'Day the Music Died' events set for Lubbock's Buddy Holly Center
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
To mark the 64th anniversary of the "Day the Music Died," Lubbock will celebrate its native son Buddy Holly with a showcase of his life and music ahead of the city's monthly First Friday Art Trail.
Lubbock native Holly, born Sept. 7, 1936, had numerous hits during his short-but-potent career, including “Peggy Sue,” “Oh Boy!,” “That’ll Be the Day,” and “Everyday,” among others.
The Buddy Holly Center will host a special event on Friday, remembering the musician who was killed in a plane crash Feb. 3, 1959 in a field near Clear Lake, Iowa, according to Avalanche-Journal archives.
Killed along with Holly were Ritchie Valens, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson.
Holly and the other musicians were on tour and headed to their next stop in Fargo, North Dakota, when the plane crashed in a winter storm.
This date has been referred “The Day the Music Died” after a lyric in the Don McLean song, “American Pie,” that references the deaths of these rock-and-roll legends.
The Center's event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum admission will be free for the day. There will be a gallery tour at 2 p.m. There will also be screenings of the film, "The Buddy I Knew" and children's activities throughout the day. The nearby J.I. Allison House will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
First Friday Art Trail
On Friday evening, the Buddy Holly Center will be among venues hosting the city's monthly First Friday Art Trail.
First Friday Art Trail, a community program of LHUCA, is a free, self-guided public art event that brings together artists and the community for an evening of art, live music, food, and fun. This month’s art trail will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. The family-friendly event is held rain or shine at various venues throughout Lubbock’s Cultural Art District.
February’s events will take place across 20+ venues, featuring artists, performances, and interactive events. Trail goers can download a map and participating venue listings at ffat.org or find it on LHUCA’s social media (@lhucalubbock) to explore the trail at their own pace.
The Christine DeVitt Exhibition Hall will feature Collaboration and Care/Care and Collaboration, a group show that highlights 12 artists’ experiences in assuming the roles of mother and artist. Each artists’ vision is unique and showcases the diversity of modern art as much as the diversity of the women creating the art. Sarah Sudhoff’s solo exhibition, Performance Measures, will be presented in the Helen DeVitt Jones Studio Gallery, and will showcase photography and performance art pieces including Line of Gravity and 60 Pounds of Pressure. LHUCA will also be exhibiting A Hug For My Homies: Black Men and Platonic Love by Heriberto Palacio, and DEFACED by Gerald Bell.
LHUCA will feature live readings from Wild Lark’s Young Writers Project followed by a poetry reading and musical performance by Yung Cry Baby in the Minnie Quickenstedt Underwood Graffiti Building. Copies of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz will be available for pickup in the Graffiti Building as part of LHUCA’s OneBook LBK program.
Other featured happenings on the trail this month include: A pop-art themed group show at Grey Edges; felted works by Matt Milliner at Nashwell Cafe; visual art from Austin Brownell at Raider’s Axe Gallery and Entertainment; and macrame and woven art by Jordan Otto at Tucker Floral.
Free trolleys will be available to escort trail-goers throughout the trail between 6:15 and 9:15 p.m. Many of the trolley stops are adjacent to other trail venues, so trail-goers can park, ride, and stroll to the different venues. Trolley Stops are located at: LHUCA/CASP (pick up at Ave J and 7th), McDougal Building (formerly Wells Fargo), Glassy Alley, Buddy Holly Center, and Caviel Museum of African-American History.
During First Friday, Ave K between Mac Davis and 9th Street and Mac Davis between Ave K and Ave J will be closed to traffic from 5 to 9:30 p.m.
For more information about the First Friday Art Trail, trail updates and specific events at each venue, visit www.ffat.org or @LHUCAlubbock on Facebook and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: 'Day the Music Died' events set for Lubbock's Buddy Holly Center
