I knew that when I started my radio career I was going to run into some famous people on occasion. Do a little interview with them or maybe even be the emcee at the concert they were performing.
But I met Bobby Vee literally by accident. His in-laws had a cabin on a lake near D.L. and my ex-wife’s aunt lived next door. Every year on the 4th of July we had a volleyball match between the two families.
I remember seeing Bobby leaning against the side of the house, watching the game when I went over and introduced myself. I told him I worked for a mutual friend (Wayne Hiller) and asked him if he’d like to chat sometime about what happened in ’59.
That was decades ago and we had chatted numerous times before Bobby passed away.
I asked him once if he ever got tired about being asked about that night. He told me (I’m paraphrasing here) “I don’t mind. People want to know and it’s part of the reason of my success in the music business.’
What I’ll never forget is the day Bobby introduced me to Jerry Allison and Joe B. Mauldin, two of Buddy’s original Crickets.
We were backstage in Wahpeton, Gary Lewis was also on the bill that night, I talked my head off asking them questions. but the one thing that stood out was that they hated the movie “The Buddy Holly Story”. While they thought Gary Busey did a great job, there was an incident in the film about J.I. commenting about Maria Elena (Buddy’s soon to be wife) that never happened. Paul McCartney’s “The Real Buddy Holly Story” told the whole truth.
By the way somewhere in the boxes and boxes of tapes I have at home I do have 2 interviews with Maria Elena, and she also thought Gary did a wonderful job portraying Buddy. If I ever find it…it will definitely be podcast for you.
Speaking of Sir Paul, he owns the publishing rights to Holly’s music and J.I. mentioned that he knew Paul well and that he had his phone number in his wallet. I said like a little kid “Hey let’s give him a call” J.I. and Joe B. had the biggest laugh of the night when I said that. The answer was “No I don’t think so, and in England it was 4 am at the time.
I would also at a point in my career, get to take a look at the contract for the show that night of Feb. 3rd 1959. Rod Lucier was the promoter of the show and he brought it to the studio. I remember it was framed but for some reason the glass was cracked. He told me he’s got to get that fixed.
Don’t want this to go crazy long, but this is definitely one of the most memorable times in music history.
When they tore the Moorhead Armory down and put in a new one in North Moorhead, I went over to the demolished site and picked up a couple of bricks from the pile.
I’ve kept one all these years….I gave the other to Bobby Vee. Every time we chatted after that “gift”, he would tell me “I’ve still got my brick”
I often wonder, if the show hadn’t gone on that night. (And you know if this happened any other time it would been cancelled) Would the world have ever caught on to the talent of Bobby Vee.
The late Bobby Vee (left) and Bobby Becker of Terry Lee and the Poor Boys, who were both on stage at the Moorhead Armory Feb. 3rd 1959.
My brick from the old Moorhead Armory
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