Special Holly day to mark legend's 60th anniversary tour
When Buddy Holly performed at The Gaumont Cinema in Wolverhampton on March 7, 1958, his career was on the crest of a wave.
Excited fans turned out to see the new American rock 'n' roll phenomenon, still only 21, on his first – and as it tragically turned out, his last – UK tour which took in the Black Country venue.
His performances wowed devotees. In the Birmingham Town Hall audience three nights afterwards was 12-year-old John Lodge who later said: "Buddy Holly was the person who made me understand that I could be a musician. He was incredible."
The following decade Lodge rose to fame as bass player with The Moody Blues along with fellow Holly fan Justin Hayward.
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the star's visit, tribute act Buddy Holly and the Cricketers will perform with the English Rock and Roll Orchestra at 22 venues across the UK – including Wolverhampton on Wednesday, on the exact date Holly himself played six decades ago.
Organisers have tried to book the same venues as well as keep to the dates but the Gaumont, on the corner of Snow Hill and St George’s Parade, was knocked down in 1973, and the site now occupied by a Wilkinson’s store. Instead the gig will be staged at the Grand Theatre.
There are no known pictures of his visit to Wolverhampton and few accounts of his two shows that day. But it is known that the singer and his band, bassist Joe Maudlin and drummer Jerry Allison, stayed at the Victoria Hotel, now the Britannia, next to the Grand after their second performance.
Mauldin recalled that the bedrooms in the Victoria Hotel were large with high ceilings, and so were quite cold. He said: "We were continually putting coins into the gas meters for the fires.
"Eventually we found out that the massive log fire in the hotel lounge was still burning so we went downstairs and stretched out on the big armchairs in front of the fire to keep warm. We ordered drinks and sandwiches and sat talking to the night staff."
The visit was researched 10 years ago by Walsall historian Ian Payne on the 50th anniversary of the legend's performance in the town, leading to a book, The Day that Buddy Came to Town, now in the Wolverhampton Archives.
He said: "I wanted to make a lasting tribute, partly because my parents were keen Buddy Holly fans and partly after being inspired by a musical tribute to him several years ago. I'm delighted the 60th anniversary is being marked in this way and it's poignant that they are keeping to the exact dates he performed on his tour.
"He made a mark on this region and it's clear his fans loved him."
A programme from the 1958 tour reveals Holly's appearance was part of a variety-style show compered by a young Des O'Connor and featuring long-forgotten other musical acts The Tanner Sisters, Gary Miller and Ronnie Keene and his Orchestra.
The singer and his band were headlining but only played a 20-minute set.
Mr Payne tracked down a few who were in the audience that night, among them Alan Owen who recalled the queue for tickets stretched round the building. 'I remember Buddy talking about touring Australia with Jerry Lee Lewis before he did a a great performance of Whole Lotta Shakin'. He also sang Good Rockin Tonight. For me it was all over too soon."
Simon Fielder, producer of this week's Grand show and a band member in the original West End hit, The Buddy Holly Story, said the star was 'pivotal' in his development as a guitarist and songwriter.
He added: "He influenced a whole generation of our greatest musicians – The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Brian May. His UK tour was a watershed for popular music in this country."
