The Crickets drummer Jerry Allison, who co-wrote Buddy Holly’s hits “Peggy Sue” and “That’ll Be The Day,” has died at age 82. The news of Allison’s death was posted by the official Buddy Holly Facebook page yesterday, Monday, August 22.
The statement follows:
Our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Jerry “JI” Allison, drummer in The Crickets, one of Buddy’s very closest friends, and the inspiration to drummers for decades since, who passed away today at the age of 82.
JI was a musician ahead of his time, and undoubtedly his energy, ideas and exceptional skill contributed to both The Crickets, and rock n’ roll itself, becoming such a success.
Buddy is often heralded as the original singer-songwriter, but JI, too, wrote and inspired so many of the songs that would go on to be eternal classics.
There’s more to be said and posted here in the coming days.
For today, we think about his family and friends and wish JI to rest in peace.
Born Jerry Ivan Allison in Hillsboro, Texas on August 31, 1939, he co-founded The Crickets with Holly in Lubbock, Texas in the mid-1950s. Joe B. Mauldin was recruited to play bass and solidified the trio’s classic lineup (rhythm guitarist Niki Sullivan was a short-term member of the group).
Allison and Holly are credited with co-writing The Crickets’ first hit, 1957’s “That’ll Be The Day,” while co-writing credits for “Peggy Sue,” recorded by The Crickets but released under Buddy Holly’s name, went to Allison and producer Norman Petty. Allison married Peggy Sue Gerron, who was the inspiration for the song’s title and had attended Lubbock High school with Holly. Other successful releases for The Crickets and Holly included “Not Fade Away,” “Oh, Boy!,” “Rave On,” “Everyday” and “Maybe Baby,” among others.
According to The Crickets’ website:
In late 1958, Buddy Holly decided to move to New York and become more involved in the business side of music. Allison and Mauldin continued on with The Crickets, adding their old friend Sonny Curtis as lead guitarist and vocalist. Sonny had played guitar and fiddle in earlier groups with Buddy and J.I, so his joining was a welcome and seamless fit with the band’s unique sound and approach.
Having already begun to pursue different interests, The Crickets continued to record and perform following Holly’s tragic death on February 3, 1959, in a notorious plane crash that killed Holly and fellow early rock icons, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (and the plane’s pilot Roger Peterson). The Crickets released their first album without Holly, In Style with the Crickets, in 1960. The record included the successful Allison co-written single “More Than I Can Say” and the eventual classic “I Fought The Law.”
In the 1960s, Allison became closely associated with the Los Angeles-based Liberty Records and regularly recorded sessions for the label with the likes of Bobby Vee and others. A relocation to Nashville in the 1970s cultivated a relationship between The Crickets and Waylon Jennings.
Allison and The Crickets remained active throughout the subsequent decades. Their 2004 album, The Crickets and Their Buddies, saw the band accompanied by an all-star cast of guests including Jennings, Vee, Eric Clapton, Rodney Crowell, Nanci Griffith, John Prine, Graham Nash, and more. The Crickets followed the release with 2005’s About Time Too! and were enshrined in the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007.
The Crickets were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012, after having not been recognized when Holly was inducted with the inaugural 1986 class. The Crickets held a special performance in 2016 in Clear Lake, Iowa, where Holly held his final concert, which was the legendary band’s final show as well.
