The guitarist is revered for his work with the 1950s rock 'n' roll hero, after Buddy split with the original Crickets.
One of the happy moments in Ritchie's all-too-brief career came on 29 December 1958, when he entered the Billboard Hot 100 with the classic 'La Bamba.'
The Crickets' final UK chart appearance was a nod to the late Ritchie Valens, and featured A-list contributors James Burton and Leon Russell.
After 'Good Golly, Miss Molly,' Richard was on the radio and in the charts with another unique Specialty single, 'Ooh! My Soul.'
George's US pop chart debut was with a song written by the ill-starred Big Bopper.
From ‘Jailhouse Rock’ to ‘The Girl Can’t Help It’, the best 50s rock’n’roll soundtracks defined an era and sent a generations of teenagers into a frenzy.
These are the real heroes of country music: those who raised merry hell, that didn’t give a damn what anybody thought and spat in the face of authority.
The first Rock 'n' Roll tours in the 1950s created the template for how bands and solo artists would tour for decades to come, and still do.
