This veritable rock ‘n roll royal accomplished so much in so little time and while so young that it’s difficult to differentiate between his meaningful contributions to the world of music and the notoriety of his tragic death. But Buddy Holly is not revered simply for dying young; he was a talented musician whose innovative techniques were often ahead of his time.

He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas and learned to play several instruments, including the guitar. Together with friend Bob Montgomery, the teenage Holly formulated a style he called ‘country bop’ before moving on to a purely rock ‘n roll sound. During the 50s his group expanded and grew and Holly added R&B tunes to their repertoire, inspired by Elvis Presley’s performances. The end result was a musical ensemble called the Crickets that developed the signature rock ‘n roll bop for which Buddy Holly is famous.

In 1957, Buddy Holly and the Crickets recorded “That’ll Be the Day,” a song written by Holly that became their breakthrough hit. “That’ll Be the Day” featured Buddy Holly’s ‘hiccupping’ singing—he utilized glottal stops to emphasize words—and lively guitar style; it quickly rose to the top of the charts.  Holly and his band started touring to bolster their hit song and performed in venues across the country, including the famed Apollo Theater in New York’s Harlem. The Crickets were a big success and released another Top 10 single, “Peggy Sue,” showcasing drummer Jerry Allison’s driving beats and Holly’s distinctive singing.  Both songs benefited from a new recording technique that placed the studio microphones as close to the instruments as possible, resulting in a clean, clear sound. This method soon became established studio procedure for rock bands everywhere. Holly’s technical innovations didn’t stop there. He and producer Norman Petty experimented widely with studio capabilities and other musicians adopted their practices. For example, Holly and Petty spearheaded the use of double tracks for vocals and instruments to provide a richer sound; multiple uses of echo for depth; and the inclusion of unconventional instruments (like the celesta used in the song “Everyday”).

The Crickets’ next hit came with “Oh Boy” and they also made an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1958, Holly bade the Crickets goodbye and embarked on a solo career, with “Maybe Baby” and “Rave On.” Both were hits in the U.S. pop and R&B charts, as well as the UK charts. “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” and “Raining In My Heart” followed, two ballads featuring more complex musical arrangements and toned down vocals.

While on tour in 1959, Holly and fellow musicians Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper chartered a small plane after their tour bus gave up the ghost. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all three plus the young pilot at the helm. That terrible event was a blow to fans worldwide who mourned the young musicians (Holly was 22, the Bopper 29 and Valens only 18) and all their lost potential. In 1971, Don McLean’s poignant song “American Pie” referred to the accident as “The Day The Music Died,” conveying the enormity of the tragedy.

Buddy Holly’s music attained even more popularity after his death, making The Buddy Holly Story, a posthumous album of his collected works a Top 20 hit. His music continued to be in high demand, especially in England where his singles had consistently charted high. In 1978, Gary Busey starred (and was nominated for an Academy Award) in The Buddy Holly Story, a feature film about the rocker’s life and work. Paul McCartney later produced and hosted The Real Buddy Holly Story, a definitive documentary featuring interviews with the Everly Brothers, the Crickets, Keith Richards and Holly’s family.

Buddy Holly and his brief career exerted tremendous influence on later rock artists and he is the de facto icon of early rock ‘n roll. His songs are constantly reissued, as are any samples of his work—studio sessions, unused masters, even early demos—which are very popular with collectors. We can only imagine what Buddy Holly would have accomplished had he not boarded that fateful flight but as it is, his legend—horn-rimmed glasses and all—lives on.