Buddy Holly Lives! pays a great deal of attention to the details portrayed by “Buddy Holly and the Crickets” in their public performances. The instrument lineup, stage setup, lyrics and song arrangements all contribute to a truly 50s experience. The costumes, instruments, lyrics and music are all as they would have been during the original tours of the Crickets from 1957 to 1959. But even more than that many unknown but fresh and exciting songs from 1955 to 1957 have been painstakingly relearned and recreated to give the audience the feel of life at the very beginning of rock n’ roll.

A time when it was possible to hear a song once and be forever transformed. Some of the songs Buddy Holly wrote and recorded, some were only played by him. Through the eyes of a man forever 22 years old you will get a taste of the real music of the time.

Dave Bull - "Buddy"

Dave Bull has been a native of Kingston since 1983. Originally from Toronto, Dave first appeared on the Canadian rock music scene in the late seventies. Dave is the lead vocalist and the guitarist for Buddy Holly Lives! Besides playing the part of Buddy Holly, he writes and records his own music. Also a member of The ToneKats and The Rockabilly All Stars, Dave brings energy in his vocal and guitar stylings that capture the essence of Buddy Holly. The Crickets are, in fact, played by two band members who have played alongside Dave since the beginning -  Bassist Marty Crapper and drummer Stu Pike. Dave was also a member of "The Rave", which played hundreds of engagements in the eighties and nineties in and around Kingston and Eastern Ontario. Buddy Holly Lives! has entertained at  theatres, high schools, festivals, fundraisers, bandstands, Civic events, dances, and ballrooms playing in Eastern Ontario and New York to rave reviews since 1999.

 

Marty Crapper - "Joe B"

A direct descendent of Thomas Crapper, British inventor of the flush toilet, Marty is the bassist and backup vocalist for Buddy Holly Lives!. Marty lives in Westport Ontario and has performed jazz, rock, swing and folk music in bands including Sunny Lemon Tina, Ninth Line Jazz Band, Bald Like Dad, and most recently The King of the Swingers . Marty recently contributed to a recording for a March 2001 release with Universal Records by Luther Wright and the Wrongs of Pink Floyd's "The Wall". Marty has been playing in bands with Stuart Pike since 1993 and with Dave Bull since 1996. His unique slap style on his 1951 upright bass adds real excitement and raw energy to the Crickets' sound.

 

Stuart Pike - "J. I."

Stuart completes the crew as drummer and back up vocalist for Buddy Holly Lives!. Stuart portrays the role of Jerry Allison of the “Crickets”. Stuart has been performing with swing bands since the 1970s, originally in Alberta. Now settled in Eastern Ontario he performed with Dave Bull and Kevin Murphy for 10 years as “The Rave”. Stu also played in the Mudcats and SLT. Stuart is active on the board of directors of “Pumpkin Pie”, a musical series in the Battersea area. He is an avid promoter, supporter and player of live music in Eastern Ontario. He plays with Wawanco Todos currently. His ability and variety of styles also involve him in jazz, swing, samba, and dixieland in addition to rock n' roll.

 

                               Testimonials

Here is what some of the fans had to say about this authentic recreation:

“the attention to detail was unbelievable…”
“it was like a time warp - we were mesmerized, it was that good…”
“I’ve never seen anything like it - we danced in our seats on the balcony all night”
“your act blew away Vegas acts and I’ve seen several”
“you guys are Buddy Holly and the Crickets” “I felt like I was there … in 1950 something”

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