Don McLean presents Maria Elena Holly – My Life With Buddy

[Don McLean Newsletter]

Maria Elena Holly – My Life With Buddy

Saturday 7 February 2009
1900-2000 GMT

Listen online at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/documentaries/50s_mariaelenaholly.shtml

Maria Elena Holly talks candidly to Don McLean about her whirlwind
romance, her eight-month marriage to Buddy and her life spent
championing his name fifty years after 'the music died'.

Singer-songwriter McLean famously sang about the plane crash that
killed Holly and fellow touring companions Ritchie Valens, and J.P.
Richardson (known as The Big Bopper) in his number 1 hit ‘American
Pie’.

Documentary producer Mark Rowles says, "My work as an independent
producer for the BBC has had a strong bias towards documentaries
featuring great songwriters and more than five years ago, I noted the
fact that Maria Elena Holly was the last direct living link to Buddy
Holly, one of the key foundation writers of rock ‘n’ roll.

"It’s well known that Maria Elena is a woman with distinct views on
how her late husband’s name should be remembered. Following a series
of approaches, over some four and a half years, Maria Elena recognised
the importance of making a candid audio documentary about her life.

"There are a number of subjects about which she has never been
prepared to speak. However, to my great delight, she felt relaxed
enough to talk about subjects close to her heart that she has
carefully avoided for many years. The result, in this case, is a truly
unique insight into a brave and powerful woman who happened to be
married to one of the greats of rock ‘n’ roll.”

Also, check out Don McLean's commentary on Buddy Holly published by
CNN at:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/01/mclean.buddy.holly/