Jerry Allison (born Jerry Ivan Allison, August 31, 1939, in Hillsboro, Texas) is an American musician, best known for being the drummer for The Crickets. He co-wrote the Crickets hit "Peggy Sue".
In their early days at the Lubbock Youth Center, Buddy Holly's vocal and guitar were backed only by Allison's drumming, allowing for some of Holly's best guitar work.
Over time, Allison's rhythm backup ranged from slapping hands-on-knees or hand-clapping...
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Jerry Allison (born Jerry Ivan Allison, August 31, 1939, in Hillsboro, Texas) is an American musician, best known for being the drummer for The Crickets. He co-wrote the Crickets hit "Peggy Sue".
In their early days at the Lubbock Youth Center, Buddy Holly's vocal and guitar were backed only by Allison's drumming, allowing for some of Holly's best guitar work.
Over time, Allison's rhythm backup ranged from slapping hands-on-knees or hand-clapping the beat to a modal plainness of cymbal drumming. His snappy cracks at the snare drum gave power to the tough, vengeful songs released under the name The Crickets. Later songs, released under Buddy Holly's own name, were softer in tone and filled with innocence and longing. On these, Allison played only tom-toms in keeping with the vulnerable sound of the vocals. His work on The Crickets recordings gave the records much of their distinctiveness and has influenced subsequent generations of Rock and roll drummers.
Norman Petty, the manager,...
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