This is a must-see for Buddy Holly fans. It has a more immediate feel than many celebrity documentaries, perhaps because it was made by a celebrity--you get the idea that these icons of rock n' roll were all just regular kids. This feeling is enhanced by the rare color footage, which shows a youthful Elvis and even, briefly, a baby-faced Johnny Cash. (Maybe it's just that I'm getting old.) The film has a mellow pace and a fairly spare look, in keeping with the small-town feel of Lubbock, and the industrial-area recording studios the band used. Musicians will be especially interested in the information about the Crickets' early development, and how they created their sound--Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison are on hand to give live demonstrations of different guitar and drum styles; Violet Petty shows how she played the chiming sounds on "Everyday". McCartney turns out to be a sympathetic interviewer, good at drawing straight answers from his subjects, and there are all kinds of little-known recordings played, including advertising jingles the Crickets put together. Both McCartney and Keith Richards show obvious gratitude for the inspiration they got from Buddy Holly & the Crickets' records. Have a box of Kleenex nearby for the end!
6 Reviews
Buddy Holly tribute by Paul McCartney
george_chabot27 July 2002
A labor of love by former Beatle Paul McCartney who, after seeing "The Buddy Holly Story" with Gary Busey, determined to find out about the real Buddy Holly. Paul took his film crew and sought out the people Buddy Holly knew and the places he frequented, including the venues around Lubbock, TX where Buddy made his first musical excursions, continuing on to Clovis, NM where most of Buddy's records were made at Petty Studios, and the New York and Los Angeles sites where the rest of his records were cut. Along the way, Buddy's friends and family give their candid comments about the life and times of Buddy Holly. Interviewees include Buddy's brothers, Mrs. Norman Petty, widow of his first manager, Buddy's band the Crickets, record executives, and several rock stars like Keith Richards and Don and Phil Everly. The result is a very good documentary that sheds more light on Buddy Holly than most other rock 'n' roll legends. Very worthwhile viewing!
Social and musical insight
MW3227 May 2008
Both musicians and those interested in the social history of 1950s rock 'n' roll will enjoy this documentary on the great Buddy Holly. Slickly produced it's not, but the slightly amateurish feel goes well with the raw, pure sound of Holly and the Crickets---before he moved to New York and added strings and harp to his music. It's fun to imagine the touring days when the Crickets, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, Dion and the Belmonts, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Little Richard, and other now-legends traveled from town to town on buses, sitting in with each other's acts when somebody was sick or otherwise unable to play. Scenes with Holly's family, schoolmates, and girlfriends not only reveal his small-town background but demonstrate that he knew early on what he wanted to do, and show his determination to do it. Despite the drive that took him to stardom, those around him unanimously say he kept his down-home nice-guy personality to the end. Nobody who's played rock music can deny what Paul McCartney and Keith Richards make clear: We all owe what we play in large part to Buddy Holly. As Richards says, "Not bad for a guy from Lubbock, right?"
For Those Who Want To Learn More About One Of The All-Time Rock Greats
ccthemovieman-17 December 2008
Nobody respects and reveres those old American rock pioneers like the British. That goes for blues, too. I share their love for these guys and could sit and listen to toe-tapping rockabilly, or blues all night long. Maybe that's one reason most of my favorite rock performers are English and Irish. Thankfully, one of those Brits who loves those early rock 'n rollers is Paul McCartney. The former Beatle was not happy with the 1978 movie portrayal of Buddy Holly so he made this documentary.
Frankly, I don't see what was so bad about the Gary Busey '78 film about Holly but if McCartney says there were too many flaws in it, I believe him. Since Holly was my favorite singer from the late '50s, I'm glad to see the ex-Beatle provide us with more insight and performances of the man from Lubbock, Texas. Of real interest was some footage of Buddy, Elvis and Johnny Cash. This is supposedly the earliest clips ever made of Presley and, man, you can see why the girls went crazy over him.
Among the interesting comments in here was by McCartney who commented that fellow Beatle John Lennon never wore his glasses on stage until he saw Holly with his dark-rimmed glasses. Hey, if it was cool enough for Buddy, Lennon said, it's good enough for me and he wore glasses while performing from then on.
