Image provided by Lubbock Entertainment Performing Arts Association
How much would you pay for the leather-bound book “Words of Love” about Lubbock legend Buddy Holly signed by the legendary Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, members of The Who – two of many British rock ‘n’ rollers inspired by Holly?
If you can handle $1,265, you can order it and celebrate Holly at a book launch at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30 in Crickets Theater at the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences.
It’s one of two Holly events next week.
The annual Buddy Holly Songwriter’s Concert is 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, also in Crickets Theater.
A party for the book launch
The book launch is one of two being held – the other at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall.
Tickets for the book launch are $50 and $50 more to attend a VIP Preview cocktail reception, featuring a sneak peek of the book and never-before-seen photos of Buddy Holly.
If people pre-order the book at the event and sign up for a newsletter they can get a ten-percent discount.
Regardless of whether or not someone buys a book, there’s more going on.
“It will be a very lively night, a night full of interviews and readings from the book and will be very interactive on stage,” says Melissa Key, community relations and annual giving director for the Lubbock Entertainment and Performing Arts Association.
Greg Harris, CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, will be master of ceremonies.
Holly songs will be performed by Beth Nielsen Chapman, who wrote Faith Hill’s hit song, “This Kiss,” Charles Esten, known for his role in the ABC/CMT “Nashville” and Netflix series “Outer Banks” and Kimmie Rhodes, who grew up in Lubbock.
The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation will announce the newest Buddy Holly Ambassador. The foundation’s mission is making sure today’s generation of musicians and music lovers know about Holly’s historic impact.
Buddy Holly expert Randy Steele will also attend.
There were a handful of packages that included the book, a signed guitar and more for $14,000 – they were sold, Key said.
Songwriter’s concert
Tickets are $20 for the two-hour concert ($15 for students), which follows three days of the songwriter’s workshop, led by Chapman.
Twenty-one songwriters come to Lubbock from around the world. The best songs created during the retreat are performed Friday.
The concert ends with everyone performing one of Holly’s songs.
For tickets, go to buddyhollyhall.com or call the box office at (806) 792-8339.
Lubbock’s Joy Harris and Junior Vasquez have been to all three retreats and will attend again.
“There will be very innovative, very unique songs of all styles because you’ll have people coming from across the sea, so you will have all kinds of blends of styles of music, so expect to hear some unique professional songs,” said Vasquez.
Harris said, “It’s a great way to network with awesome songwriters from around the world and … write in a different environment than I normally do and to be able to recharge and focus on the craft.”
Vasquez and Harris say they’ve worked with Rhodes, who’s in Lubbock’s West Texas Walk of Fame. Vasquez contributed to her song, “No Tom Petty.”
“The concert is all about songwriters coming together and putting their unique talents and writing and singing abilities and combining with other writers and creating something different,” said Vasquez.
A final tidbit – Jack Harris, son of the rock hall’s CEO, has attended the workshop in the past.
Editor’s note: Brooklyn Hill is a senior journalism major at Texas Tech University, interning with Lubbock Lights this semester.
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