Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley was born September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas, and died tragically in a plane crash February 3, 1959 at the age of only 22. Despite his career being cut so short (he was only in the public eye for about a year and a half), he remains one of the most influential and oft-imitated musicians in the history of rock-n-roll. Groups and singers that cite Buddy Holly as a major inspiration include (just to name a few): The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Blink-182, The Beach Boys, Linda Rondstadt, The Hollies, and The Beatles, whose insect-related name is a nod to Buddy's original band, The Crickets.

Buddy's own influences and inspirations were early blues and country musicians, and Elvis Presley. (Buddy was very impressed with Elvis after seeing him perform in 1955.) From these sources, Buddy formed his own inimitable style, his vocal style incorporating a glottal stop ("hiccup") singular only to him; and the music, a mix of blues, bluegrass and rock (technically, "Rockabilly"), and so he somewhat sucessfully bridged the racial divide in rock'n roll of the day.

Buddy Holly's music remains some of the most energetic and unique in the world. The great love he had for his art is there loud and clear in his recordings even today. Buddy and The Crickets were so enthused to just have a chance to share their love for music, that they had been known to play for next to nothing, (and sometimes actually, nothing); and some of Holly's first live appearances were actually just The Crickets playing atop the local Hi-D-Ho (a drive-in popular with the younger crowd in the 50's).

It is with the greatest respect and admiration for this true rock-n-roll legend that I present these original drawings and paintings. Though he was only 22 when he died, Buddy's spirit lives on, unstoppable; indefatigable in his music, a bright clear energy that can't be denied.

I've displayed my artwork of Holly here at the right- you can click any of the images for enlarged, detailed views and more information about each project.

There has been much to-do about legal ramifications of "using Buddy's image". From the beginning I was warned by people on the Web about drawing Buddy with the intent to sell or something. Apparently, certain legal entities can be quite nasty about the unauthorized reproduction of Holly's likeness. So, with that in mind, I would like to state quite clearly that 1) My illustrations of Buddy are intended as tributes only, and not for profit; and 2) This website is a personal, independent, and nonprofit effort. My purpose: I only wish to express my admiration for Buddy and his music, whose bright energy has inspired me, and whose legacy will Not Fade Away.