On this day (October 21) in 1958, Buddy Holly stepped into the Pythian Temple Studios in New York City for what would be his final recording session. That day, he recorded four songs backed by a full string section. Among the songs Holly cut that day was a song that topped the chart after his untimely death the next year.
Holly was at a pivotal time in his life in the fall of 1958. He had recently married Maria Santiago, split from the Crickets, and moved to New York. His final recording session represented a new evolution of his sound. He seemed to be stepping away from the rock and roll that put him on the map and, at least for the moment, leaning into a more mainstream pop sound.
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In his final studio session, Holly recorded the Norman Petty-penned “Moondreams,” “True Love Ways,” co-written by Holly and Petty, and “Raining in My Heart,” written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and initially offered to the Everly Brothers. Additionally, he cut “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” which Paul Anka wrote for him. The Anka-penned tune became Holly’s final hit. It topped the singles charts in the United Kingdom and Canada. The single peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100.
Buddy Holly Recorded More Music Before He Died
Buddy Holly attended his final studio session on October 21, 1958. However, those four songs were the last he recorded. According to NPR, Holly recorded a collection of original songs and covers in his New York home, accompanied only by his guitar.
The recordings included a slowed-down rendition of Little Richard’s “Slippin’ and Slidin’.” He also recorded renditions of “Dearest,” “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” “Wait Til the Sun Shines Nellie,” “Learning the Game,” and an acoustic version of “Peggy Sue Got Married,” among others.
Those recordings have been hailed as some of the best and most intimate of Buddy Holly’s all-too-short career.
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