The Tameside Radio presenter pays tribute to Jerry Allison, the last surviving original member of Buddy Holly's band The Crickets, who died recently at the age of 82.

Last week, the news broke that the last surviving original member of Buddy Holly’s band The Crickets had passed away on August 22.

Jerry Allison, who was 82, was one of the best, most influential, and most important drummers of all time, and also an amazing songwriter.

He co-wrote the bands hits ‘That’ll Be The Day’ and ‘Peggy Sue’, to name just a few, and had a place in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

He was a skilled, energetic drummer, who was well ahead of his time, and inspired many musicians and songwriters who have followed since.

He was an integral part of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. Born in Texas in 1939, he learnt to play the drums at the age of ten, and first met Buddy Holly not long after.

They became close friends at high school through their shared love of music, and spent many hours in Allison’s bedroom after school, listening to and practicing music and song-writing, and it was there they wrote their first hit ‘That’ll Be The Day’.

In 1957, they were joined by guitarist Nikki Sullivan and bass player Joe B Maudlin, and it was at that point The Crickets were formed.

After being signed to Decca, the song went to number one on both sides of the Atlantic, followed by another seven top 40 hits in just 18 months, before Buddy Holly’s untimely death in 1959.

The song Peggy Sue was to originally be called Cindy Lou, until Allison asked Holly to change it to Peggy Sue, in reference to his girlfriend who he had just broken up with, Peggy Sue Gerron.

Allison and Gerron got back together after the song was released, and later got married. They remained together until her death in 2018.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon were also hugely influenced by the band, the first song they ever recorded together, as The Quarrymen, was a cover of ‘That’ll Be The Day’.

The name ‘The Beatles’ was chosen for the band by Lennon and McCartney, in tribute to The Crickets.

After Buddy’s death, The Crickets continued as a band, also going on to back stars such as Bobby Vee and The Everly Brothers.

Jerry Allison also kept himself busy as a session musician for artists such as JJ Cale and Johnny Rivers.

He also had a minor solo hit with his song Real Wild Child, which he released under the name ‘Ivan’.

The song went on to be covered by many artists, most notably Iggy Pop. Jerry Allison played his last live gig in 2016, before spending his retirement on a farm just outside Nashville, Tennessee.  Buddy Holly and The Crickets are one of the most important bands in the history of music, and now that none of the band are still living, it’s a scary thought and realisation that all of our musical heroes do get older and won’t be with us forever.

It should never be underestimated how important Jerry Allison was to music, and how sad it is that another part of rock ‘n’ roll history is no longer with us.

RIP Jerry, and thank you for what you gave to, and did for the music world.

You can listen to Dave on Tameside Radio 103.6FM on Monday evenings from 7pm to 9pm. Click here to subscribe and catch up on previous shows.

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