Buddy Holly’s Career Was Short, But His Legacy Lives On

Midland Center for the Arts presents The Buddy Holly Story

During the golden days of Rock & Roll, a young man with glasses rose to fame with the 1957 hit “That’ll Be the Day,” and shortly after recorded dozens of iconic songs from the all-too-brief period of Buddy Holly’s musical career. His story, which has been adapted into multiple films about his life and legacy, was built into a jukebox musical that opened on Broadway in 1990, and is now celebrating its 30^th Anniversary Tour coming to Midland Center for the Arts on March 15, 2020 at 3 p.m.

The Buddy Holly Story tells the true story of Buddy’s meteoric rise to fame from the moment his music hit the airwaves until his tragic death less than two years after, later referred as “The Day the Music Died.” The release of his first song at the top of the charts launched him into the stratosphere of rock icons. With his prominent, black-framed eyeglasses, Buddy Holly looked different than any rock star. He looked like an everyman, and audiences identified with him. “He made it okay to wear glasses,” said John Lennon.

The Legacy of Buddy Holly lives on today through this production, and his influence on music for multiple decades. His music has produced some of the most distinctive and influential work in rock music, inspiring and influencing the work of popular music artists, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Elton John. The show features over 20 of Buddy Holly’s greatest hits including “That’ll be the Day,” “Peggy Sue,” “Everyday,” “Oh Boy,” “Not Fade Away,” “Rave On,” and “Raining in My Heart,” plus Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” and The Big Bopper’s “Chantilly Lace.”

The musical production of The Buddy Holly Story has traveled internationally, where “The audience is elevated to joyful chaos,” according to the New York Post. Seen by over 22 Million people around the world, this production will have audiences on their feet and send you out of the theater on an unstoppable high. Tickets for the performance are available online at midlandcenter.org, at the Center ticket office, or by calling 989-631-8250.