Tommy Allsup
| Tommy Allsup | |
|---|---|
 Allsup in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
November 24, 1931 Owasso, Oklahoma, US |
| Genres | Rock and roll, country, western swing |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1949–present |
| Labels | Liberty |
| Associated acts | Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings |
Tommy Allsup (born November 24, 1931 in Owasso, Oklahoma) is an American rockabilly and swing musician.
Biography
Allsup is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. He worked with entertainers such as Buddy Holly and Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. Allsup was touring with Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson when he lost a fateful coin toss with Valens for a seat on the plane that crashed, killing Valens, Holly and Richardson on February 3, 1959. Allsup moved to Los Angeles, played with local bands, and did session work, including writing credit for the Ventures', "Guitar Twist".[1] (aka "Driving Guitars")
He returned to Odessa, Texas, where he worked with Ronnie Smith, Roy Orbison and producer Willie Nelson. In 1968 he moved to Nashville, where he did session work and produced Bob Wills', "24 Great Hits by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys".
In 1979, he started a club, "Tommy's Heads Up Saloon", in Dallas. The club was named for Allsup's coin toss with Valens 20 years beforehand.[2]
See also
Further reading
- Lehmer, Larry (2004). The day the music died: the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. Music Sales Group. ISBN 0-8256-7287-2.
- Patterson, R (2004). Take a Walk on the Dark Side: Rock and Roll Myths, Legends, and Curses. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-4423-0.
References
- ↑ Del Halterman (2009). Walk-Don't Run – The Story of the Ventures. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-557-04051-3.
- ↑ Larry Lehmer (2004). The Day the Music Died: The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens. Music Sales Group. ISBN 978-0-8256-7287-3.
External links
- Online biography
- Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame—Tommy Allsup
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – Allsup, Tommy
- Voices of Oklahoma interview with Tommy Allsup. First person interview conducted with Tommy Allsup on September 8, 2011. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.
- Tommy Allsup - MyBestYears.com INTERVIEW SPOTLIGHT