What the Young People Go For

50 years ago today Buddy Holly died in a plane crash.

Here he is on American Bandstand (UPDATE: WRONG, see below) in 1958, performing one of my all-time favorite songs (h/t Neatorama):

UPDATE: The date and setting should have tipped me off, but that is DEFINITELY not American Bandstand above (which is what it was labeled on YouTube). It was used in a Bandstand video compilation, because, as Dick Clark explained, the actual footage of Holly from his show around that time was lost years ago. It is in fact from December 29, 1957, and as my Dad explains in an email:

American Bandstand!!! did you look at the clip?, the show is The Arthur Murray Party and it is Kathryn Murray the hostess of the show who introduces Buddy. You may remember that the Murray's lived in Rye when I was a kid, and I once bumped into Arthur (literally) on the street (his fault).

Thanks, Dad. I thought the background people looked a little too formal.

And continuing the fun with Stratocasters and young people theme for the day, here's Jeff Beck at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, 2007, performing "'Cause We Ended as Lovers," with Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and the AMAZING 21-year old Australian bass prodigy Tal Wilkenfeld (h/t My Mom):

Enjoy.