On a string of late 1950s and early 1960s instrumental hits, he used dramatic single note melodies on the lower strings of his guitar, pronounced tremolo and vibrato, and liberal doses of echo.

He became the most successful instrumentalist in rock history, charting 15 Top 40 singles in a five-year span and selling more than 100 million records worldwide. Duane died in April 2024, a few days after his 86th birthday. Appropriately, Duane’s Buddy Holly guitar is named after an instrumental demo Buddy recorded, ‘Holly Hop’. 

Mike Read