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".
Rock around the Clock
Buddy Holly Lyrics
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To the rhythm and the blues tonight
Rock 'cause ev'rything's gonna be all right
'Cause tonight, we're gonna
Rock to the rhythm and the blues
Well I got a little gal I call, Ollie Vee
Ollie Vee comes from Memphis, Memphis Tennessee
Rock-a-rock around with Ollie Vee, Olli-olli Vee
Ollie Vee says she's gonna treat me right tonight
I'm gonna wear my blue suede shoes tonight
And tonight, we're gonna
Rock-a-rock around with Ollie Vee, Olli-olli Vee
We-ell, we're gonna rock
To the rhythm and the blues tonight
Rock 'cause ev'rything's gonna be all right
'Cause tonight, we're gonna
Rock to the rhythm and the blues, go!
We-ell, we're gonna rock
To the rhythm and the blues tonight
Rock 'cause ev'rything's gonna be all right
'Cause tonight, we're gonna
Rock to the rhythm and the blues
I'm gonna shout and a holla and a giggle tonight
I'm gonna shake it just a little in the middle of the night
'Cause tonight, we're gonna
Rock-a-rock around with Ollie Vee, Olli-olli-Vee
Well I think Mr. Cop's on the beat tonight
He's tryin' to put a stop to me tonight
'Cause tonight, we're gonna
Rock-a-rock around with Ollie Vee, Oll-olli-olli
We-ell, we're gonna rock
To the rhythm and the blues tonight
Rock 'cause ev'rything's gonna be all right
'Cause tonight, we're gonna
Rock to the rhythm and the blues
We-ell, we're gonna rock
To the rhythm and the blues tonight
Rock 'cause ev'rything's gonna be all right
'Cause tonight, well, we're gonna
Rock to the rhythm and the blues
The lyrics to this song, "Rock Around With Ollie Vee" are an upbeat invitation to dance and forget the troubles of the world. The singer is excited to be joined by a girl named Ollie Vee, who he calls his "little gal". Ollie Vee is from Memphis, Tennessee, and she's going to treat him right tonight. The singer plans to wear his blue suede shoes and rock the night away with Ollie Vee.
The lyrics don't provide much more detail, but the singer seems happy and carefree. He's ready to shout, holler, and giggle as he dances the night away. The only fly in the ointment is the mention of "Mr. Cop" being on the beat tonight. Perhaps the singer is worried about getting into trouble with the law or maybe he just feels like he's being watched.
Overall, this song is a toe-tapping tribute to the joys of dancing, music, and spending time with someone special.
Line by Line Meaning
We-ell, we're gonna rock
To the rhythm and the blues tonight
Rock 'cause ev'rything's gonna be all right
'Cause tonight, we're gonna
Rock to the rhythm and the blues
We are going to dance to the beat of blues music tonight and feel happy and carefree. Tonight is a special night dedicated to having fun, and we are going to dance to the rhythms of the blues music.
Well I got a little gal I call, Ollie Vee
Ollie Vee comes from Memphis, Memphis Tennessee
And tonight, we're gonna
Rock-a-rock around with Ollie Vee, Olli-olli Vee
I have a girlfriend named Ollie Vee, who is from Memphis. Tonight, we are going to dance and enjoy ourselves together by doing the Rock-a-rock dance.
Ollie Vee says she's gonna treat me right tonight
I'm gonna wear my blue suede shoes tonight
And tonight, we're gonna
Rock-a-rock around with Ollie Vee, Olli-olli Vee
Ollie Vee promises to treat me well tonight, so I am going to look my best by wearing my blue suede shoes. This way, we can rock and roll while dancing around with Ollie Vee tonight.
I'm gonna shout and a holla and a giggle tonight
I'm gonna shake it just a little in the middle of the night
'Cause tonight, we're gonna
Rock-a-rock around with Ollie Vee, Olli-olli-Vee
I am going to shout, call out, and even laugh loudly tonight. In the middle of the night, I am also going to shake my body a little to the beat of the music. All of this because we're going to dance and have fun with Ollie Vee.
Well I think Mr. Cop's on the beat tonight
He's tryin' to put a stop to me tonight
'Cause tonight, we're gonna
Rock-a-rock around with Ollie Vee, Oll-olli-olli
I believe that there will be police officers monitoring the area tonight to keep everything under control. However, I am determined to have fun dancing and will not let anything stop us from doing the Rock-a-rock dance with Ollie Vee tonight.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SONNY CURTIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind