Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Budd… Read Full Bio ↴Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock.

He was born in Lubbock, Texas, to a musical family during the Great Depression, and learned to play guitar and sing alongside his siblings. His style was influenced by gospel music, country music, and rhythm and blues acts, and he performed in Lubbock with his friends from high school. He made his first appearance on local television in 1952, and the following year he formed the group "Buddy and Bob" with his friend Bob Montgomery. In 1955, after opening for Elvis Presley, he decided to pursue a career in music. He opened for Presley three times that year; his band's style shifted from country and western to entirely rock and roll. In October that year, when he opened for Bill Haley & His Comets, he was spotted by Nashville scout Eddie Crandall, who helped him get a contract with Decca Records.

Holly's recording sessions at Decca were produced by Owen Bradley. Unhappy with Bradley's control in the studio and with the sound he achieved there, he went to producer Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico, and recorded a demo of "That'll Be the Day", among other songs. Petty became the band's manager and sent the demo to Brunswick Records, which released it as a single credited to "The Crickets", which became the name of Holly's band. In September 1957, as the band toured, "That'll Be the Day" topped the US "Best Sellers in Stores" chart and the UK Singles Chart. Its success was followed in October by another major hit, "Peggy Sue".

The album Chirping Crickets, released in November 1957, reached number five on the UK Albums Chart. Holly made his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1958 and soon after, toured Australia and then the UK. In early 1959, he assembled a new band, consisting of future country music star Waylon Jennings (bass), famed session musician Tommy Allsup (guitar), and Carl Bunch (drums), and embarked on a tour of the midwestern U.S. After a show in Clear Lake, Iowa, he chartered an airplane to travel to his next show, in Moorhead, Minnesota. Soon after takeoff, the plane crashed, killing him, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson in a tragedy later referred to by Don McLean as "The Day the Music Died".

During his short career, Holly wrote, recorded, and produced his own material. He is often regarded as the artist who defined the traditional rock-and-roll lineup of two guitars, bass, and drums. He was a major influence on later popular music artists, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Weezer, and Elton John. He was among the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1986. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 13 in its list of "100 Greatest Artists".

Good Rockin' Tonight
Buddy Holly Lyrics

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Well I heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight
Yeah I heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight
I wanna hold my baby as tight as I can
Well tonight she'll know I'm a mighty-mighty man
I heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight
I wanna meet you in a hurry behind the barn
Don't you be afraid you know I'll do you no harm
I want you to bring along my rockin' shoes

Cause tonight I wanna rock away all your blues
I heard the news, there's a-good rockin' tonight

Well, hey we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock
Hey, hey let's rock, come on and rock
We gonna rock all our blues away
Have you heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight
Have you heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight
I wanna hold my baby as tight as I can
Well tonight she'll know I'm a mighty-mighty man
I heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight, hey

Well hell, we gonna rock, we gonna rock, rock
Hey, hey let's rock, rock

C'mon and rock, rock, rock, rock
We gonna rock all our blues away

Overall Meaning

"Good Rockin' Tonight" is a song about the excitement and anticipation that accompanies the news of a good rock show or party. The singer hears the news and immediately thinks about the girl he wants to be with. He wants to hold her close and show her that he's a formidable man. The desire to go to the party with her is strong, as he tells her not to be afraid and that he won't harm her. He wants her to bring his rockin' shoes with her so they can dance and forget their troubles for the night. The chorus is an invitation to everybody to join in the fun and forget their worries by rockin' away all their blues. The song represents the joy and energy of the rock n' roll era, where people could momentarily escape their problems and just have fun.

"Good Rockin' Tonight" was written by Roy Brown and first released in 1947. Buddy Holly covered the song in 1958 and added his own style to it, creating a faster and more dynamic version. The song became a hit, reaching the Top 50 in the US charts.

Good Rockin' TonightBuddy Holly Lyrics

Good Rockin' Tonight
Buddy Holly Lyrics