Exceptional vintage glossy 8 x 10 photo of Buddy Holly playing his Fender Stratocaster electric guitar on stage in 1958, prominently signed in blue ballpoint. In fine condition. Accompanied by a notarized letter of provenance from the original photographer, describing the circumstances in which he captured this fantastic photograph and later had it signed. In part: "On April 28, 1958 Buddy Holly was on stage at the Hippodrome in Waterloo, Iowa along with several other rock and roll stars…I was a student at West High School at the time and working part time for our local newspaper, The Waterloo Daily Courier, as a photographer. I photographed all of the acts that night. I still have the pictures of Buddy Holly.
In July of 1958, Buddy Holly and the Cricketts returned to Waterloo to play a dance at the Electric Park Ball Room. My friend Dick Kline and I were waiting at the stage door to assist Buddy and the band. We carried equipment and helped them set up for the weekly teen dance. During that time, we met all the band members and Buddy. They weren't much older than we were. Before the dance we were back stage talking with Buddy—that's when he autographed the picture. I took several pictures of him at that time, and asked him if he would take his dark glasses off but he said, 'I never have pictures made without my glasses.'" Holly would play his final show the following year in Clear Lake, Iowa, less than one hundred miles northwest of Waterloo. His chartered plane crashed soon after takeoff, killing Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper in a tragedy that has become known as 'The Day the Music Died.' A unique and extraordinary Holly piece boasting excellent provenance.
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