Not Fade Away: Fifty Years after Clear Lake, Buddy Holly Lives
On February 3, 1953, following a concert at Clear Lake, Iowa, three stars of early rock and roll died in a plane crash, along with their young pilot. The stars were J.P. Richardson (known as The Big Bopper), Ritchie Valens, and Buddy Holly. The tragedy, which changed the course of musical history, is remembered as "the day the music died," from a phrase in the 1970 song "American Pie," by Don McLean.
To observe the fiftieth anniversary of that fateful day, Professor William Barillas of the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse wrote a tribute to Buddy Holly, which he read at a campus event offered as part of the UW–L English Department's 2008–2009 William J. and Yvonne Hyde Colloquium Series. The event, held on Friday, February 6, 2009, at 2:30 pm in the Graff Main Hall Auditorium, featured the debut of Señor Bop, a band comprised of Professor Barillas on guitar, Professor Matthew Cashion (Department of English) on drums, Professor David Hart (Department of English) on guitar, and Professor Karl Kattchee (Department of Mathematics) on bass guitar. Special guests were Laun Braithwaite on acoustic guitar and UW-L student Matt Treat on tenor saxophone. The performance alternated Professor Barillas's reading of his essay with songs by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper.
To observe the fiftieth anniversary of that fateful day, Professor William Barillas of the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse wrote a tribute to Buddy Holly, which he read at a campus event offered as part of the UW–L English Department's 2008–2009 William J. and Yvonne Hyde Colloquium Series. The event, held on Friday, February 6, 2009, at 2:30 pm in the Graff Main Hall Auditorium, featured the debut of Señor Bop, a band comprised of Professor Barillas on guitar, Professor Matthew Cashion (Department of English) on drums, Professor David Hart (Department of English) on guitar, and Professor Karl Kattchee (Department of Mathematics) on bass guitar. Special guests were Laun Braithwaite on acoustic guitar and UW-L student Matt Treat on tenor saxophone. The performance alternated Professor Barillas's reading of his essay with songs by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper.
Of all the stars in the first generation of rock and roll, Buddy seemed the most accessible . . . you could imagine Buddy Holly as a kid in your neighborhood, as a guy in English class junior year. You wouldn't mind Buddy dating your sister, or so you might suppose. And his music! Buddy wrote beautiful songs, tender ballads and exultant rockers, all delivered in that distinctive voice with the patented hiccup at just the right moment.