Here’s a meaningful chance to honor the legacy of Buddy Holly, and I’ll admit up front—this is a tough one to write.
At the radio station, we’re often torn over how to recognize artists after they’re gone. There’s always the same question: do you acknowledge their birthday, or the day they died? Over time, we’ve landed on a simple rule—skip the death dates. It can feel heavy, even morbid, and radio is about celebrating the joy music brings, not reopening wounds.
Buddy Holly complicates that approach.
The complication comes from American Pie by Don McLean—a song so massively popular it permanently embedded the phrase “The Day the Music Died” into the American lexicon. That single lyric tied the tragedy of February 3, 1959, to music history forever, and in many ways amplified the cultural impact of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper beyond what anyone could have imagined at the time.
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That’s exactly why the Buddy Holly Center commemorates February 3rd each year. Rather than framing it as a loss, the Center describes the event as a way to “celebrate the enduring legacy of Buddy Holly.” That wording matters. It shifts the focus away from tragedy and squarely onto influence, innovation, and the music that continues to ripple through generations.
This year, the observance is also a perfect excuse to revisit one of the cultural gems sitting right in our own backyard. Admission to the Buddy Holly Center will be free on February 3rd, and visitors will also have the opportunity to take guided tours of the J.J. Allison House, where so much of that early West Texas rock history was shaped.
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No matter how you personally choose to remember Buddy Holly, this is a chance to do it the right way—by celebrating what he gave the world, not just how the story ended. And while you’re marking February 3rd on your calendar, go ahead and circle September 7th too. That’s Buddy’s birthday, and it’s the perfect day to turn the music up and celebrate him again.
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