That's the one of the many influences Holly had on future music greats, as we hear in this documentary. Fellow Holly band member Sonny Curtis really impressed me with his voice and guitar playing. "The Crickets," Buddy's band, had a lot of talent.
Since this tribute was made over 20 years ago, it's interesting to see how young everyone looks, from McCartney to the Everly Brothers and even Keith Richards! The main thing, though, is that we get a real feel for who Buddy Holly was, where he grew up, the atmosphere, the people and managers who surrounded him (including a very pretty ex-girlfriend) and to hear how driven he was to succeed and do the kind of music he wanted to do. It all makes me sad, recalling how we lost of the greatest rock singers/writers of all time at the tender age of 22.
Thanks to McCartney for this "labor of love."
Frankly, I don't see what was so bad about the Gary Busey '78 film about Holly but if McCartney says there were too many flaws in it, I believe him. Since Holly was my favorite singer from the late '50s, I'm glad to see the ex-Beatle provide us with more insight and performances of the man from Lubbock, Texas. Of real interest was some footage of Buddy, Elvis and Johnny Cash. This is supposedly the earliest clips ever made of Presley and, man, you can see why the girls went crazy over him.
Among the interesting comments in here was by McCartney who commented that fellow Beatle John Lennon never wore his glasses on stage until he saw Holly with his dark-rimmed glasses. Hey, if it was cool enough for Buddy, Lennon said, it's good enough for me and he wore glasses while performing from then on.
That's the one of the many influences Holly had on future music greats, as we hear in this documentary. Fellow Holly band member Sonny Curtis really impressed me with his voice and guitar playing. "The Crickets," Buddy's band, had a lot of talent.
Since this tribute was made over 20 years ago, it's interesting to see how young everyone looks, from McCartney to the Everly Brothers and even Keith Richards! The main thing, though, is that we get a real feel for who Buddy Holly was, where he grew up, the atmosphere, the people and managers who surrounded him (including a very pretty ex-girlfriend) and to hear how driven he was to succeed and do the kind of music he wanted to do. It all makes me sad, recalling how we lost of the greatest rock singers/writers of all time at the tender age of 22.
Thanks to McCartney for this "labor of love."
A Labor of Love from One Legend to Another
johncavanaugh-7064730 June 2021
Paul McCartney made this small documentary about one of his greatest idols (others being Little Richard, Bob Dylan, and Elvis). I find this small low-budget documentary to be honest, true, and most importantly, genuine. You can just sense the love and care put into this. It's clearly more intimate than your average rock 'n' roll documentary. I love this. I watched it for the first time in high school, and I've watched it again recently.
An Informative Bio-Documentary All About Rock'n'Roll Legend, Buddy Holly (1936-1959)
StrictlyConfidential27 July 2020
Originally broadcast for TV viewing back in 1987 - This 86-minute "Buddy Holly" bio-documentary gives the inquisitive viewer a fairly well-rounded overview of the short life and brief musical career of American pop star, Buddy Holly.
Born (1936) in Lubbock, Texas - Buddy Holly (birth name - Charles Hardin Holley) is considered to be a major pioneering figure in the evolution of mid-1950s rock'n'roll.
It is well-known that modern-day pop icons such as Elton John, Mick Jagger, and John Lennon (to name but a few) all claim that Holly was a significant influence on the direction that their early songwriting took.
*Note* - In 1959 - Buddy Holly (22 at the time) was killed (as a passenger) in a single-engine plane crash.
Born (1936) in Lubbock, Texas - Buddy Holly (birth name - Charles Hardin Holley) is considered to be a major pioneering figure in the evolution of mid-1950s rock'n'roll.
It is well-known that modern-day pop icons such as Elton John, Mick Jagger, and John Lennon (to name but a few) all claim that Holly was a significant influence on the direction that their early songwriting took.
*Note* - In 1959 - Buddy Holly (22 at the time) was killed (as a passenger) in a single-engine plane crash.
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