Biography of The Crickets

After the tragic death of Buddy Holly, his band, the Crickets, regrouped and continue to record and tour to this day. Drummer Jerry Allison and bassist Joe B. Mauldin had split from Holly shortly before his death, and with ex-Holly guitarist Sonny Curtis and vocalist Earl Sinks, they continued to record for Brunswick and Coral, notably the original versons of "I Fought the Law" and "More Than I Can Say." Moving to Liberty in 1961 with Jerry Naylor as their new singer, the Crickets recorded for Liberty into 1965 without having a hit of their own. Allison and Curtis were prolific session musicians, backing Bobby Vee, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Burnette, and the Everly Brothers in addition to Holly. With a lineup of Allison, Mauldin, and Gordon Payne, the Crickets garnered airplay in 1988 with "T-Shirt," a bouncy number produced by lifelong Holly fan Paul McCartney. ~ Bill Dahl