orig. Charles Hardin Holley
born Sept. 7, 1936, Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
died Feb. 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa
U.S. singer and songwriter.
He played in country music bands while in high school. Later switching to rock and roll (see rock music ), Holly and his band, the Crickets, had hits in 1957 with songs such as "That'll Be the Day," "Peggy Sue," and "Oh, Boy!" Holly died at age 22 in a plane crash, along with the singers Richie Valens (b. 1941) and The Big Bopper (Jape Richardson, b. 1930). He left behind many recordings that were released posthumously, and he soon attained legendary stature; he was part of the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.