The Buddy Holly Story at Richmond Theatre is Buddy Brilliant…
Two things everyone knows about Buddy Holly is that he wore glasses and that he died young in a plane crash. The Buddy Holly Story is on all this week at The Richmond Theatre and tells Buddy’s story in a two hour show combining drama and music. It is very well done. Buddy Holly was the original Poptician. That is he was the first Pop star to come out and wear his glasses with pride. He made us glasses wearers everywhere proud. Glasses wearers of the world unite. His inspiration has empowered John Lennon, Elton John, Elvis Costello and Jarvis Cocker to wear to come out and wear their glasses. Record producers tried to pressurise Buddy into taking his glasses off on stage but he insisted that they were a part of him and he wasn’t taking them off. In this one moment we can get a sense of Buddy’s determination to do things his way, to be his own man.
His life was obviously a tragedy. He died in a plane crash on 3rd February 1959 aged 22. Don McLean dedicated “American Pie” to Buddy with the moving encomium “the day the music died”. Alan Janes superb production shows this moment poignantly by dimming the lights, lowering the curtain and then spotlighting Buddy’s guitar. It is a wonderfully emotional moment.
In those three incredible years from 1956 until his death in 1959 Buddy produced some of the most life affirming hits in the history of popular music. To experience those great numbers in all their richness I would highly recommend that you get down to Richmond Theatre and see this wonderful show.
It is Buddy Brilliant.
