The Crickets were an American rock and roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer-songwriter Buddy Holly in January 1957. Their first hit record, "That'll Be the Day", released in May 1957, peaked at number three on the Billboard Top 100 chart on September 16, 1957. The sleeve of their first album, The "Chirping" Crickets, shows the band line-up at the time: Holly on lead vocals and lead guitar, Niki Sullivan on rhythm guitar, Jerry Allison on drums, and Joe B. Mauldin on bass. The Crickets helped set the template for subsequent rock bands, such as the Beatles, with their guitar-bass-drums line-up, performing their own self-written material. After Holly's death in 1959 the band continued to tour and record into the 1960s and beyond with other band members through to the 21st century.
"That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison. It was first recorded by Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes in 1956 and was re-recorded in 1957 by Holly and his new band, The Crickets. The 1957 recording achieved widespread success. Holly's producer, Norman Petty, was credited as a co-writer, although he did not contribute to the composition.
Jerry Ivan Allison was an American musician. He was best known as the drummer for the Crickets and co-writer of their hits "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue", recorded with Buddy Holly. His only solo chart entry on the Billboard Hot 100 was "Real Wild Child", issued in 1958 under the name Ivan. Allison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
Joseph Benson Mauldin, Jr. was an American bassist, songwriter, and audio engineer who was best known as the bassist for the early rock and roll group the Crickets. Mauldin initially played a double (standup) bass, then switched to a Fender Precision Bass guitar. After several years with the Crickets, he became a recording engineer at Gold Star Studios, the Los Angeles studio which became the "hit factory" for Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, and other major 1960s rock performers.
Sonny Curtis is an American singer and songwriter. Known for his collaborations with Buddy Holly, he was a member of the Crickets and continued with the band after Holly's death. Curtis's best known compositions include "Walk Right Back", a major hit in 1961 for the Everly Brothers; "I Fought the Law", notably covered by the Bobby Fuller Four and the Clash; and "Love is All Around," the theme song for The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
This Time is a studio album by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1974, at the peak of the outlaw country movement. It was produced by Jennings and Willie Nelson.
"Heartbeat" is a rockabilly song originally recorded by Bob Montgomery and credited to Norman Petty. It was recorded most famously by Buddy Holly in 1958. The B-side of the single was "Well... All Right". "Heartbeat" reached the UK top 10 twice: once in 1975 for Showaddywaddy at number seven and again in 1992 for Nick Berry, recorded as the theme to the television series Heartbeat, which reached number two.
"I'm Gonna Love You Too" is a song written by Joe B. Mauldin, Niki Sullivan and Norman Petty, originally recorded by Buddy Holly in 1957 and released as a single in 1958. It was covered 20 years later by American new wave band Blondie and released as the lead single in the U.S. from their multi-platinum 1978 album Parallel Lines.
"Everyday" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty, recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets on May 29, 1957, and released on September 20, 1957, as the B-side of "Peggy Sue". The single went to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1957. "Everyday" is ranked number 238 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
The Buddy Holly Story is the first posthumously released compilation album by Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The album was released on February 28, 1959 by Coral Records less than a month after Holly's death.
"More Than I Can Say" is a song written by Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison, both former members of Buddy Holly's band the Crickets. They recorded it in 1959 soon after Holly's death and released it in 1960. Their original version hit No. 42 on British Record Retailer Chart in 1960. It has been notably performed by singers Bobby Vee and Leo Sayer.
Jerry Naylor Jackson was an American country and rock and roll artist, broadcaster and inspirational speaker. From late 1961 through 1964 he was The Crickets' lead vocalist.
"Love's Made a Fool of You" is a song co-written and originally performed by Buddy Holly. It was later re-recorded by Sonny Curtis and the Crickets, with the lead vocal by Earl Sinks, and famously covered by the Bobby Fuller Four.
Reminiscing is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Buddy Holly. The album was released as an LP record in both mono and stereo formats in February 1963. Reminiscing was Buddy Holly's third posthumously released album and the second album to feature previously unreleased material. The original recordings were overdubbed by the Fireballs in 1962 and many of the undubbed recordings appeared on For the First Time Anywhere in 1983.
In Style With the Crickets is a rock and roll album by the Crickets. Although it was the band's first release following the departure and subsequent death of their front man, Buddy Holly, it still contains many of the band's most memorable songs and many tracks have also been featured on numerous compilations over the years. Originally released as an LP record on December 5, 1960, the album remained out of print for some time until it was re-released on CD in 1993, with bonus tracks not featured on the original album.
"Think It Over" is a rock-and-roll song written by Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, and Norman Petty in 1958, originally recorded by the Crickets. Vi Petty, Norman Petty's wife, played piano on this recording.
Something Old, Something New, Something Blue, Somethin' Else is a rock and roll album by the Crickets. It is The Crickets' third release following the departure and subsequent death of their front man, Buddy Holly. As the original cover indicates, the album contains versions of four old songs, four new songs, and four songs with variations of "blue" in the title.
California Sun / She Loves You is a rock and roll album by the Crickets, recorded during their time with Liberty Records. It is The Crickets' fourth and final album for Liberty following the departure and subsequent death of their front man, Buddy Holly. The album's title is somewhat confusing, as it follows the then-popular industry practice of filling the album cover with the titles of as many popular songs as possible. The record label simply lists "The Crickets" name.
Rockin' 50's Rock'n'Roll is a rock and roll album by the Crickets. It was The Crickets' first release in the 1970s, and marked the band's embrace of their legacy as Buddy Holly's backing band. The album is a concept album of nostalgia for the 1950s, consisting mostly of songs written by Holly and framed by the new retrospectively-minded title track. Originally released as an LP record in December 1970, the album was re-released on CD by in 2000.
"When You Ask About Love" is a song written by Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis and recorded by the Crickets in 1959. It was a hit in Britain, reaching number 27 in the UK Singles Chart.
