On this day (September 23) in 1957, Buddy Holly and the Crickets topped the Billboard Best-Sellers in Stores chart with “That’ll Be the Day.” It was the group’s first single and helped propel Holly to stardom seemingly overnight. The John Wayne-inspired hit also brought the band transatlantic recognition when it topped the official UK Singles chart.
Holly’s career was tragically cut short less than two years after releasing his debut single with the Crickets. However, the music he wrote, performed, and recorded in that brief period has been hailed as some of the most important work in the history of rock and roll. Surprisingly, it all started with a classic Western film starring John Wayne and a pessimistic bandmate.
How John Wayne Inspired Buddy Holly’s Debut Hit
Buddy Holly had been playing music with friends in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, since he was in high school. However, after graduation, he decided to pursue music full-time. Early in his career, he opened for the likes of Elvis Presley and Bill Haley & His Comets. The latter opening gig helped land him a recording contract with Decca Records. Things were going well for Holly and his band, but he knew they needed a hit single to really break into the business.
One evening, Holly and his friend and drummer, Jerry Allison, went to the theater to watch The Searchers. The 1956 Western film starred John Wayne as the grizzled Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards. In the film, Edwards often says, “That’ll be the day,” to dismiss ideas he doesn’t agree with or predictions he believes to be false.
According to Songfacts, the pair were hanging out at Allison’s house when Holly expressed his desire for the band to cut a hit single. “That’ll be the day,” replied Allison, planting the seed of their sole No. 1 single.
Featured Image by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images