NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Renowned drummer and Middle Tennessee resident Jerry Allison has died. He was 82.
Allison who played and co-wrote songs with rock pioneer and childhood friend Buddy Holly. Allison's future wife inspired the classic “Peggy Sue.”
Holly’s band, The Crickets, broke through in 1957 with “That’ll Be the Day,” followed by six other Top 40 singles in just 12 months.
Allison’s teenage girlfriend (whom he later married) was the namesake for the title of their hit “Peggy Sue,” which features Allison playing one of rock’s most celebrated drum parts, a rolling pattern called paradiddles.
A spokesperson for Gold Mountain Entertainment, which manages The Crickets, confirmed Allison's death.
