Born in Hillsboro, Texas, Allison met Holly in junior high, and they started playing together in roller rinks and The Cotton Club in Lubbock in the early 1950s, predating the rise of rock music. The two wrote numerous hits together as teenagers, including “That’ll Be the Day,” inspired by a line from John Wayne in the classic Western “The Searchers.”
“Peggy Sue” was covered by numerous artists, including John Lennon and the Beach Boys, and referenced in “Barbara Ann” and other songs. Holly followed with “Peggy Sue Got Married,” later the title of a Francis Coppola film starring Kathleen Turner as a woman who travels back in time. Allison’s innovative work is also apparent on “Everyday,” where he ditches the drums and keeps time in the song by slapping his knees. On “Well... All Right,” Allison is drumming just on the cymbals.