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

J.I. Allison House circa 1950s

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 16, 2016

1. J. I. Allison House circa 1950s Marker

Inscription.
Originally located at 2215 6th Street, this house was preserved to commemorate the song writing of Buddy Holly and the Crickets. While at this home in 1956, Buddy Holly and J.I. Allison (original founding members of The Crickets) penned the hit song “That’ll Be the Day.” Inspired by a line from the John Wayne move The Searchers, the single neared the top of the Billboard charts in September 1957.

For more information, please visit the Buddy Holly Center during regular business hours.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1956.

Location. 33° 34.698′ N, 101° 50.546′ W. Marker is in Lubbock, Texas, in Lubbock County. Marker is at the intersection of U.S. 62 and Crickets Avenue, on the right when traveling west on U.S. 62. Marker is mounted on the fence surrounding the Allison house. The house is a part of the Buddy Holly Center museum facilities. The house is located just east of the main museum entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1801 Crickets Avenue, Lubbock TX 79401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Buddy Holly (here, next to this marker); F W & D South Plains Railway Depot (within shouting distance of this marker); The McCartney Oak (about 300

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feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Buddy Holly (about 400 feet away); The Cactus Theater (about 600 feet away); Lubbock's First Cotton Gin (approx. 0.4 miles away); Carlock Building (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lubbock.

Also see . . .
1. Jerry Allison Biography.

Jerry Allison was one of the first important drummers to emerge in rock & roll and rockabilly music, as the drummer for Buddy Holly & the Crickets. Born Jerry Ivan Allison in Hillsboro, TX, in 1939, he joined Holly as his accompanist early in the latter's career, and for a time playing around Lubbock, TX, the two of them were the whole band -- just Holly's guitar and Allison's drums, and Allison knew how to get an incredible variety of percussion sounds, given the limitations of equipment in the era, sometimes working with as little as one snare, a cymbal, and a bass drum (if that).

(Submitted on March 20, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Jerry Allison.

Allison was
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 16, 2016

2. J. I. Allison House circa 1950s Marker (wide view)
inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, as a member of the Crickets. In 2012, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Crickets by a special committee, aimed at correcting the mistake of not including the Crickets with Buddy Holly when he was first inducted in 1986. With the death of Crickets bassist Joe B. Mauldin in 2015, Allison is the sole surviving member of the Crickets from their late-1950s heyday.

(Submitted on March 20, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. The inspiration for Buddy Holly's 'That'll Be the Day'.

In 1956 Buddy Holly and his drummer Jerry Allison went to see a movie in their hometown of Lubbock, Texas. They saw "The Searchers" starring John Wayne. Wayne had a response that he used throughout the movie when someone said something he didn't agree with: "That'll be the day." As legend has it, after the movie, Holly looked at Allison and said that it sure would be nice if they could record a hit song. And Jerry replied "That'll be the day." That was the inspiration for a song that hit No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart.

(Submitted on December 3, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Allison House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 16, 2016

3. Allison House

Credits. This page was last revised on December 3, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 20, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 784 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 20, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.