It has been reported that Jerry Allison, famously one of Buddy Holly's Crickets, has died aged 82.
Although an announcement was made on Monday, via the official Buddy Holly Facebook page, the cause of death wasn't revealed, nor exactly when he passed.
Allison was a high school friend of Holly and co-wrote many of his famous songs, like That'll Be The Day and Peggy Sue, ultimately getting him inducted into Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
Jerry Ivan Allison was born in Hillsboro, Texas, in 1939 and started playing drums in a school band aged 10. He first met Holly a few years later, when he sung the song Too Old To Cut The Mustard in an assembly.
They formed a band, playing around Lubbock. Nikki Sullivan (guitar) and Joe B Maudlin (bass) were added and The Crickets were born.
They re-cut That'll Be The Day (it had been unsuccessfully released before) with producer Norman Petty, who got the band to play harder. The song, which got its name from a phrase that John Wayne repeated a lot in the western The Searchers, went to number one on the US Billboard chart.
Their influence on the future of music is unquestionable. Lennon and McCartney were huge fans, with That'll Be The Day being the first song played by the Quarrymen. The Rolling Stones covered Not Fade Away early on in their career.
Allison was an unorthodox drummer, playing only with a snare, kick drum and cymbal - but he brought great propulsion and musicality to the songs. Just listen to Peggy Sue to hear that - the drums make that song.
The official statement said that "JI [Jerry Ivan] was a musician ahead of his time, and undoubtedly his energy, ideas and exceptional skill contributed to The Crickets and rock n' Roll itself, becoming such a success."
Later on, Allison had a minor hit with Real Wild Child, a tune that would have a new lease of life with Iggy Pop, years later. After Holly's tragic early death aged just 22, The Crickets went on to work with the Everly Brothers and Bobby Vee. He then played as a session musician, working with the likes of JJ Cale and Johnny Rivers.
The Crickets continued to play live, with Allison last playing with them in 2016. He was the last surviving member of the original line up.
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