Finding Buddy Holly (and the Crickets)

Crosbyton and Lubbock, TX

Some point in 2024 I became obsessed with the Andrew Hickey, History of Rock N Roll in 500 Songs. Episode 61 and 74 featured The Crickets and Buddy Holly respectively.

These cats were from?

Lubbock!! That’s right.

Not so far away in their time you’d also find Roy Orbison in the region. I love them all. I’d caught up on these episodes in July of last year.

Earlier in the year we’d gotten hired to handle a project in Crosbyton. We take on all. But at times I gotta look on a map for spots. Crosbyton be one of em. Little town about a half hour south of Lubbock.

I’d been through Lubbock before. Knew the Texas Tech campus a little. And generally thought not much of the place (no offense Lubbock).

But, Oh Boy. In August the need to get to Crosbyton came up and I knew I’d stay up in Lubbock. So I got super excited for this trip. I’d not get into town early enough to go out on the town, or have much time to check things out the next day. But I was undeterred.

My sole morning in Lubbock I got up early and ran around Texas Tech and then down into the historic district of DT Lubbock. Checked out all the monuments to Buddy while listening to the Chirping Crickets record on Apple Music.

What an hour or so of my life, working sight seeing into my early morning travel routine of running in the towns I visit (unless it’s damned cold like Rapid City, which I wrote about last week).

I could not help but to imagine what it was like to hear these guys in 1957. And Orbison.

The longer I get to do this. Travel about. The geography of music captures me more and more. And I’ve been lucky to hit some awesome spots like Memphis, Clarksville, Mississippi, and Lubbock. Great people. Great legendary musicians from their streets, and always worth the trip no matter how short like this one had been (not even 24-hours).

Lubbock may not be as bustling as it once was.

But still a lot of charm there. Glad to see it. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to head back sometime. Probably had just a little more than I thought as I often do. But it was a great stop out there this past summer.

BTW. check out Mr. Hickey