Buddy Holly

In his analysis of Buddy Holly's music and lyrics, his impact on music of the late 1950s, and his posthumous influence on the music industry, Dave Laing aims to provide a fresh perspective on this early rock icon. The longest-serving member of the rock immortals club--those singers and musicians for whom death seems to inaugurate a new phase of their careers--Holly was elevated to a place of honor in rock history soon after the plane crash that took his life in February 1959. One of the first artifacts acquired by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum was the twisted pair of his trademark black-rimmed glasses recovered from the plane wreckage. Despite his premature death at the age of 22 and the relatively limited output of his recordings during his lifetime, Buddy Holly remains one of the most influential and best-loved figures in rock 'n' roll.

Dave Laing is former editor of Music Week and author of One Chord Wonders: Power and Meaning in Punk Rock and (with Phil Hardy) The Faber Companion to 20th Century Popular Music.