The legendary tale of 1950s rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly has been captured on film in the Oscar-nominated The Buddy Holly Story, starring Gary Busey.
It has also been dramatized on Broadway, and even inspired the lyrics to the classic Don McLean song American Pie. Now residents get their own opportunity to experience the music and stories of Holly in a touring show coming to the Harriston Town Hall Theatre on June 4 at 8pm.
Buddy Holly: The Legend celebrates the music and life of the performer in a live theatrical tribute, starring Keith (Buddy) Martin in the title role. The scripted show mixes narration, live musical performances, humorous dialogue alongside vintage wardrobe and instrumentation to capture the Holly era.
Songs performed in the show feature all the top Holly hits including That’ll Be the Day, a tune that was inspired by a quote in the John Wayne film, The Searchers; Peggy Sue, which was named after a band member’s girlfriend, and the Bo Diddley inspired Not Fade Away, later recorded by the Rolling Stones.
“This show will not only appeal to Buddy Holly fans but to people who want to learn about the history of popular music” said show producer Bill Culp, of The Memphis Cats band. “There’s no doubt that Buddy Holly was a key transitional link between the early ’50s rock and roll of Elvis and Carl Perkins and the British Invasion of 1964 led by The Beatles, whose very name was derivative of Buddy’s band, The Crickets.”
Culp is best-known to local music fans for his previous work with Patsy Cline: The Legend, and Johnny & June, which had successful appearances at the Harriston venue last year. He noted, “I’m looking forward to bringing this story to the Harriston Theatre; it’s a very intimate venue with great sound and I enjoy wonderful hospitality every time I’ve been here.”
The star of the Buddy Holly show is Keith Martin, from Woodstock, who takes pride in capturing the spirit of the music great.
“It’s an honour to play this role each and every night I perform. While we all know that Buddy’s life had a tragic ending in a plane crash, his music has stood the test of time and it’s an amazing story to tell.”
The cast also features The Crickets backing band including Gary Cozocar on drums, Culp on bass, Bruce Tournay on piano, and lead guitar by Jim Yorfido, who recently thrilled the Harriston theatre with his portrayal of Johnny Cash.
Tickets for Buddy Holly: The Legend are on $20 and are available by phone at 519-338-2778 or by pick-up at Harriston Home Hardware.
