Elvis & Buddy -- Linked Lives

Author: Alan Mann

Publisher: Music Mentor Books

ISBN: 0-9519888-5-9 (paperback, 159 pp.)

I rarely have the inclination to read a whole book at one sitting and even when I have the inclination, I rarely achieve the goal! However, that's exactly what I did with this excellent book about two of the biggest names in Rock and Roll history, Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly. To be quite honest, I had not intended to go through the whole book in one go, but I became so absorbed in it that that's the way things worked out. And that's not a bad recommendation for any book!

Now I have to admit that, as well as being an Elvis fan, I have been a fan of Buddy Holly since I first heard his voice coming from a 78 rpm way back in the fifties, when I lived in Wales -- "Everyday," I believe it was, but the collection was soon to grow and both Buddy and Elvis became childhood heroes that have remained with me throughout my life.

"Elvis & Buddy -- Linked Lives" does not shine because of the quality of the writing, rather, it is clear that author Alan Mann is a true fan of rock'n'roll and of both Elvis and Buddy. His enthusiasm and knowledge are apparent throughout the book. In addition, the illustrations are well chosen and there are several that I'm sure I have not seen before, including at least two of Elvis.

The aim of the book, as suggested by its title, is to show that some form of destiny led to Elvis and Buddy meeting on a number of occasions in 1955 and 1956. As the book points out, Elvis seemed to have forgotten these meetings in a letter purported to have been written by him at the time of Buddy Holly's death. Either the letter was a fake, or Elvis was mistaken, which seems more likely, especially after reading this book: sufficient evidence that the two really did meet on more than one occasion is provided. Indeed, their meetings seem to have been more than just a casual passing-by back-stage at the several concerts they both played at in Lubbock, Texas, and it is even suggested that Buddy taught Elvis the words of "Money Honey" -- a claim backed up by none other than Jerry Allison who, as a member of Holly's group, was there at the time!

The book further provides decent potted biographies of both men, without reverting to any extensive rehashing of what has already been written in numerous other publications, but pointing out similarities in their backgrounds and influences, including Elvis's clear influence on Holly. I could have done without the dip into numerology and astrology (including natal charts) which occupies a few pages towards the end of the book, but to each his own and I am sure that some readers will find the data fascinating.

In addition to the main theme of the book, its chapters are interspersed with short comments which make sometimes rather tentative links between a number of songs recorded by Elvis and Buddy. Neither actually recorded a lot of the other's material, so these links are not all equally successful, though Mann does his best to provide interesting reading even here. "Elvis & Buddy" rounds off with a glossary of personalities associated with the two singers -- excellent stuff, providing useful and accurate information.

A few misprints mar the presentation and just a couple of these distort the facts: the snapshot of Elvis at the Fair Park Coliseum on page 83 should indicate the date as 10 April 1956, rather than 1955 (the text gets the year correct, however) and an unfortunate setting error makes Elvis Tom Parker's one and only client in 1965 instead of 1956 (page 144).

Some two thousand Elvis-related titles have been published, while a mere handful of books exist about Buddy Holly -- I have eight and that seems to be about it! "Elvis & Buddy -- Linked Lives" is a useful addition to both sides of the library, offering more information about Holly and providing an interesting link between Elvis and a man whose life ended too soon. The content is good and the price is right, with RRPs of just £12.99 in the UK and $20.00 in the USA. If you're a rock'n'roll fan, you can't be without this book!

David Neale

copyright January 2003

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