooklyn, NY
November 22, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Norfolk, VA
November 23, 1957 Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
November 24, 1957 Mosque, Richmond, VA
November 26, 1957 Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, IA
December 1, 1957 CBS-TV Studio 50, New York City, NY (US TV "The Ed Sullivan Show" performing "That'll Be the Day" & "Peggy Sue")
December 4-5, 1957 The Crickets return to Lubbock from their tour. Niki Sullivan leaves the group, citing the harsh tour schedule as his reason.
- Buddy Holly - Guitar
- Joe B. Mauldin - Bass
- Jerry Allison - Drums
December 25, 1957-January 6 1958 Paramount Theater, Brooklyn, NY ("Alan Freed's Holiday of Stars", with Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, The Rays, Danny and the Juniors, Paul Anka, Lee Andrews and the Hearts, Shepherd Sisters, Little Joe, The Dubs, Thurston Harris, The Teenagers, Jo Ann Campbell, The Twin Tunes, Terry Noland & Alan Freed and his Rock 'N' Roll Orchestra)
December 28, 1957 New York City, NY (US TV "Arthur Murray Dance Party" performing "Peggy Sue")
1958
"America's Greatest Teenage Recording Stars", with Everly Brothers, Jimmie Rodgers, The Rays, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Mello-Kings, Eddie Cochran, Margie Rayburn, Shepherd Sisters, Danny and the Juniors, The Tuneweavers, Paul Anka, Hollywood Flames, Al Jones, Jimmy Edwards, Billy Brown, Royal Teens & Sam Donahue & His Orchestra
January 8, 1958 Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
January 9, 1958 Raleigh, NC
January 10, 1958 Winston-Salem, NC
January 11, 1958 Municipal Auditorium, Norfolk, VA
January 12, 1958 Mosque, Richmond, VA (2 shows)
January 13, 1958 Coliseum, Baltimore, MD
January 14, 1958 St. Joseph's Auditorium, Hazleton, PA (2 shows 7.00 & 9.30)
January 15, 1958 Stambaugh Auditorium, Youngstown, OH (2 shows 7.00 & 9.30)
January 16, 1958 Vets Memorial Building, Columbus, OH (2 shows 7.00 & 10.00, with Everly Brothers, Jimmie Rodgers, The Rays, Margie Rayburn, Paul Anka, Shepherd Sisters, Danny & The Juniors, Tune Weavers, Hollywood Flames, Mellokings, Eddie Cochran, Jimmy Edwards, Al Jones, Billy Brown & Sid Donohue and his Orchestra)
January 17, 1958 Sports Arena, Hershey, PA
January 18, 1958 Buffalo, NY
January 19, 1958 Auditorium Theater, Rochester, NY (2 shows 3.30 & 8.30, with Everly Brothers, Jimmie Rodgers, The Rays, Margie Rayburn, Paul Anka, Shepherd Sisters, Danny & The Juniors, Tune Weavers, Hollywood Flames, Mellokings, Eddie Cochran, Jimmy Edwards, Al Jones, Billy Brown & Sid Donohue and his Orchestra)
January 20, 1958 Toronto, ON
January 21, 1958 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA (2 shows 7.30 & 10.30)
January 22, 1958 Erie, PA
January 23, 1958 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH
January 24, 1958 Jefferson County Armory, Louisville, KY
January 26, 1958 New York City, NY (US TV "The Ed Sullivan Show" performing "Oh, Boy!)
