Buddy Holly was only 22 years old on that bitter cold night in February 1959, when the light plane he was traveling in crashed in a corn field outside Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all on board and putting an end to one of the most creative and prolific careers of the rock -'n'-roll era. He left behind nearly 100 recordings, including at least 40 original songs. Though we lost Buddy Holly, songs like “Peggy Sue,” “It’s So Easy,” “Rave On,” “Not Fade Away,” and “That’ll Be the Day” live on.

Tonight, Washington-area musician and devoted Holly fan J.P. McDermott discusses Buddy’s life and his music—and performs some of his songs, along with ones by J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson and Ritchie Valens, who also died in the crash. From Holly’s early days playing Hank Williams tunes at local dances, through the birth of rockabilly and his meteoric rise to the top of the charts, McDermott puts the stories and songs in context with the times and places that shaped them.

CODE: 1H0-534