Charles Hardin Holley -- known to his friends as Buddy -- knew at an early age he wanted to be a musician. Born in in Lubbock in 1936, he first appeared on stage at age five in a local talent show, and by junior high was playing guitar in a duo with his best friend Bob Montgomery. They called themselves "Buddy and Bob," and by high school -- with Larry Welborn on bass -- were performing at dances and hosting a weekly radio show.

Holly’s big break came in 1955 when he landed a solo recording contract with Decca Records. But Decca wanted a country western sound and Holly couldn’t deliver. Unwilling to abandon his rockabilly style, he formed a new band and headed to Clovis, New Mexico, where a fledgling producer/songwriter named Normal Petty helped him capture his distinctive sound. On this date in 1957, Buddy Holly and the Crickets recorded the hit version of "That’ll be the Day" -- the song that launched his career and catapulted "the kid from Lubbock" into rock ‘n roll fame.