Buddy Holly created a revolutionary new sound in music, influencing countless artists – many of them British like The Beatles, Elton John, and the Rolling Stones. Hearing Des talk about his time with Buddy was always so fascinating, as Buddy was such an incredible inspiration to so many.

It all began in March 1958 when Des was honoured to host and compere Buddy’s UK tour. Des said ‘touring with Buddy Holly is something I’ll never forget, with 31 gigs in 33 days’. They formed a very lovely friendship, and Des would say in his best country and western drawl, ‘He’s 6 foot 2 and he talks like that. I thought only people in the cowboy pictures talked like that.’

One of Des’s favourite memories was in Harrogate when he had to wake Buddy up as he would never get on the coach. Des pulled Buddy by his feet, and Buddy said, ‘Don’t do that, Des. I’m tall enough!’

Buddy wanted to buy a new guitar while waiting for his own instruments to arrive from the US. Des took him to Maurice Plaquet’s music shop in London, where they acquired a Höfner President guitar. Their friendship was so strong that before returning to the US, Buddy gifted the guitar to Des. The guitar is now on display at the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, Texas.

One of my favourite stories about Des and Buddy was of the late great British theatre and film producer Bill Kenwright. Bill went to see Buddy in Liverpool as a child in long socks and shorts, and before the show. Des was on stage checking the mic position. Bill walked through the stalls to the bottom of the stage with his programme in his hand and looked up at Des and said, ‘Excuse me, would you please be able to get me an autograph of Buddy Holly?’ Des replied, ‘Do you really love Buddy?’ And of course Bill said yes. Without hesitation Des took him from the stalls to Buddy’s dressing room and introduced him, and Buddy personally signed his programme. Bill has always said that meeting Des and Buddy literally changed his life and he would be forever grateful for Des’s special kindness.

When Des first heard the tragic news about Buddy he called Maria Elena to express his deepest condolences. Maria Elena said on 3 February in 1959 she received only two phone calls from Europe that day – one was from Elvis Presley, who was on military service in Germany, and the other was from Des calling from London.

In August 2022, our son Adam and I had the most wonderful pleasure of attending the Buddy Holly Songwriting Retreat in Lubbock, Texas … we like to think that both Des and Buddy played a big part in making that very special experience happen and that Des and Buddy are now  eunited, putting on their own concert tours in heaven.

Jodie Brooke-Wilson (widow of Des O’Connor)