January 27, 1958 Civic Auditorium, Honolulu, HI (2 shows 6.30 & 8.15, with Jerry Lee Lewis, Paul Anka & Jodie Sands)
Lee Gordon's World Hit Parade Australian Tour 1958 with Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Jerry Lee Lewis, Paul Anka, Jodie Sands, Johnny O'Keefe and the Dee Jays & Denis Collinson's Orchestra
January 30-31, 1958 Sydney Stadium, Sydney, AUS (2 shows each night, with Jerry Lee Lewis, Paul Anka & Jodie Sands. The 31st was cancelled and moved to Newcastle due to poor bookings)
January 31, 1958 Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle, AUS (Was 2 shows but reduced to one due to poor bookings. Whilst in Newcastle, Buddy was interviewed by DJ Pat Barton for Radio 2KO)
February 1, 1958 Sydney Stadium, Sydney, AUS (3 shows)
February 3, 1958 Cloudland Ballroom, Brisbane, AUS (2 shows)
February 4-5, 1958 West Melbourne Stadium, Melbourne, AUS (2 shows each night)
February 5, 1958 Nurses Memorial Centre, St Kilda, AUS
February 6, 1958 Cloudland Ballroom, Brisbane, AUS
February 8, 1958 Cloudland Ballroom, Brisbane, AUS
February 9, 1958 Scofield Barracks, Honalulu, HI (with Jerry Lee Lewis, Paul Anka & Jodie Sands)
The Big Gold Records Stars 1958 (Buddy Holly & The Crickets, the Everly Brothers, Bill Haley and The Comets, Jerry Lee Lewis, and The Royalteens)
February 20, 1958 Kellogg Auditorium, Orlando, FL (The Big Gold Records Stars 1958)
February 21, 1958 Fort Hesterly Armory, Tampa, FL (The Big Gold Records Stars 1958)
February 22, 1958 US TV "Glenn Reeves Show" performing "Peggy Sue"
February 22, 1958 National Guard Armory, Jacksonville, FL (The Big Gold Records Stars 1958)
February 23, 1958 Connie Mack Stadium, West Palm Beach, FL (The Big Gold Records Stars 1958)
February 24, 1958 Dade County Auditorium, Miami, FL (2 shows 7.30 & 9.30, The Big Gold Records Stars 1958)
February 25, 1958 War Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, FL (2 shows 7.30 & 9.30, The Big Gold Records Stars 1958)
March 1, 1958 Elephant & Castle Trocadero, London, ENG (2 shows 6.15 & 8.45)
March 2, 1958 London Palladium, London, ENG (UK TV "Sunday Night At The London Palladium", performing "That'll Be The Day", "Peggy Sue" & "Oh Boy". Special Gala Show to celebrate the 100th performance with Bob Hope top of the bill. Also appearing was the ballerina Dame Alicia Markova and compere Robert Morley)
March 2, 1958 Kilburn Gaumont State, London, ENG
March 3, 1958 Gaumont, Southampton, ENG
March 4, 1958 City Hall, Sheffield, ENG
March 5, 1958 Globe Theatre, Stockton, ENG (2 shows 6.15 & 8.30)
March 6, 1958 City Hall, Newcastle, ENG
March 7, 1958 Gaumont, Wolverhampton, ENG
March 8, 1958 Odeon, Nottingham, ENG
March 9, 1958 Gaumont, Bradford, ENG (2 shows 5.30 & 8.00)
March 10, 1958 Town Hall, Birmingham, ENG (2 shows 6.15 & 8.45)
March 11, 1958 Gaumont, Worcester, ENG (2 shows 6.15 & 8.30)
March 12, 1958 Davis Theatre, Croydon, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.50)
March 13, 1958 East Ham Granada, London, ENG
March 14, 1958 Riverside TV Studio 2, London, ENG (UK TV "Off The Record" performing "Maybe Baby")
March 14, 1958 Woolwich Granada, London, ENG
March 15, 1958 Gaumont, Ipswich, ENG (3 shows 2.30, 6.15 & 8.30)
March 16, 1958 De Montfort Hall, Leicester, ENG (2 shows 5.40 & 8.00)
March 17, 1958 Gaumont, Doncaster, ENG
March 18, 1958 Ritz, Wigan, ENG
March 19, 1958 Regal, Hull, ENG (2 shows 6.15 & 8.30)
March 20, 1958 Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, ENG (2 shows 6.15 & 8.30)
March 21, 1958 Walthamstow Granada, London, ENG
March 22, 1958 Gaumont, Salisbury, ENG (3 shows 2.30, 6.20 & 8.30)
March 23, 1958 Colston Hall, Bristol, ENG (2 shows 5.30 & 7.45)
March 24, 1958 Capitol, Cardiff, WAL
March 25, 1958 Hammersmith Gaumont, London, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45. Before the second show, Joe B Mauldin knocks the caps off of Holly's two front teeth during a scuffle. Buddy repairs the damage with chewing gum and performs the second show with the gum spread over his front teeth)
