Near the end of his far too short life, Buddy Holly announced plans to build a recording studio in his home town of Lubbock, Texas. "Buddy wanted to build a studio in Lubbock," Maria Elena Holly, Buddy's widow, has observed, "So kids growing up the way he had could have a chance to get started."
The mission of The Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation is both to let people know about this dream and to help to make it a reality by raising funds for non-profit organizations that will help "kids growing up" in challenging circumstances "have a chance to get started" in expressing their own musical visions.
The Foundation will accomplish this two-fold goal through the perfect recreation of Mr. Holly's 1943 Gibson guitar, each of which will bear one original fret from Mr. Holly's guitar, and by lending those recreations to artists whom the Foundation's Board of Directors deem exemplary of Mr. Holly's artist vision. The Foundation will require that the recipient artists use the instruments in a manner consistent with Mr. Holly's "dreams and wishes" and for the purpose of raising funds for designated charitable organizations. Artists will receive the guitars for a two-year term, renewable at the option of the Foundation's Board of Directors.
News
September 7, 2011: Buddy Holly Day!!! We've just returned from the September 7 unveiling of Buddy's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and that evening's PBS-filmed, Songmasters-hosted concert. Wow! We made presentations to our distinguished recipients Phil Everly, Graham Nash, James Burton,Waddy Wachtel, Albert Lee, and Zoe McColluch. That's Graham in the center of the photo to the left, holding his Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation guitar, "Rave On." Larger image here. And, click here for photos of Peter Asher introducing the concert while holding his Foundation guitar, James Burton, Phil Everly, and Albert Lee, James Burton and Phil Everly, Albert Lee and Roy Orbison Jr., James Burton and Lyle Lovett, Zoe McCulloch, and (former Foundation board of directors member ) John Thomas, Maria Elena Holly, and Albert Lee. All photos by the one and only John Rowlands except Zoe McCulloch by Dick Cole.
August 2011. Distinguished recipients Albert Lee and John Jorgenson put on a scroching show at NYC's Iridium Club and receive a Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation award! Concert and award presentation review here. Larger image here.
August 2011. The one and only Albert Lee has joined us as a distinguished recipient artist. Albert has played with Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, the Crickets, and the list goes on. A winner of too many awards to chronicle here, Eric Clapton has called Mr. Lee "the greatest guitarist in the world" and Emmylou Harris has stated, "when St. Peter asks me to chronicle my time down here on earth, I'll be able to say (with pride, if that's allowed) that for a while I played rhythm guitar in a band with Albert Lee." Albert has chosen "Learning the Game" for his guitar. Larger image here.
August 2011. Allan Clarke, founding member of the Hollies has joined us a recipient artist. Allan has chosen "Peggy Sue Got Married" for his guitar.
July 2011. We're thrilled to announce a partnership with NYC's TORCH (Together Our Resources Can Help) program. This non-profit organization is dedicated to serving NYC's underserved public high school students by providing career training and opportunities in communications and the arts. TORCH's big event each year is a music competition and festival, which will next happen June 1, 2012. And, the TORCH office is located in the very NYC neighborhood where Buddy and Maria Elena Holly lived. Stay tuned for details and an entire page of this website devoted to our work with TORCH.
June 2011. The one and only Pete Townshend, of the legendary Who, has joined us as a Distinguished Recipient Artist. Pete has chosen "It's so Easy" for his guitar. Larger image here.
British rock and roll pioneer, stage and film actor, and all-around entertainer Marty Wilde has joined us as a recipient artist. Marty has chosen "It doesn't Matter Anymore" for his guitar.
June 2011. We've received our Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation straps, made for us by none other than the wonderful Judy Edwards, wife of Distinguished Recipient Artist Nokie Edwards. Larger image here.
May 2011. All of Buddy's frets are measured and allocated! Kevin at Gurian Instruments is currently making the plaques for each fret. Larger image here.
Distinguished Recipient Artist Dave Stewart will be releasing his new album, "The Blackbird Diaries," on June 28. Check here for an inventive and amusing film trailer about the making of the album.
Our first Buddy fret installed! Click here for a larger image of Buddy's original fret and plaque installed in the "True Love Ways" guitar.
April 2011. On Friday, April 29 at PJ Clarke's restaurant in NYC, the Buddy Holly guitar Foundation had the privilege of presenting the "True Love Ways" guitar to Peter Asher. At the event, we also unveiled a wedding day photo of Buddy and Maria Elena Holly and, with Maria Elena present, mounted the photo on therwall next to table where Buddy proposed to her. More images here, here, and here. And watch a video of the presentation here.
April 2011. Celebrated singers, songwriters, and musicians Vince Gill and Amy Grant have have joined us as Distinguished Recipient Artists! Both have selected "Not Fade Away" for their guitars. They "have a love that won't fade away." Larger image here.
April 2011. The legendary Phil Everly has joined us as a Distinguished Recipient Artist. Phil will be the proud possessor of the "Wishing" guitar. Larger image here.
April 2011. Distinguished Recipient Artist Brian May plays "Moondreams" on Buddy's Hofner President that is winding its way toward the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Larger image here.
April 2011. Our artist's rendering of the wooden, label-sized plaque that will bear the original fret and be installed inside each guitar. Larger image here.
March 2011. We ask that you remember Bill Griggs (June 17, 1941) to March 29, 2011). Bill founded the International Buddy Holly Memorial society and was an expert on Buddy Holly, the Crickets, and all of Texas music.
March 2011. We ask that you remember Carl Bunch (November 24, 1939 to March 26, 2011). Carl served as drummer on the ill-fated "Winter Dance Party" tour, but was hospitalized for frostbite and didn't perform at the Surf Ballroom.
March 2011. Peter Asher, the "Peter" of "Peter and Gordon," A & R head of Apple Records, producer and manager of James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and others, winner of 9 Grammys, including 2 for Producer of the Year, etc., etc., has joined us as a Distinguished Recipient Artist! Peter will be the proud possessor of "True love Ways," which he will unveil at a very special reception in New York City in April. Stay tuned for details!
February 2011. The legendary James Burton has joined us as a Distinguished Recipient Artist! Among accomplishments too numerous to list, James has played with Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley and he put the "hot" in Emmylou Harris's Hot Band. Moreover, the James Burton Foundation has put music in the hearts of countless young people. James will be the proud possessor of "Blue Days, black Nights."
April 2011. OK, it's not April yet, but the Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation is on the cover of the April issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine, which is already online here and will hit newsstands in a few weeks.. Foundation luthier Rick Turner, board member John Thomas, and Acoustic Guitar Magazine senior editor Teja Gerken collaborated on photo essay that documents the birth of our first guitar.
June 2011. Waddy Wachtel, who has played with EVERYBODY, including Linda Ronstadt and Keith Richards and who will lead the band on the September 7 celebration in honor of Buddy Holly's 75th birthday has joined us as a Distinguished Recipient Artist. Waddy has chosen "Words of Love" for his guitar. Larger image here.
May 23, 2011. Board of Directors member John Thomas appeared on the BBC Television program South East Today to discuss the Foundation and luthier Alister Atkin. Alister and his work were also featured in the Kentish Gazette.
May 2011. One of our luthiers, Dan Roberts, was featured in the May 22, 2011 edition of the Helena Independent-Record newspaper discussing the Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation guitars that he is building for Brian May and Dave Stewart. Way to go Dan!
March 2011. Peter Bradley, Jr., son of founding board member Peter Bradley, picks up Buddy's Hofner President guitar from Des O'Connor. The guitar will visit Peter Frampton, Dave Stewart and Brian May before landing in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
