The story of the life and career of the early rock and roll singer, from his meteoric rise to stardom, to his marriage and untimely death.The story of the life and career of the early rock and roll singer, from his meteoric rise to stardom, to his marriage and untimely death.The story of the life and career of the early rock and roll singer, from his meteoric rise to stardom, to his marriage and untimely death.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 6 nominations total
Dick O'Neill
- Sol Gittler
- (as Dick O'Neil)
John F. Goff
- T.J.
- (as John Goff)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Little Richard, the Apollo theater performance by Buddy Holly and The Crickets in front of an all-black audience is pretty accurate. Holly and his band were booked "sight unseen" because the owner thought they were black. The audience was shocked to see white performers on stage, but they embraced Holly and his band.
- GoofsBuddy's parents were not against the music as the movie said. Mrs. Holley even helped Buddy write "Maybe Baby".
- Quotes
[last lines]
Buddy Holly: Thank you, Clearlake! C'mon... we love you, we'll see you next year.
- Crazy creditsCaption shown after the end credits are over: "This film is dedicated to those who loved him first - Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Holley, Maria Elena Holly"
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: Movies We'd Book If We Owned a Movie Theater (1982)
Featured review
Gary Busey Creates a Larger than Real Life Buddy Holly
If there is one reason to watch this movie, it's not for an accurate depiction of Buddy Holly's life and career; it's for Gary Busey's incredible portrayal of the lead character. Busey received a well deserved Best Actor Oscar nomination for his tour de force. The film is a "docudrama" that overstates and over-glorifies Holly's contribution to and achievements in the early Rock and Roll era. I guess John Lennon was joking when he said "Before Elvis, there was nothing" because anyone who watched this movie understands that nobody knew what they were doing before Good Ole Buddy emerged on the scene a few years later. And he did it all without a producer or even a band who believed in and supported him! But when you're in the same league as Motzart, anything's possible! That's what makes Busey's performance so remarkable; he is so convincing and compelling that you actually believe this is who Buddy Holly was. Busey succeeds in creating this charismatic and dynamic performer,leader and visionary who never existed to that extent. The final scene is case in point when Holly is bombastically leading Richie Valens and the Big Bopper on stage during the final concert; in reality it could have been the 4th co-headliner, Dion and Belmonts closing that show and Holly playing drums for them which he had to do often on that tour. But this movie is not about presentation of the hard facts, but a celebration of a man and his music, which Busey's performance along with all of Holly's best songs easily accomplishes.
helpful•205
- cgvegas
- Feb 5, 2007
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Die Buddy Holly Story
- Filming locations
- 3635 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, California, USA(Moonlight Rollerway roller rink)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,200,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $14,363,400
- Gross worldwide
- $14,363,400
- Runtime1 hour 54 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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