Thursday, August 7, 2008
Don't Forget Ritchie, and the Big Bopper..
There is of course much interest in the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Winter Dance Party and as it should be. It was a monumentally tragic day in the history of rock and roll and deserves special attention. The one thing I have noticed though is a few shows, tributes, and articles sometimes overlook or give short shrift to all involved. I happened to see a press release recently stating that an evening of entertainment planned coinciding with the 5oth anniversary was a celebration of the music of Buddy Holly and his influence on current music icons. No mention of Ritchie Valens contributions nor the Big Boppers. I am not arguing who out of the three was more "important" musically or historically so far but state that all three in my mind had a vast and lasting effect on rock and roll as we know it and come this Jan/Feb 2009 all three should be equally remembered and honored in any presentation whether print, concert or film. Here's to all three and their lasting legacy and memory. Rave on Charles Hardin Holley, Richard Steven Valenzuela and Jiles Perry Richardson!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
You're right John, those guys tend to get forgotten, which is odd because in 1959-60 I got the impression that Buddy was being forgotten while Ritchie seemed to have a higher profile in the US, maybe because he had more recent hits at the time they died. What really got things going for Buddy was the Story film - everything seemed to concentrate on him after that. Maybe when the Bopper film gets made it will redress the balance. People clamour for a Buddy Holly box set but I find it odd that there is not a really good package of all JPs material, a lot of which is much more interesting than the hit he's remembered for.
Oh and I nearly forgot to say: a lot of the revitalisation of the Holly legacy is down to you John; your shows encourage younger people to go out and buy a Buddy CD, and that can't be bad...
john
I just want to say that as Buddy lives in John Mueller, so does Richie and Bopper live in Ray and, especially, Bopper, Jr., with the memory of his dad ever present. All three young men died tragically and so young and fresh on the music scene. But they will never die, they will never be forgotten, and thanks to John Mueller and the Winter Dance Party, their memories will now "rave on" for many years to come and to new generations.
Thank you John, Ray, and J.P., Jr.!
Blessings to you all!
Post a Comment