Buddy Holly Not Fading Away, 50 Years After Death - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 01-26-2009, 08:13 PM

Link

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – One snowy night 50 years ago, Buddy Holly took off on a small plane and died a few minutes later when it crashed in an Iowa field.

A tragic icon was born, but so was a half-century of litigation and finger-pointing. The latest legal showdown has been going on for 15 years as Holly's family chases alleged unpaid royalties from his Universal Music Group label.

"They've cheated us," Holly's older brother Larry told Reuters. Universal won the initial case, he said, but the family is appealing. He later declined to elaborate, suspecting that he was speaking to "an agent" for the label. A Universal official did not reply to a request for comment.

But the parties have made up, at least temporarily, to collaborate on a pair of multi-disc CD sets that will be released on January 27, a week before the anniversary of the February 3, 1959, crash that also claimed Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson.

The three-CD "Memorial Collection" boasts all of Holly's hits -- including "That'll Be The Day," "Not Fade Away," "Peggy Sue" and "Rave On"-- as well as seven recordings previously unreleased in the United States.

The two-CD "Down The Line - Rarities" features home recordings dating back to when Holly was 14, widely bootlegged undubbed versions, alternate takes and informal solo tapes.

Some of the recordings -- such as "Think It Over" and "Fool's Paradise" -- have been stripped of overdubs that were added by Norman Petty, arguably the No. 1 villain in the Buddy Holly story.

Petty was an independent producer who owned the Clovis, N.M., studio where Holly and his band the Crickets recorded most of their tunes between 1956 and 1958. In addition to taking control of Holly's career and finances, he added his name to the songwriting credits -- a dubious but not uncommon practice in those days.

"I'D RATHER SEE YOU DEAD"

After Holly suffered disappointing sales for such tunes as "Rave On" and "It's so Easy," he grew resentful of Petty's control. The cash-strapped musician and his new wife, Maria Elena, visited Petty at the studio to end their partnership, and seek his unpaid royalties.

In an interview with Reuters, Maria Elena Holly, recounted that Petty told his young protege, "You know what, Buddy? I'm gonna say this to you. I'd rather see you dead than to give you the money now."

Holly almost punched Petty, but his wife's cooler head prevailed, and they returned to their new apartment in New York where they borrowed money from Maria Elena's aunt. In a financial bind, Holly reluctantly joined the lineup of the "Winter Dance Party" tour of small towns in the frozen upper Midwest, leaving his pregnant bride at home.

The troupe traversed vast stretches in an old, unheated bus. For Holly, the discomfort was exacerbated by his legal problems with Petty.

After the 11th show, at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 2, he decided to take a small plane rather than reboard the bus for an overnight trip to the next venue 400 miles away in Moorhead, Minnesota.

The single-engine, four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza was no match for the developing blizzard, making it about four miles before crashing in a corn field and tossing its famous stars out into the snow. All died instantly, with Holly's skull split open and his chest crushed. He was just 22.

Maria Elena, who miscarried after learning of her husband's death, stopped short of saying Petty "killed" Holly, but said, "He had something to do with his accident."

Larry Holley (the "e" was dropped by Buddy for his stage name) was less equivocal.

"Man, that guy. I hope he's in hell right now. I imagine he is." (Petty died in 1984)

THE BUDDY HOLLY BUSINESS

After Holly died, his family split the estate with Maria Elena. For the most part, the two camps get along fine now, although there were problems in the past, said Holley.

Tax bills forced the family to sell down their interest in Holly's catalog to Paul McCartney's publishing company, but they still make "a good living" from royalties, said Holley. McCartney's MPL Communications also scooped up Petty's ownership stake in Holly's compositions.

Maria Elena kept her share, and has spent her life overseeing the Buddy Holly business. She briefly remarried and had three children, but her husband "realized that my heart was not there. It was still with Buddy."

The Puerto Rican native has earned a reputation for being fiercely protective. She refused to let Holly's hometown of Lubbock, Texas, use his name for its walk of fame and annual music festival, but says she is on good terms with the city now.

