Whenever I used to think about Rock music and its start in America, I always thought about big bands like the Beatles, or often something stronger, like Led Zeppelin. I never truly considered that small groups or even single musicians could have such a strong impact on what has become one of the most influential genres of music throughout history.
Then, I learned about Buddy Holly. I heard that Buddy Holly was a pioneer of the Rock genre and one of the most influential musicians for others in the industry. He always seemed to be a short-lived musician who seemed to do decently, but, in fact, in his short run, he helped to develop the genre of Rock as a whole, while getting more and more people interested in it. Although his death cut his personal career short, it significantly assisted in spreading the word of the genre across the globe. In the decades that followed, many musicians followed Holly’s lead and delved solely into the genre of Rock, often crediting some of their major pieces to one of the genre’s most important supporters. Some examples of these references to the great Buddy Holly are included in Don McLean’s “American Pie” and Weezer’s “Buddy Holly.”
jjj
In general, this argument made through the history of Rock music from Holly’s reign, circa 1950s, never seemed to cease, and, as such, is still found frequently within today’s music sources. I was convinced of Buddy Holly’s importance to the genre through a number of rhetorical devices merely presented through the world’s response to his music. For one, his credibility certainly shines clear, even today, as he is mentioned by a number of famous groups, thereby building his ethos. This also provided substantial logical appeal to myself, as I found it very intriguing that other artists have looked up to him as a role model and use his styles in their music. Of course, there is also the clear emotional appeal, pathos, that comes with referencing Buddy Holly, in reference to his sudden death and the impact it had on the spread of Rock music as a whole. Overall, I am now completely convinced that Buddy Holly, usually a single musician, had one of the most important roles in the creation and spread of the genre of Rock music, ridding myself of my previous ideal that all influence came from big rock bands that were always shown on television. Although these other bands, like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, are more memorable today, I will always consider Buddy Holly one of the most influential and his song, “Everyday,” one of the best.
The Carpenblog 