A question, would rock music be the same if Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens lived.

[texanwitch]

I don't remember either one.

I was a little to young for the Beatles.

I came of age with the Monkees.

Would Elvis been so successful with the other two guys alive.

Would rock music went another direction.

I just wonder.

[In_The_Wind]

1. Yes. I believe they would have made a difference!

[texanwitch]

2. I never heard of Buddy Holly until the movie about him came out.

Buddy Holly could have been music producer.

Ritchie was just getting started.

[In_The_Wind]

4. I actually remember all of those songs.

[RebelOne]

3. I loved Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holley and the others who went down in that plane,

but Elvis would have still been the King even if the other guys had not been killed.

[In_The_Wind]

5. There is no one like the King!

[texanwitch]

7. I was to young for Elvis also.

Never a big fan later.

I became a teenager in 1966.

I didn't like the Beatles until I was about 16.

I would think the two would have had a influence on the music scene.

The Beatles were influenced by earlier music.

The good seem to die young.

[Arkansas Granny]

15. I have to agree with that. Buddy Holly left his mark,

and maybe Ritchie Valens would have, as well. He was just making his name known when he was killed. Elvis would have been the King regardless.

[Hoyt]

6. Don Mclean would not have written American Pie.

[texanwitch]

8. I never knew what that song was about until later.

A lot of talent lost.

[MrSlayer]

9. Yeah, Holly had already inspired the Beatles.

I don't think Valens would make a difference one way or the other, quite like the Big Bopper.

One good thing is we would have been spared that awful "American Pie" song.

Buddy Holly was the important one of that group but he had already done his part to move the the scene forward.

The better question is where would rock music be without Little Richard, Fats Domino and Chuck Berry.

[texanwitch]

10. Yes, so true.

I was talking to someone older who said her parents wouldn't let her listen to rock music in the 50's.

It was called something like race music.

That is terrible.

[MrSlayer]

12. From what I've read and heard, calling it "race music" would be a step up.

They had much worse terms for it.

Weak sisters like Pat Boone and Neil Sedaka would have never had careers if it wasn't for them ripping off the black artists. Elvis too.

[texanwitch]

14. I grew with MoTown.

I still have LP's.

Ten years did make a diffence.

I am glad I missed 50's, to young to know anything.

[Scuba]

17. You might enjoy this ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101796104

[olddots]

11. Everybody inspired everyone ---must was the diversion and savior in a way.

Little Richard and Buddy Holly along with a zillion others can be heard even in industrial electronic noise .The imprint was deep and will never die.

[zbdent]

13. I wouldn't know what I'd sing when I was drinking whiskey and rye ...

(and no, I wasn't alive when they died)

Lennon's murder was more "real" to me.

[Scuba]

16. The Jimi Hendrix cover of Buddy's "Everyday" would have been epic.

Buddy would have had a long and fruitful career covering many genres.

[Scuba]

18. This should help ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101796104