| Subject: Bill Griggs Passed Away 10 Years Ago Today |
Author:
Randy Steele
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: Mon March 29, 2021 00:14:16
It’s hard to believe that 10 years have passed since we lost Buddy Holly and The Crickets historian, researcher, and “super fan” William Frederick Griggs, also known as Bill Griggs. He passed on March 29, 2011. To so many Buddy Holly fans, Bill Griggs is missed every day.
In 1975, Bill created the Buddy Holly Memorial Society. By the time he terminated the organization in 1991, it had 5,500 members, from all 50 states and 34 foreign countries. Bill published 45 issues of his self-penned Reminiscing newsletter and 66 issues of Rockin50s magazine. He completed over 200 interviews. His interviews and stories captured the thoughts and emotions of people who were “there” during Buddy Holly’s incredibly short but creative career.
Bill Griggs appeared over 50 times on television and had over 30 book credits to his name. MCA Records presented Bill with two gold records for his assistance in their efforts to promote the music of Buddy Holly. It’s my belief that anyone who calls themselves a fan of Buddy Holly and The Crickets owes a debt of gratitude to Bill Griggs.
Beyond his interviews, research, and publications, Bill Griggs worked hard for friends and fans who visited Lubbock and wanted to know more about Buddy Holly or the Rockin50s. He spent countless hours on the telephone talking fans around the world about Buddy Holly and The Crickets. He did the same thing for fans who visited Lubbock, Texas. Time and again, he drove fans to see the different sites around Lubbock to show off the hometown of Buddy Holly and The Crickets. It was a treat to spend time around Bill because he was funny and very intense and more times than not, you walked away having learned something.
Bill was a man of many love interests. He loved astronomy and as a young man, want to be an astronomer. He loved record collecting. He loved the 1950’s. He loved Pepsi. He loved hot rodding, and he was a champion drag racer with over 200 trophies. He loved reading about and discussing the JFK assassination. He loved taking cruises with his wife Sharon and he loved studying the luxury liners and collecting related memorabilia. Bill loved sharing time with his family and his friends and I was most fortunate to be one of his close friends.
Bill Griggs was a world-class 1950’s music fan, historian, and researcher. He was known around the world as “THE” expert on Buddy Holly. On July 31, 2010, the City of Lubbock recognized Bill’s dedication to Buddy Holly and The Crickets and his contribution to tourism in Lubbock by inducting him into the Buddy Holly/West Texas Walk of Fame. Bill Griggs was the final inductee at the Walk of Fame’s original location, as city officials installed his plaque there and allowed it to remain until they removed all plaques to move them to their present-day location, across from the Buddy Holly Center.
Recording technology will always tell us how Buddy Holly played and sang. The movies told many fans how Buddy Holly died. But it was people like Bill Griggs who gave us more; he told us how Buddy Holly lived. Bill may be gone now too but he will never be forgotten.
In my eyes, Bill Griggs was simply the best friend that Buddy Holly never met. May his work forever Rave On.
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 
