Tell-All Book Reveals New Details About Buddy Holly's Life
By: Lauren Murphy
Updated: January 22, 2008
The woman who inspired Buddy Holly's hit song "Peggy Sue" has written a book, with new and surprising details about the rock legend's life, and his marriage to Maria Elena Holly.
Ms. Holly has sent a cease and desist letter to the book's publisher.
"I think it has to do with control," said Peggy Sue Gerron.
"I think that's really the thing for her is the control," The book does not paint a flattering picture of Maria Elena Holly.
She's described as a cold, hostile woman who didn't even attend her husband's funeral.
Before he died, Gerron says Buddy was hiring attorneys to divorce his wife, as well as attorneys for Peggy Sue to divorce Jerry Allison, who was the Crickets' drummer and Buddy's best friend.
But that was before the music died.
"It was like someone turned out a light," said Gerron.
"There was no more music. It had just stopped. At first I couldn't believe it happened. I thought it was an accident, that they made a mistake."
The book isn't all heartbreak. It's the story of a girl growing up in Lubbock during the 1950's.
She tells readers about the first time she met the already famous Buddy Holly, when they literally ran into each other.
"He looked over and said 'I am so sorry.' He said, 'I don't have time to pick you up, but you sure are pretty.'"
She forgave his bad manners, and the two became friends as she dated and eventually married his best friend, which Peggy described as her biggest mistake.
"Some of [the book] is fun. Some of it will make you laugh. Some of its going to make you cry a lot."
With many places in Lubbock losing the Buddy Holly name, Peggy Sue says that won't happen with her book.
"I live in America and I don't think anyone has the right to do that in any town in America."