Alan Freed's Big Beat Show (with Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon, The Diamonds, Danny & The Juniors, Billy & Lillie, Billy Ford & The Thunderbirds, The Chantels, Dicky Doo & The Dont's, Larry Williams & Orchestra, Screaming Jay Hawkins, The Pastels, Jo-Ann Campbell, Ed Townsend, Sam "The Man" Taylor & Alan Freed Orchestra & His Coral Records)
March 28-29, 1958 Paramount Theater, Brooklyn, NY (2 shows on 28th, 3 on 29th, The Big Beat Show)
March 30, 1958 State Theater, Hartford, CT (The Big Beat Show)
March 31, 1958 Loew's Paradise Theater, Bronx, NY (The Big Beat Show)
April 1, 1958 Convention Hall, Philadelphia, PA (The Big Beat Show)
April 2, 1958 Coliseum Theater, New York City, NY (The Big Beat Show)
April 3, 1958 Coliseum, Baltimore, MD (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows)
April 4, 1958 Memorial Hall, Dayton, OH (The Big Beat Show)
April 5, 1958 Welsh Auditorium, Grand Rapids, MI (The Big Beat Show)
April 6, 1958 Public Hall, Cleveland, OH (The Big Beat Show)
April 7, 1958 Memorial Auditorium, Canton, OH (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows 4.30 & 8.00)
April 8, 1958 Vets Memorial Building, Columbus, OH (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows 7.00 & 10.00)
April 9, 1958 The Arena, Windsor, ON (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows)
April 10, 1958 The Arena, London, ON (The Big Beat Show)
April 11, 1958 Memorial Auditorium, Kitchener, ON (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows 7.00 & 9.45)
April 12, 1958 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH (The Big Beat Show)
April 13, 1958 IMA Auditorium, Flint, MI (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows 2.00 & 8.00)
April 14, 1958 US TV "Bob Braun Show"
April 14, 1958 Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH
April 15, 1958 Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO (The Big Beat Show. Buddy's Stratocaster guitar is stolen and a replacement flown in from Manny's in New York.)
April 16, 1958 Municipal Theatre, Tulsa, OK (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows 7.00 & 9.45)
April 17, 1958 Municipal Auditorium, Oklahoma City, OK (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows)
April 18, 1958 Forum, Wichita, KS (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows)
April 19, 1958 Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, MO (The Big Beat Show)
April 20, 1958 Auditorium, Omaha, NE (The Big Beat Show)
April 21, 1958 Civic Centre, Bartlesville, OK (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows)
April 22, 1958 Hippodrome Auditorium, Waterloo, IA (The Big Beat Show)
April 23, 1958 Orpheum Theatre, Madison, WI (The Big Beat Show, 3 shows 4.15, 7.00 & 9.30)
April 24, 1958 Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI (The Big Beat Show, 3 shows)
April 25, 1958 Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN (The Big Beat Show)
April 26, 1958 US TV "Howard Miller Show"
April 26, 1958 Civic Opera House, Chicago, IL (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows 7.00 & 10.00)
April 27, 1958 Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN (The Big Beat Show)
April 28, 1958 Central High School Auditorium, Kalamazoo, MI (2 shows)
April 29, 1958 Coliseum, Evansville, IN (The Big Beat Show)
April 30, 1958 Akron Armory, Akron, OH (The Big Beat Show, 2 shows 4.30 & 8.30)
May 1, 1958 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA (2 shows)
May 2, 1958 Buffalo, NY (2 shows)
May 3, 1958 Boston Arena, Boston, MA (During the Big Beat show at the Boston Arena, a 19 year old Navy sailor is stabbed in the chest and others are injured. Arrests are made outside of the concert hall. Alan Freed, the tour's promoter, is charged with inciting a riot, but the charges are later dropped. The incident, which becomes know as the "Boston riot," results in the cancellation of scheduled shows in Troy, N.Y.; Providence, R.I.; New Haven, Conn.; and Newark, N.J.)
