4. Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly is widely regarded as the “Father of Modern Rock”. He was born in 1936 in Lubbock, Texas. He began his musical career in the early 1950s when he started playing guitar and singing in local bands. He signed with Decca Records in 1956 and formed his own band, The Crickets, with whom he recorded his first hit song, “That’ll Be the Day”, which was inspired by a line from a John Wayne movie. He soon became one of the most influential and innovative rock and roll artists with his distinctive voice, guitar playing, songwriting, and production skills.
Some of his most famous songs include “Peggy Sue”, “Oh Boy!”, “Maybe Baby”, “Rave On”, “Everyday”, “Not Fade Away”, and “It’s So Easy”. He also appeared in several movies, such as The Ed Sullivan Show (1957), The Arthur Murray Party (1957), American Bandstand (1958), and The Dick Clark Show (1958). He sold over 25 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He died in 1959 at the age of 22 in a plane crash that also killed Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper.
Buddy Holly is considered to be one of the most influential and innovative figures in the history of rock music. He pioneered the use of electric guitar as a lead instrument in rock music. He also developed a distinctive style of guitar playing that combined chords, riffs, solos, and fingerpicking. He also wrote songs that were simple yet sophisticated, catchy yet complex, and personal yet universal. He also experimented with different genres, such as country, rockabilly, pop, blues, and R&B.