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22
May
Richard Hawley sings at Bettys event marking Harrogate’s remarkable Buddy Holly link
Sheffield singer-songwriter Richard Hawley sang at Bettys last night (May 21) at an event celebrating Harrogate’s remarkable connection with one of the greatest musicians in rock and roll history.
Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash aged 22 in 1959, visited Bettys on his only UK tour in 1958.
He was taken there by the comedian and singer Des O’Connor, whose widow was also at last night’s Harrogate gathering.
Hawley joined fellow musicians and Holly devotees Chris Difford, a founding member and songwriter of Squeeze and young British guitarist Toby Lee at the café tearooms for the invitation-only gathering.
The Harrogate link runs deeper: Peter Bradley Snr, who founded and still runs jewellers Bradleys on Prospect Crescent, set up The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation with Holly’s widow María Elena Holly, who is now aged 93, in 2010
Photographer Jude Vidal displayed some of her work from Words of Love.
His son, Peter Bradley Jnr, and Harrogate photojournalist Jude Vidal have now compiled the definitive Buddy Holly book, called Words of Love, which took seven years to complete.
It features interviews and stunning photos of rock royalty, including Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Van Morrison and Don Everly, who talk about how Holly inspired them and what he means to them.
The book, made in partnership with the foundation, previously had launches in London, New York and Los Angeles. Harrogate was the fourth and final event.
Hawley sang a version of one of Holly’s best-known hits, Words of Love, Lee performed Peggy Sue Got Married and Difford played a recording of a never-before-heard 1975 Squeeze demo of the Holly song Everyday.
Richard Hawley singing Words of Love.
Bettys laid on special Fat Rascals displaying Holly’s famous horn-rimmed spectacles.
Jonathan Wild, the former Bettys chairman and chief executive who developed the Fat Rascal recipe, talked about how his love of the American musician extended to him having the tribute band Buddy Holly and the Cricketers perform at his 60th birthday.
Music journalist Colin Hall interviewed Hawley, Difford and Lee about Holly.
“Others were remote. Buddy seemed physically attainable,” said Hawley. “He was a geeky, speccy guy.”
Buddy Holly-style Fat Rascals alongside the Words of Love book.
Difford recalled how one of the songwriting retreats he held on behalf of the foundation, which supports young artists, included a young man from Doncaster called Dominic Harrison, better known today as the Grammy-award winning artist Yungblud, whose sister runs Johnny’s Bar and Parlour in Harrogate.
Foundation ambassador and broadcaster ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris was due to attend but withdrew due to ill health. His wife, Trudie Myerscough-Harris, was present.
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