May 5, 1958 Lewiston, ME (The Big Beat Show)
May 6, 1958 RPI Field House, Troy, NY (cancelled, The Big Beat Show)
May 7, 1958 The Arena, Providence, RI (cancelled, The Big Beat Show)
May 8, 1958 New Haven Arena, New Haven, CT (cancelled, The Big Beat Show)
May 9, 1958 Hershey, Arena, Hershey, PA (last day of the Big Beat tour)
June 11, 1958 San Francisco, CA (US TV "Ted Randal Show")
July 4, 1958 Buck Lake Ranch, Angola, IN (3 shows, Summer Dance Party)
July 5, 1958 Les Buzz Ballroom, Spring Valley, IL (Summer Dance Party)
July 6, 1958 Muskegon, MI (Summer Dance Party)
July 8, 1958 Electric Park Ballroom, Waterloo, IA (Summer Dance Party)
July 9, 1958 Matters Ballroom, Decorah, IA (Summer Dance Party)
July 10, 1958 National Guard Armory, Oelwein, IA (2 shows, Summer Dance Party)
July 11, 1958 National Guard Armory, Duluth, MN (Summer Dance Party)
July 12, 1958 Athletic Baseball Park, Wausau, WI (afternoon)
July 12, 1958 Rothschild Pavilion, Wausau, WI (evening, Summer Dance Party)
July 13, 1958 Crystal Rock Ballroom, Rhinelander, WI (Summer Dance Party)
Biggest Show of Stars of 1958 Fall Edition with Buddy Holly & Crickets, Clyde McPhatter, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Darin, The Coasters, The Elegants, The Olympics, Dion & Belmonts, Bobby Freeman, The Danleers, Jimmy Clanton, Jack Scott, Duane Eddy, Little Anthony & Imperials, Sil Austin Orchestra
October 2, 1958 New York City, NY (US TV "Alan Freed Dance Party" lip-syncing to "It's So Easy")
October 2, 1958 Nola Studios, New York City, NY (Rehearsal)
October 3, 1958 Worcester Auditorium, Worcester, MA
October 4, 1958 State Theater, Hartford, CT (Cancelled)
October 4, 1958 Arcadia Ballroom, Providence, RI
October 5, 1958 Forum, Montreal, QC
October 6, 1958 Memorial Centre, Peterborough, ON
October 7, 1958 Memorial Auditorium, Kitchener, ON
October 8, 1958 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
October 9, 1958 Indiana Theater, Indianapolis, IN (2 shows 7.30 & 9.45)
October 10, 1958 Kentucky State Fairgrounds Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY
October 11, 1958 Veteran's Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH
October 12, 1958 Stambaugh Auditorium, Youngstown, OH (2 shows 7.00 & 9.30)
October 13, 1958 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA (2 shows 7.30 & 10.00)
October 14, 1958 Akron Armory, Akron, OH (2 shows 7.30 & 10.00)
October 15, 1958 War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, NY
October 16, 1958 Catholic Youth Center, Scranton, PA
October 17, 1958 Municipal Auditorium, Norfolk, VA (2 shows)
October 18, 1958 Park Center, Charlotte, NC
October 19, 1958 The Mosque, Richmond, VA (2 shows)
October ?, 1958 US TV "Patti Page Show"
October ?, 1958 US TV "Dinah Shore Show"
October 25, US TV "Dick Clark's Beechnut Show" lip-synching to "Heartbeat"
October 28, 1958 Philadelphia, PA (US TV "Dick Clark's American Bandstand" lip-synching to "Heartbeat" & "It's So Easy")
November 1, 1958 Buddy calls it quits with the Crickets and gives the group name to Jerry Allison and Joe B Mauldin.
1959
January 20, 1959 Management problems following his marriage to Maria Elena Santiago lead to a split with the Crickets. This results in royalty disputes and a hectic tour of the Mid-west (with a new backing group comprised of Waylon Jennings on bass, Tommy Allsup on lead guitar and Carl Bunch on drums) to ease resulting cashflow problems. Buddy and his band leave New York City by train for Chicago, where they meet up with the other artists and set out by bus for Wisconsin.