"I trademarked that name already," she said. "People want to use it without compensation and I feel that was Buddy's bread and butter and the legacy left to us. I'm the guardian of that legacy. "

MickeyMac · 01-26-2009, 08:49 PM

Not just Buddy Holly but back then there were so many srewy deals going on that the artists rarely got what was rightfully theirs as far as money goes.

catlover79 · 01-26-2009, 09:49 PM

Wow - hard to believe it's been 50 years. I've read a couple of books about "the day the music died" and it's one of the saddest stories I've ever heard.

I think I'll watch La Bamba that day.

Mikado · 01-26-2009, 11:40 PM

I have been planning to make a Buddy thread for Feb the 3rd.....if it doesnt slip my mind as it did last year

catlover79 · 01-26-2009, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikado

I have been planning to make a Buddy thread for Feb the 3rd.....if it doesnt slip my mind as it did last year

If it does, I'll make the thread. I have autographs from both Donnas - the real Donna Ludwig Fox (Ritchie Valens' girlfriend) and Danielle Von Zerneck, who played Donna in La Bamba.

Yooch · 01-27-2009, 01:16 AM

A close friend of mine and I have a 'bucket list' goal, and that is to meet together in Lubbock, Texas one day and visit the Buddy Holly museum.

Buddy Holly's one of my all-time favorite singers/performers.

Mikado · 01-27-2009, 06:03 AM

Buddy IS my all-time fave singer/performer (His songs helped me get through so much in my teen years)

catlover79 · 04-30-2009, 10:03 PM

I just downloaded Buddy Holly's version of Not Fade Away - the Stones' version doesn't even come close. Buddy's version ROCKS.

MickeyMac · 05-01-2009, 01:36 PM

^

I like the Stones version myself, I always thought Mick and the boys did it justice.

That said I prefer the original and the cool thing about it is drummer Jerry Allison is playing cardboard boxes which gives that record that unique sound.

catlover79 · 05-01-2009, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

^

I like the Stones version myself, I always thought Mick and the boys did it justice.

That said I prefer the original and the cool thing about it is drummer Jerry Allison is playing cardboard boxes which gives that record that unique sound.

Cardboard boxes? COOL!!

