THE
CRICKETS
In a career that has spanned over 35 years and millions of
records, the Crickets are unquestionably the American Rock and
Roll band. Since the group's founding in 1957 they have influenced
virtually every major rock performer in this country and abroad -
from Bruce Springsteen and Dylan to the Rolling Stones and Beatles
(whose name was even Cricket-inspired). Their hits "That'll
Be The Day", "Peggy Sue", "Oh Boy",
"Not Fade Away", "Maybe Baby", "I Fought
The Law ", and "More Than I
Can Say" are bona fide rock classics and considered
primary lessons in how rock music should be written, played, and
enjoyed.
The Crickets were formed in Lubbock, Texas by Buddy Holly and
J.I. Allison, Joe B. Mauldin was recruited shortly thereafter.
They were one of the first rock and roll bands ever to be self
contained - writing, playing, producing, and recording their own
material. The Crickets toured and recorded until late 1958 when
Buddy decided to move to New York and get more involved in the
business side of music. J.I. and Joe B. made a deal with Buddy to
keep the name The Crickets, and called their old friend Sonny
Curtis. (Sonny had played lead guitar and fiddle in the earlier
groups with Buddy and J.I.) Sonny joined the group and more time
was spent in the studio than on the road. The Crickets' first
album without Buddy (In Style With The Crickets) was done in
Clovis, New Mexico; New York; and finished in Los Angeles. The
classic "I Fought The Law" and
"More Than I Can Say" were
introduced on this album. Los Angeles was home for the next 15
years.
Drummer J.I. Allison recorded with The Everly Brothers, Eddie
Cochran, Bobby Vee, Johnny Burnette, Johnny Rivers and many
others. His distinctive drumming style on such hits as "Peggy
Sue" by Buddy Holly and "Till
I Kissed You" by The Everly Brothers are among the
most memorable rock and roll drum licks ever recorded. Phil Everly
has called Allison "the most creative drummer in rock and
roll", a fact reinforced by Dell - Rolling Stones' Book of
Lists which ranks Allison among the top three rock and roll
drummers of all time. Allison wrote such songs as "That'll Be
The Day", "Peggy Sue", and "More Than I Can
Say ".
Bassist Joe B. Mauldin, who also ranked among the top rock
bassists by the Book of Lists, became a recording engineer at Gold
Star Studios, the legendary Los Angeles studio that became the hit
factory for Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and other major 60's rock
performers. While at Gold Star, Mauldin engineered many hit
recording sessions including those with Herb Alpert & The
Tijuana Brass, the Baja Marimba Band, Phil Spector, Leon Russell,
and Maureen McGovern. An accomplished writer as well as performer,
Mauldin penned "Last Night", "I'm Gonna Love You
Too", and "Well All Right". He has toured with The
Everly Brothers, Johnny Burnette, and Waylon Jennings.
Lead guitarist and vocalist Sonny Curtis spent time doing
studio work, working on movie sound tracks, writing and recording
commercials, touring, and writing hit songs, such as "Walk
Right Back", "I Fought The Law", "More Than I
Can Say", "The Straight Life", "I'm No
Stranger To The Rain" and many others which have been
recorded by artists from Bing Crosby to The Bear on The Andy
Williams Show. Sonny also built a successful recording career as a
solo artist, with hits including "Good Old Girls" and
"Cowboy Singer" Anyone who has ever seen the Mary Tyler
Moore show knows Sonny; he wrote and sang the theme song
"Love Is All Around".
In the mid 70s, the Crickets moved to the Nashville area and began a long association
with Waylon Jennings whom they had known since the early Lubbock days. In addition to touring
and recording with Jennings, the group made frequent international tours including dates
in England (where they recorded with Paul McCartney), Spain, Germany, Sweden and Ireland.
It’s an annual tradition they continue to this day.
The group has also continued to record, issuing albums throughout the 80s and 90s.
In April of 1995, they recorded “Not Fade Away” with Levon Helm and The Band for a
critically-acclaimed musical tribute to Buddy Holly entitled “Not Fade Away” released on
Decca Records. The following year, The Crickets recorded “Too Much Monday Morning” an album
of all new material and which featured guest vocalist Nanci Griffith. It was released on the
British label, Carlton. That year they also toured extensively with Nanci Griffith
and The Blue Moon Orchestra.
Over the years, the Crickets have appeared in motion pictures and numerous documentaries,
as well as top television shows including The Ed Sullivan Show, Sunday Night At The
London Palladium, American Bandstand, The David Letterman Show, CNN, America’s Talking,
Westwood One Radio syndicated specials, and a two-hour Nashville Network special shown worldwide.
As the millennium approached, the Crickets were again in the studio with
award winning producer Greg Ladanyi to record what may well be their most memorable album of
all, “The Crickets and Their Buddies.” The album features 15 new tracks of the band’s classic
hits with the Crickets joined by their “buddies” – Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, John Prine, Rodney Crowell,
Albert Lee, Nanci Griffith, J.D. Souther, Johnny Rivers, Phil Everly, Vince Neil, Bobby Vee, Tonio K. &
Peter Case, and Waylon Jennings (one of his last recordings).
It’s a fitting musical tribute to a band who literally defined rock and roll music, and who today,
over 50 years later, still help set the standard of excellence by which it should be judged.
Indeed, The Crickets’ influence will not fade away. Ever.
