| María Elena Holly | |
|---|---|
| Born | Maria Elena Santiago December 20, 1932 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Nationality | Puerto Rican |
| Spouse | Widow of Rock and Roll pioneer Buddy Holly |
| Notes
She is the owner of the rights to Buddy Holly's name, image, trademarks and other intellectual property
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María Elena Holly (born December 20, 1932)[1] is the widow of rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly. She owns the rights to his name, image, trademarks, and other intellectual property.
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Holly was born María Elena Santiago in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her mother died when María Elena was a child. In 1958 her father sent her to live with her aunt (Martha Guadalupe Santiago) in New York City. Santiago worked as a receptionist for music publisher Peermusic. Two weeks later, she met Buddy Holly, who asked her out. Santiago had never been out on a date and told Holly he would have to ask her aunt, who was also her guardian, for permission. Holly promptly got her aunt's permission. Five hours into their first date, Buddy handed a rose to Maria and asked her to marry him.[2]
On August 15, 1958, less than two months later, they were married in Buddy's hometown of Lubbock, Texas. They settled down in Lubbock until Buddy broke up with his band, The Crickets, and they moved to New York. Santiago-Holly went on tours with her husband and took on managerial duties.[2]
In February 1959, Buddy Holly was on tour when he, together with Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, died in an airplane crash. Santiago-Holly had been married for only six months and was pregnant with Buddy's child; she miscarried shortly afterwards.[2] Buddy was interred in Lubbock.
Santiago-Holly did not attend the funeral and has never visited the grave site. She told the Avalanche-Journal: "In a way, I blame myself. I was not feeling well when he left. I was two weeks pregnant, and I wanted Buddy to stay with me, but he had scheduled that tour. It was the only time I wasn't with him. And I blame myself because I know that, if only I had gone along, Buddy never would have gotten into that airplane."[3]
Santiago-Holly eventually remarried and had three children. Now divorced, she is a grandmother living in Dallas, Texas, and promotes her first husband's legacy. In 1989, The Smithereens paid honor to her with the song "Maria Elena" on their album 11. Actress Maria Richwine played Santiago-Holly's role in the 1978 movie The Buddy Holly Story. Jill Hennessey portrayed her in the Broadway production of Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story.[4]
Santiago-Holly has spent most of her life protecting Buddy Holly's legacy. She controversially wanted to charge the city of Lubbock to use Buddy's name in various ways, including in relation to a music festival, a street named the "Buddy Holly Walk of Fame", and a terrace named "Buddy Holly Terrace."
When Peggy Sue Gerron, the woman to whom the 1957 classic "Peggy Sue", as well as the posthumously released "Peggy Sue Got Married", were dedicated, published her autobiography "Whatever Happened to Peggy Sue?", in 2008, Santiago-Holly unsuccessfully tried to sue her.
Early in 2008, Santiago-Holly visited the apartment building where she and Holly lived. There, she observed musicians in nearby Washington Square Park, where Holly often played his guitar. "I gave one musician $9 because 9 was Buddy's favorite number", she told the Avalanche-Journal.
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