Lubbock in Lubbock County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Buddy Holly Historical Marker

City of Lubbock Cemetery

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, April 28, 2014

1. Buddy Holly Historical Marker Marker

Inscription. Buddy Holly died at age 22 in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa on February 3, 1959. Fellow musicians Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson were also killed in the crash. The funeral was held in Tabernacle Baptist Church and he was buried in the City of Lubbock Cemetery on Saturday February 7, 1959. Fans have traveled from up to ten thousand miles away to view Holly's final resting place. It is customary to place a guitar pick on the headstone so that the “music lives on.”

Erected by Legendary Lubbock Texas - Buddy Holly Music Festival.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Entertainment. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1919.

Location. 33° 33.987′ N, 101° 48.923′ W. Marker is in Lubbock, Texas, in Lubbock County. It is on East 31st Street near Teak Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Marker is on the southeast corner. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lubbock TX 79404, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Texas’ South Plains.

It is also on the American Great Plains,

specifically on the Southern Plains,

and specifically on the High Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Comanchería,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: City of Lubbock Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients (approx. 0.2 miles away); Willie Lusk Jr. (approx.

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0.4 miles away); Paul Whitfield Horn (approx. half a mile away); Bradford Knapp (approx. half a mile away); Mary & Mac Private School (approx. 0.6 miles away); Mount Gilead Baptist Church (approx. 0.9 miles away); Greater St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lubbock.

Another marker is no longer nearby. City of Lubbock Cemetery (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, April 28, 2014

2. Buddy Holly Historical Marker Marker

Entrance to City of Lubbock Cemetery is straight ahead.

Buddy Holley Gravesite image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, April 28, 2014

3. Buddy Holley Gravesite

Note spelling of last name.

Buddy Holly Gravesite image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, April 28, 2014

4. Buddy Holly Gravesite

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, April 28, 2014

5. Buddy Holly Gravesite

It is customary to place a guitar pick on the headstone so that the "music lives on."

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, May 27, 2026

6. Buddy Holly Historical Marker Marker

Sign on the right, new cemetery marker on the left

Credits. This page was last revised on May 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 10, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 2,054 times since then and 99 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 10, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 6. submitted on May 27, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.