01-26-2009, 08:13 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,434	Buddy Holly Not Fading Away, 50 Years After Death Link LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – One snowy night 50 years ago, Buddy Holly took off on a small plane and died a few minutes later when it crashed in an Iowa field. A tragic icon was born, but so was a half-century of litigation and finger-pointing. The latest legal showdown has been going on for 15 years as Holly's family chases alleged unpaid royalties from his Universal Music Group label. "They've cheated us," Holly's older brother Larry told Reuters. Universal won the initial case, he said, but the family is appealing. He later declined to elaborate, suspecting that he was speaking to "an agent" for the label. A Universal official did not reply to a request for comment. But the parties have made up, at least temporarily, to collaborate on a pair of multi-disc CD sets that will be released on January 27, a week before the anniversary of the February 3, 1959, crash that also claimed Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. The three-CD "Memorial Collection" boasts all of Holly's hits -- including "That'll Be The Day," "Not Fade Away," "Peggy Sue" and "Rave On"-- as well as seven recordings previously unreleased in the United States. The two-CD "Down The Line - Rarities" features home recordings dating back to when Holly was 14, widely bootlegged undubbed versions, alternate takes and informal solo tapes. Some of the recordings -- such as "Think It Over" and "Fool's Paradise" -- have been stripped of overdubs that were added by Norman Petty, arguably the No. 1 villain in the Buddy Holly story. Petty was an independent producer who owned the Clovis, N.M., studio where Holly and his band the Crickets recorded most of their tunes between 1956 and 1958. In addition to taking control of Holly's career and finances, he added his name to the songwriting credits -- a dubious but not uncommon practice in those days. "I'D RATHER SEE YOU DEAD" After Holly suffered disappointing sales for such tunes as "Rave On" and "It's so Easy," he grew resentful of Petty's control. The cash-strapped musician and his new wife, Maria Elena, visited Petty at the studio to end their partnership, and seek his unpaid royalties. In an interview with Reuters, Maria Elena Holly, recounted that Petty told his young protege, "You know what, Buddy? I'm gonna say this to you. I'd rather see you dead than to give you the money now." Holly almost punched Petty, but his wife's cooler head prevailed, and they returned to their new apartment in New York where they borrowed money from Maria Elena's aunt. In a financial bind, Holly reluctantly joined the lineup of the "Winter Dance Party" tour of small towns in the frozen upper Midwest, leaving his pregnant bride at home. The troupe traversed vast stretches in an old, unheated bus. For Holly, the discomfort was exacerbated by his legal problems with Petty. After the 11th show, at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 2, he decided to take a small plane rather than reboard the bus for an overnight trip to the next venue 400 miles away in Moorhead, Minnesota. The single-engine, four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza was no match for the developing blizzard, making it about four miles before crashing in a corn field and tossing its famous stars out into the snow. All died instantly, with Holly's skull split open and his chest crushed. He was just 22. Maria Elena, who miscarried after learning of her husband's death, stopped short of saying Petty "killed" Holly, but said, "He had something to do with his accident." Larry Holley (the "e" was dropped by Buddy for his stage name) was less equivocal. "Man, that guy. I hope he's in hell right now. I imagine he is." (Petty died in 1984) THE BUDDY HOLLY BUSINESS After Holly died, his family split the estate with Maria Elena. For the most part, the two camps get along fine now, although there were problems in the past, said Holley. Tax bills forced the family to sell down their interest in Holly's catalog to Paul McCartney's publishing company, but they still make "a good living" from royalties, said Holley. McCartney's MPL Communications also scooped up Petty's ownership stake in Holly's compositions. Maria Elena kept her share, and has spent her life overseeing the Buddy Holly business. She briefly remarried and had three children, but her husband "realized that my heart was not there. It was still with Buddy." The Puerto Rican native has earned a reputation for being fiercely protective. She refused to let Holly's hometown of Lubbock, Texas, use his name for its walk of fame and annual music festival, but says she is on good terms with the city now. "I trademarked that name already," she said. "People want to use it without compensation and I feel that was Buddy's bread and butter and the legacy left to us. I'm the guardian of that legacy. "

01-26-2009, 09:49 PM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	Wow - hard to believe it's been 50 years. I've read a couple of books about "the day the music died" and it's one of the saddest stories I've ever heard. I think I'll watch La Bamba that day.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

01-27-2009, 01:16 AM	#6
Yooch Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 07, 2006 Location: California Posts: 3,180	A close friend of mine and I have a 'bucket list' goal, and that is to meet together in Lubbock, Texas one day and visit the Buddy Holly museum. Buddy Holly's one of my all-time favorite singers/performers.
	__________________ "The true meaning of America, you ask? It's in a Texas rodeo, in a policeman's badge, in the sound of laughing children, in a political rally, in a newspaper...In all these things and many more, you'll find freedom. And freedom is what America means to the world. And to me." --Audie Leon Murphy June 20, 1924-- May 28, 1971

01-26-2009, 08:49 PM	#2
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	Not just Buddy Holly but back then there were so many srewy deals going on that the artists rarely got what was rightfully theirs as far as money goes.

01-26-2009, 11:40 PM	#4
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,892	I have been planning to make a Buddy thread for Feb the 3rd.....if it doesnt slip my mind as it did last year

01-27-2009, 06:03 AM	#7
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,892	Buddy IS my all-time fave singer/performer (His songs helped me get through so much in my teen years)

04-30-2009, 10:03 PM	#8
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	I just downloaded Buddy Holly's version of Not Fade Away - the Stones' version doesn't even come close. Buddy's version ROCKS.

05-01-2009, 01:36 PM	#9
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	^ I like the Stones version myself, I always thought Mick and the boys did it justice. That said I prefer the original and the cool thing about it is drummer Jerry Allison is playing cardboard boxes which gives that record that unique sound.