BUDDY HOLLY - AUTOGRAPH CO-SIGNED BY: DEBBIE STEVENS, THE CRICKETS (CARL BUNCH), FRANKIE SARDO, DION (DI MUCCI) - HFSID 350538

WINTER DANCE PARTY TOUR: BUDDY HOLLY, DION DiMUCCI and others
5x3 card signed by at least 5 members of the Winter Dance Party tour which claimed Buddy's life in 1959, framed with Holly's Greatest Hits album.
Signatures: "Buddy Holly" in pencil and "Frankie Sardo" and, on verso, "Dion", "Carl Bunch/Drums/Crickets", and an unidentified signer in pencil, and in blue ink "Dion", "To/Elliott/Love =/Debbie/Stevens", 5x3 card. Framed with an album cover for Buddy Holly's Greatest Hits. Holly had written many of the songs featured on the album, including "Peggy Sue", "That'll Be the Day" and "Maybe Baby". Holly, who was graduated from Lubbock High School in 1955, was recording for Decca Records within a year. Born on September 7, 1936 in Lubbock, Texas as Charles Hardin Holley, the future recording star became known as "Buddy". His first record contract dropped the "e" in Holley, and he adopted the spelling. Before going to Lubbock High School, Holly had attended Lubbock's  J.T. Hutchinson Junior High, where he met Bob Montgomery. The duo quickly became known for their musical talent and lack of stage fright. Buddy, Bob and a friend, Jerry Allison, began performing at school functions, and by September of 1953, Buddy had a regular show on Lubbock radio station KDAV. It was in Allison's home that "The Crickets" were born (with Niki Sullivan on rhythm guitar, Allison on drums and Joe B. Mauldin on bass). The group played anywhere they were booked: the Hi-D-Ho (a local hangout), high school talent shows, roller rinks, car lots and even the grand opening of a supermarket. In just a few short years, "Holly & The Crickets" hit the airwaves with significant impact. Hits including "That'll Be The Day", "Everyday", "Peggy-Sue", "Maybe Baby" and "Oh Boy!" climbed the charts. In January 1959, Holly, who had split from the original Crickets, was booked on the Winter Dance Party tour that would cover most of the Midwest. The tour included such headliners as Ritchie Valens, Dion and the Belmonts, Waylon Jennings and The Big Bopper. As the bus pulled into Clear Lake, Iowa for their February 2nd performance, Holly made arrangements to charter a plane to fly him and two of his band members to the next gig in Fargo, North Dakota. J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) and Ritchie Valens had bad colds and Richardson wanted to fly to Fargo so that he would have time to see a doctor. He asked Waylon Jennings if he would give up his seat and Jennings agreed. Valens asked Tommy Allsup for his seat, and the two decided to flip a coin to see who would take the plane (Valens won the toss). The plane took off from the airport at around 1:00 a.m. on February 3, 1959. The plane made it into the dark snowy night, but plummeted to the ground about five miles from the airport. There were no survivors. The shock felt throughout the music world at this tragic loss is echoed in Don McLean's song "American Pie" as "the day the music died". CARL BUNCH, who had been the drummer for Holly on the Winter Dance Party tour, can be heard on the 2004 album, Stay All Night - Buddy Holly's Country Roots, a tribute to Holly. DION DiMUCCI led The Belmonts, a popular male vocal group in the "doo-wop" style who had scored their first hit, "I Wonder Why," in 1958, and went on to music success which earned them a spot in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Dion pursued a solo career after 1960. FRANKIE SARDO and DEBBIE STEVENS each had a hit single in 1959, Sardo's "Fake Out" and Stevens' "If You Can't Rock Me," thus earning spots the Winter Dance Party tour. While neither had a big follow-up hit, both remained active in the entertainment business. Sardo, who later changed his name to Frankie Avianca, has worked on films scores and production. Stevens, writing as Debbie Deane, became a pop music composer, with songs recorded by The Supremes and other Motown artists. Though shocked by the deaths of Holly, Valens and Richardson, the other signers continued on the Winter Dance Party tour through the rest of the promised dates, the Crickets being fronted by Ronnie Smith. Worthy of further research. Lightly creased, touching Holly's signature. Light show through of writing. Album cover is lightly soiled, minor stains at blank areas. 1¾x½-inch paper loss at lower left margin on verso. Overall, fine condition. Framed by the Gallery of History: 24¼ x 30.