OBITUARY by Ian Woolley
Jerry Allison paved the way for the drummer to be an integral part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll group right at the start…
Texas-born Jerry Allison co-wrote some of Rock & Roll’s great records when he joined Buddy Holly in the ’50s. Songs like That’ll Be The Day and Peggy Sue still sound as fresh today as they did when they were released.
The Crickets 1961-Sonny Curtis.Jerry Allison. Jerry Naylor.Glen D. Hardin
Allison started playing drums at the young age of only 10 and indeed it was at one of his Lubbock school assemblies that he first met Buddy Holly. They soon became good friends and after seeing The Searchers (starring John Wayne), they decided that day to write a song in the young drummer’s bedroom.
That 1957 song That’ll Be The Day went on to sell over a million records in the US alone. Not bad for their first attempt and taking just 30 minutes to write!
After Holly was tragically killed in a plane crash in 1959, Allison became a guiding force of the Crickets. The band had a number of lineups and later collaborated with artists such as Nanci Griffith, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Johnny Rivers, and Waylon Jennings.
Allison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of the Crickets.
In a post on the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation Facebook on Monday, they announced “We’re desperately sad to hear the news today that one of Buddy’s closest friends, and our great friend and Ambassador, Jerry Allison has passed away, JI was more than just the drummer in The Crickets, he was one of the most influential musicians in early rock n’ roll, who pioneered new ways to play and record”.
“Songwriting credits also included Well Alright, Think It Over, That’ll Be The Day, and Peggy Sue. Allison could play his drumkit (or even a cardboard box) or even slap his knees and give rhythm to records that weren’t just a hit”.
“We met JI many times and loved his stories from the birth of rock n’ roll. As much a pioneer of his own craft as Buddy was, he still spoke with passion and humility, full of anecdotes of how it was to be there when the music we love was brand new and pushing boundaries. JI supported us in promoting Buddy Holly and The Crickets’ legacy” the Facebook post said.
Despite not actually singing on any of Buddy’s early songs, in 1959, he had solo success under the name of Ivan with Real Wild Child. A song that would be covered by many other artists and become a rock standard. Perhaps not many knew that it was Buddy himself who sang the backing vocals and guitar on that record.