"That'll be the day"

"Someone once asked me where I thought music would've taken Buddy. I said 'you're asking the wrong question. Where was Buddy gonna take music?" -Waylon Jennings

Yesterday we made an impromtu drive down to Lubbock with Amber's parents to visit with her Aunt Penny and Uncle Jerry who are in the process of relocating there. I had never been to Lubbock, but had always hoped to one day visit the Buddy Holly Center. I don't know if there is anyone that made more joyful music in rock and roll. The music and it's lyrics has an innocence and exuberance that transcend the era it was made in. I really didn't think I'd get to fulfill this dream yesterday since it was such a down and back trip. Well, It turns out the Holly Center occupies an old train depot and was directly behind the restaurant we had lunch at.

The Center is very small, not a whole lot of memorabilia but that lends to the fact that his life and career were so relatively short. Of note, the famous glasses/frames he was famous for. They were recovered from the wreckage of the small plane he died in that fateful night in Iowa. The late 50's Fender Stratocaster that didn't make that flight but was on the band's bus, it was functionally restored in 1999 and a pick was found in between the pick guard and the body. He was known to slide his extra picks in along the edge of the pick guard. Other items included the Gibson Accoustic Guitar he wrote a number of his soon to become hits before he headed out on his last tour and a number of other personal effects. What a remarkable life that was cut short in tragedy. His career only lasted 18 months... but he accomplished much more in that short span than most do in their lifetime. He even toured Europe!