[PEGGY SUE]{1} Written by: Buddy Holly{2}, Jerry Allison & Norman Petty Performed by[2]: Buddy Holly & the Crickets{3a}{3b}{3c} Produced by: Norm Petty First Released:{4} Single: September 20, 1957 (US), November 15, 1957 (UK) [Length: 2:29] Album: February 20, 1958 [Length: 2:30]

{1}"Peggy Sue" was originally called "Cindy Lou," and was named for Buddy's niece, the daughter of his sister Pat Holley Kaiter. The title was later changed to "Peggy Sue," in reference to Crickets' drummer, Jerry Allison's girlfriend (and future wife), Peggy Sue Gerron. Also, Allison played a prominent role in the production of the song, playing paradiddles{5} on the drums throughout the song. The drums rhythmically fade in and out as a result of real-time engineering techniques. Many music critics regard this as Holly's all-time best recording. In 1957 the song went to #3 on the [U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart,] #6 on the U.K. Singles chart, and #3 on the [U.S. Billboard R&B Singles Chart.] It is ranked #194 on the [Rolling Stone] magazine’s list of [The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,] as well as the third best song of 1957, per [Acclaimed Music.]

{2}In 1959, with a new and pregnant wife, Holly decided to earn some quick money by signing on to play in the [Winter Dance Party] package tour of the midwest. It was on that tour that Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash, on February 3, 1959. The albums [The "Chirping" Crickets] (1957), the self-titled album, [Buddy Holly] (1958), and [That'll Be the Day] (1958) were the only new albums featuring Holly to be released during his lifetime. Every subsequent album was an archival or posthumous collection.

{3a}When Buddy Holly & the Crickets broke through nationally in 1957, they were marketed by Decca Records under two different subsidiaries, Brunswick and Coral, which later became MCA-Coral. Essentially there was no real musical distinction between the two, except perhaps that the recordings that featured "the Picks" had more prominent backup vocals.

• {3b}Personnel performing on this recording: The Crickets (instrumentation) consisted of:
• Bob Montgomery (guitars & song-writing)
• Larry Welborn (upright base)
• Jerry Allison (drums & song-writing) The Picks (vocal) consisted of:
• John Pickering (tenor)
• Bill Pickering (tenor)
• Bob Lapham (baritone) (Note The Picks were not billed separately until a 1986 compilation. Unfortunately, the 1978 film, [The Buddy Holly Story,] perpetuated myths by showing the instrumental Crickets singing.)

{3c}Covered by: Jerry Allison The Beach Boys Mike Berry The Collins Kids Vic Corwin The Countdown Singers Billy "Crash" Craddock Dominick Curtis Connie Francis Bobby Fuller Billy Fury The Deans The Dirty Ones The Esquires The Everyly Brothers The Fabulous Hubcaps The Hit Crew, The Hollies Waylon Jennings John Lennon Willie Logan Henry Mancini Hank Marvin The Magic Time Travelers The Milkshakes New Riders of the Purple Sage Chris O'Connell Orion The Picks The Rivieras Brian Seltzer The Shadows The Speedos Alvin Stardust The Stars at Studio 99 Stray Cats Keith Sykes The Traveling Wilburys The Tremelos The Troggs Bobby Vee & the Crickets Bobby Vinton Jackie Walker Victor Wood Link Wray Rusty York et al.

{4}Appears on:{*} SINGLE(S): (1)Buddy Holly & the Crickets: A-side: "Peggy Sue: B-side: "Everyday" (a) Coral Records, 7-Inch, Vinyl, 45rpm Single, #9-61885, US-1957. (b) Coral Records, 10-Inch, Vinyl, 78rpm Single, #CS-2301, Australia-1957. (c) Coral Records, 10-Inch, Vinyl, 78rpm Single, #Q.72293, UK-1957. (d) Coral Records, 7-Inch, Vinyl, 45rpm Single, #Q-72293, UK-1957.

(2)Buddy Holly & the Crickets: A-side: "Peggy Sue" B-side: "Rave On" (a) Coral Records, 7-Inch, Vinyl, 45rpm Single, #32-009, Germany-1958. (b) Coral Records, 7-Inch, Vinyl, 45rpm Single, #61885, Germany-1962.

EP(S): (EP1)Buddy Holly & the Crickets: A1. "Words of Love" A2. "Think It Over" B1. "Peggy Sue" B2. "Oh, Boy!" (a) Coral Records, 4-Track, 7-Inch, Vinyl, 45rpm EP, #94-606, France-1963.

ALBUM(S): (A)Buddy Holly & the Crickets: [Buddy Holly] (1) Coral Records, 12-Track, Vinyl, Mono LP, #CRL-57210, US-1958. (2) Coral Records, 12-Track, Vinyl, Mono LP, #LVA-9085, UK-1958. (3) MCA Records, 12-Track, Vinyl LP, Reissue, #MCL-1752, UK-1960. (4) MCA-Coral Records, 15-Track, 5-Inch CD, #MCD-30580, Germany-1993. (5) MCA-Coral Records, 12-Track, 180-Gram, Vinyl LP, Reissue, Remastered, #MCA-11161, US-1995. (6) Geffen Records, 15-Track, 5-Inch CD, Remastered, #B0001592-02, US-2004.{6}

(B)Buddy Holly & the Crickets: [Buddy] (1) Delta Records, 12-Track, 180-Gram, Vinyl, LP, Remastered, #DOY-612, Europe-2009. [The albums above with 12 tracks have the same songlisting.]

{*}The album(s) and record(s) listed here may have different versions of the song than the one that was transcribed. Also, this list is not intended to be the complete discography on which this song appears.

{5}In percussion, a diddle consists of two consecutive notes played by the same hand (either RR or LL,) as opposed to the drag, which consists of two consecutive notes played by the same hand. The paradiddle consisting of a four-note pattern of the form RLRR or LRLL.

{6}Transcribed from the track on this album.