Buddy Holly lost his life on February 3, 1959, and to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of that plane crash, Spencer Leigh assesses the importance of the legendary figure, looking at his music, his life, his image, and his legacy.Leigh has interviewed Hollyrs"s widow, Maria Elena; all the key Crickets; the compegrave;re of his 1958 UK tour, Des Ors"Connor; as well as Ritchie Valensrs" manager and the Big Bopperrs"s son, the other two singers who died in the crash. There are scores of people talking about Buddy Hollyrs"s legacy (Bobby Vee, Tim Rice, Mike Batt), and Leigh has spoken to hundreds of Hollyrs"s acquaintances and musicians.The book shows how Buddy Hollyrs"s UK tour was crucial to the British beat explosion of the 1960s spawning the Beatles, and that without Buddy Holly, todayrs"s popular music would be radically different.Spencer Leigh also reveals how impulsive Buddy Holly was and how that impulsiveness cost him his life.