Musician. Born in Lubbock, Texas, by junior high school he had turned his attention to the guitar, and formed a western duo with his friend Bob Montgomery. Gaining popularity in the Lubbock area, during the mid-1950s, they opened for the likes of Bill Haley & His Comets, Elvis Presley and Marty Robbins. In 1956, he signed a contract with Decca Records, and recorded a number of songs. Through 1957 and 1958, he released a number of records, and began to sing as well. It was then that he formed a band known as "The Crickets" with guitarist Niki Sullivan, bassist Joe B. Mauldin and drummer Jerry Allison. The group toured extensively in both the United States and England, producing such hits as "Peggy Sue," "Oh Boy" and "Rave On." In late 1958, the group had a falling out with Buddy Holly and he went on tour by himself. On February 2, 1959, he joined entertainers Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. They had just finished an appearance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. The doomed trio took off from Mason City, traveling to Fargo, North Dakota, as it was the nearest airport to their next concert location in Moorhead, Minnesota. The plane took off early on the morning of February 3rd in a snow storm and crashed minutes after take-off, killing all on board. In 1986, he was posthumously inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. For his contributions to music, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 1750 N. Vine St.

Musician. Born in Lubbock, Texas, by junior high school he had turned his attention to the guitar, and formed a western duo with his friend Bob Montgomery. Gaining popularity in the Lubbock area, during the mid-1950s, they opened for the likes of Bill Haley & His Comets, Elvis Presley and Marty Robbins. In 1956, he signed a contract with Decca Records, and recorded a number of songs. Through 1957 and 1958, he released a number of records, and began to sing as well. It was then that he formed a band known as "The Crickets" with guitarist Niki Sullivan, bassist Joe B. Mauldin and drummer Jerry Allison. The group toured extensively in both the United States and England, producing such hits as "Peggy Sue," "Oh Boy" and "Rave On." In late 1958, the group had a falling out with Buddy Holly and he went on tour by himself. On February 2, 1959, he joined entertainers Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. They had just finished an appearance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. The doomed trio took off from Mason City, traveling to Fargo, North Dakota, as it was the nearest airport to their next concert location in Moorhead, Minnesota. The plane took off early on the morning of February 3rd in a snow storm and crashed minutes after take-off, killing all on board. In 1986, he was posthumously inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. For his contributions to music, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 1750 N. Vine St.

Bio by: Steve Edquist ~In Memory Of Aaron & Scrappy~