- Buddy Holly - guitar & vocals
- Tommy Allsup - guitar
- Waylon Jennings - bass
- Carl Bunch - drums
January 23, 1959 George Divine’s Million Dollar Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI (The Winter Dance Party tour starts with performances in Milwaukee. The tour will continue through Feb. 15 with scheduled stops in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio. Other performers include: Ritchie Valens, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Dion and The Belmonts, and Frankie Sardo)
January 24, 1959 Eagles Ballroom, Kenosha, WI (Debbie Stevens also performed)
January 25, 1959 Kato Ballroom, Mankato, MN
January 26, 1959 Fournier's Ballroom, Eau Claire, WI
January 27, 1959 Fiesta Ballroom, Montevideo, MN
January 28, 1959 Prom Ballroom, St. Paul, MN
January 29, 1959 Capitol Theatre, Davenport, IA
January 30, 1959 Laramar Ballroom, Fort Dodge, IA (On the way, the bus heater completely goes out and they make a stop in Tipton, Iowa)
January 31, 1959 National Guard Armory, Duluth, MN (Just as they pull into town, the bus breaks down. Ritchie brings up chartering a plane, but a replacement bus is found, whose heater also goes out. Robert Zimmerman was in attendance)
February 1, 1959 Cinderella Ballroom, Appleton, WI (cancelled afternoon performance after the bus breaks down. With temperatures at 30 degrees below zero and no source of heat, the passengers burn newspapers in the aisles to keep warm. The Sheriffs' cars pick up the freezing entertainers and drummer Carl Bunch is taken to the Grand View Hospital in Ironwood, Minnesota, suffering from frostbite)
February 1, 1959 Riverside Ballroom, Green Bay, WI (To get to their evening performance in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the tour boards a train. Ritchie plays drums for Buddy, Buddy plays for Dion, and Dion plays for Ritchie. After the show, Buddy phones his mother. The repaired bus arrives to take the group to Clear Lake, Iowa)
February 2, 1959 Record Salon, Mason City, IA (An in-store appearance featuring all the Winter Dance Party performers)
February 2, 1959 Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, IA (Buddy, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup perform and serve as back-up musicians during the performance. Shortly after the performance Buddy, J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson & Ritchie Valens board a small aircraft chartered to take them to their next performance. Soon after take-off, the plane crashes, killing all aboard)
The "Winter Dance Party" tour carried on. The promoters let the tour continue seamlessly! Dion & The Belmonts, Frankie Sardo and the Crickets (Buddy Hollys Band) from the original tour line-up stayed on board, with Frankie Avalon, Jimmy Clanton, Fabian, Robert Velline and his Shadows & Bill Parsons filling the gaps. 15-year-old Robert Velline of Fargo, would later became Bobby Vee. Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup also continued, with Jennings taking Holly's place as lead singer.
The remainder of the Winter Dance Party tour was:
February 3, 1959 Moorhead Armory, Moorhead, MN
February 4, 1959 Shore Acres Ballroom, Sioux City, IA
February 5, 1959 Val Air Ballroom, Des Moines, IA
February 6, 1959 Danceland Ballroom, Cedar Rapids, IA
February 7, 1959 Les Buzz Ballroom, Spring Valley, IL
February 8, 1959 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL
February 9, 1959 Hippodrome Auditorium, Waterloo, IA
February 10, 1959 Melody Hill Ballroom, Dubuque, IA
February 11, 1959 Memorial Auditorium, Louisville, KY (2 shows 7.00 & 9.00)
February 12, 1959 Coshocton Armory, Coshocton OH (2 shows 6.00 & 8.30, moved from the Memorial Auditorium in Canton, OH)
February 13, 1959 Stambaugh Auditorium, Youngstown, OH
February 14, 1959 Peoria Armory, Peoria, IL
February 15, 1959 Illinois State Armory, Springfield, IL
The Crickets (Jerry Allison, Joe B. Mauldin, Sonny Curtis and singer Earl Sinks) continued to record and tour. Jerry Naylor replaced Earl Sinks in 1961. Gordon Payne replaced Naylor in the 1980s.