Buddy Holly's first-ever recording, from 1949

Skullington sez, "In 1949, at the age of twelve, Buddy Holly made his first home recording on a wire recorder. The song 'My Two Timing Woman' displays some remarkably skillful flat picking skills, but his voice has not yet 'changed' .... Buddy was a true happy mutant, who loved recording and playing, and his talent shines through for all to enjoy."

BUDDY HOLLY My Two Timin' Woman (1949)

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Anonymous

… And his last-ever recording was also a home demo, recorded in his greenwich village apartment a few days before he left for the ill-fated “Winter Dance Party” in 1959.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUYrGJ-jgJE
Anonymous

This is one of my favorite pre-rock ‘n’ roll Buddy tunes, when he was a duo with Bob Montgomery:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mNiv8FGXDI
petsounds

Wow, yeah he does have some good pickin’ skills for 12. Course, kids back then didn’t have a lot of other forms of entertainment, especially poor kids, so playing an instrument from an early age was common. My grandpa’s family of 10(?) in Arkansas all played instruments and jammed every night. Nowadays kids (and people) have ADD; too many options to distract the mind.
Locobot

Sweet, I love this. Yeah at 12 he had some chops!
jphilby

Damn. Got somethin in my eye there.
Felton / Moderator

Every day, it’s a-gettin’ closer
Goin’ faster than a roller coaster
Love like yours will surely come my way
A-hey, a-hey, hey

I loooooove Buddy Holly.
- Antennapedia
  
  I actually walked down the aisle in my wedding to an acoustic guitar version of that. Buddy’s pretty much one of my favorite things to come out of Texas (other than Ann Richards and Willie Nelson… and me, I guess.)
- Anonymous
  
  Holly fans are frustrated by the lack of live recordings. Much of it was lost, or carelessly discarded. He made many tv appearances, but only several have survived.
  
  He performed “Everyday” live, and someone in the audience taped it, but only twelve seconds remain of that tape:
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWZizDBTMO4
Teller

When my kids were really little, I played ‘em Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry tapes. Fundamental rock – in black and white. Thanks for this post.
MacBookHeir

It’s always odd and a little fascinating to hear children sing songs with adult themes. I would reckon Buddy Holly hadn’t been two-timed by even one woman, let alone two women.
checkersspeech

Look out, Maria Elena will probably want her cut from you posting this, lol … Every time somebody in Lubbock says “Buddy Holly” in public she wants to get paid.