The Buddy Holly Story premieres in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas in 1978

Renee Hansen

Hard Rock Cafe's 40th Anniversary Memorabilia Tour / Neilson Barnard/GettyImages

American singer and songwriter Buddy Holly lived a short life but, during that time, significantly impacted the music world, specifically rock and roll. He was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas, so having the biographical film The Buddy Holly Story premiere in his hometown was only fitting.

Steve Rash, the director known for the movies Son In Law and Can't Buy Me Love, helmed the film that documents Buddy Holly's life and musical journey. Joe Renzetti adapted the Academy Award-winning musical score. Robert Gittler adapted the story from John Goldrosen's 1975 biography Buddy Holly: His Life and Music.

Gary Busy portrayed Holly in an Oscar-nominated performance. The film also starred Don Stroud,
Charles Martin Smith , Conrad Janis and William Jordan. With Maria Richwine as Holly's wife, Marie Elena Holly, Gailard Sartain as The Big Bopper, Jerry Zaremba as Eddie Cochran, Paul Mooney as Sam Cooke, and more.

The Buddy Holly Story

The Buddy Holly Story would premiere in nine locations across Texas and Oklahoma on May 18, 1878, including Holly's hometown of Lubbock and Busey's hometown of Tulsa. The film would see a Los Angeles opening on June 14.

The film follows Holly's life from age 20 until his death at age 22, although Busy was 33 when he portrayed the musician. Holly died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, in Clear Lake, Iowa, which also claimed the lives of musicians Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson.

Critics couldn't praise Busey enough for his performance. Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half out of four stars stating fans of Holly's would be amazed at how well Busey gets into character. He and the other actors sang and played their instruments, giving the movie a much more authentic feel. You can rent or buy the film on streaming services, including Prime Video.

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Renee Hansen

Renee Hansen, a contributing writer for Undead Walking, joined the Fansided family in 2019. She has written for numerous sites, including Netflix Life, Winter is Coming, Show Snob, Audio Phix, and Stairway to 11. She covers a wide range of pop culture topics, from horror, zombies, and romantic comedies to music and period dramas. Renee has also conducted interviews with many notable figures, including Lennie James, Steven Ogg, Tom Payne, Josh Hamilton, Carrie Genzel, Cooper Andrews, Dan Fogler, and Vince Neil. She has also hosted panels at various events, such as The Camp Events and Atlanta Comic Convention. When not writing, Renee enjoys watching new TV and movie releases, revisiting 80s movies, or rewatching The Walking Dead.