Buddy Holly Interview With Pat Barton

NewCastle Stadium, NewCastle, New South Wales, Australia.

On Tour With - 'Lee Gordon's World Hit Parade'

Broadcast On Radio Station 2KO, NewCastle.

Friday January 31, 1958

Pat Barton: Ah Buddy, I'm going to start right in with a controversial one because I've just shown you a photo I don't believe you've seen before. How did you come to choose the name Crickets?

Buddy Holly: Ah, our drum player, Jerry Allison, thought of the name back last January when our group was formed and we didn't know that there was another group at that time by that name.

Pat Barton: You had to come to Australia to me to find that out, is that true?

Buddy Holly: Ah, we found out about it just right soon after we had thought of the name but we found out that the other group was non-existent any more and, ah, so nothing was heard.

Pat Barton: They were a quintet. I can't even remember any of their records being released in this country, but I thought it might have been of interest to you. You are the oldest member, aren't you, in the group?

Buddy Holly: Yes, sir, that's right.

Pat Barton: What's that, 21 or 22 or something?

Buddy Holly: Twenty-one.

Pat Barton: Twenty-one. Now how did this group get started?

Buddy Holly: Well, we're all from the same home town and ah…

Pat Barton: What's that? I'm not going to pronounce it.

Buddy Holly: Lubbock, Texas.

Pat Barton: Lubbock.

Buddy Holly: Uh-huh.

Pat Barton: Texas.

Buddy Holly: And we've known each other for quite some time and Jerry and myself - the drummer - have been playing together for about five years and then the other boy, Joe Mauldin, the bass player, he got with us last January.

Pat Barton: Is there another one, Niki Sullivan? Was he in it somewhere along the line?

Pat Barton: Buddy Holly: He was in the group for a while and then he decided to quit and go back to school.

Pat Barton: Back to school… uh-huh. You have two contracts, one as a soloist with Coral and then you have another one with the Crickets, don't you?

Buddy Holly: Yes, that's correct. It's ah, we're actually the same group on both records, but…

Pat Barton: That's right, it's a rather unusual ahh…

Buddy Holly: …a different name.

Pat Barton: Yes, it's rather unusual. Do you write songs yourself or do the rest of the boys write the songs?

Buddy Holly: All of us write songs.

Pat Barton: All of you write songs.

Buddy Holly: Mm-hh.

Pat Barton: And who's your favourite vocalist - not Elvis Presley I wouldn't suppose?

Buddy Holly: I guess he's one of 'em.

Pat Barton: He's one of them. I see. Have you seen him work at all?

Buddy Holly: Yes, I used to know Elvis quite well before he got as popular as he is now.

Pat Barton: Oh, I see, yeah. And, er, who gets the gold disk? One of you, or three of you, for "That'll Be the Day"?

Buddy Holly: We all three get one.

Pat Barton: One each, is that right? Yeah. Getting back to Lubbock, what is its' main source of income - not oil or Jayne Mansfield or something like that is it?

Buddy Holly: They had a little bit of oil around there but not too much. Mostly it's, ah, the growth of cotton.

Pat Barton: Cotton, is it? I see. Norman Petty. Now where does Norman fit into the picture?

Buddy Holly: He's our manager and, ah, recording engineer and just about the whole works! [Laughs]

Pat Barton: The whole works you say. He's not in Australia with you?

Buddy Holly: Yes, he is. He's sitting right over there.

Pat Barton: Oh, is he?. Ah well… [To Norman Petty] Norman, is it? Would you like to come up and say a few words, Norman? [Back to Buddy] Umm, what's the picture regards Rock 'n' Roll, say with Presley in the army? Does that alter things, do you think?

Buddy Holly: Well, I don't think it alters anything real outstanding in the music business. Presley will probably be a little unpopular for a while, but I think he'll come back into his own after he gets out.

Pat Barton: You don't think somebody will step into his shoes, like, from the ranks…

Buddy Holly: No I don't think anybody will take his place.

Pat Barton: …like Buddy Holly or Jerry Lee Lewis?

Buddy Holly: No I don't think so.

Pat Barton: You don't think so. Good, anyway, thanks very much, Buddy, and I'll switch over to Norman now.

Buddy Holly: All right.

Pat Barton: Ah, thanks very much.

End Of Interview.

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