‘Buddy Holly & The Crickets’ performed their hit song ‘That’ll Be The Day’ on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ in 1957. The catchy pop song catapulted Buddy Holly to stardom in the late 50s.
The four-piece band stands on stage in tuxedos, and Buddy Holly sings and plays the electric guitar. Behind him is an upright bassist, drummer, and backup guitarist.
They bop around to the beat of the song in the black-and-white footage. The other band members sing along with Buddy even though they aren’t mic’d up. The entire band is smiling and totally into the song while the audience cheers wildly for them.
Buddy plays a fancy guitar solo mid-way through the tune, and his band backs him up with smiles on their faces. The song lasted just over a minute, but that was enough to cause Buddy Holly to become known across the country.
Initially called ‘The Crickets,’ the American rock and roll band from Texas charted with their first hit record that peaked at number three on the charts. ‘The Crickets’ helped pave the way for other rock bands, including ‘The Beatles.’
Buddy Holly was one of the pioneers of mid-50s rock and roll. In 1955, he opened for Elvis Presley and also ‘Bill Haley and His Comets.’ Following the success of his first single, Buddy recorded ‘Peggy Sue.’
The hits kept coming during his short-lived career, but ‘The Crickets’ continued Buddy’s legacy for many years after his tragic plane crash. His music is still celebrated by fans decades later.
