"Three Stars" is a song written by Tommy Dee in 1959, as a tribute to

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens died i ...

, and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper), who died in a plane crash earlier that year. The song was recorded by Tommy Dee with Carol Kay and first released on April 5, 1959, by Crest Records. The lyrics suggested the three "stars" represent the three musicians that died in the crash.

Eddie Cochran version

A year after

Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran ( ; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. His songs, such as " Twenty Flight Rock", " Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire in ...

recorded the song, he died in a car accident on his way to an airport. Although recorded in 1959, Cochran's version was not released until 1966 as a UK single and for the first time in the US on the album '' Legendary Masters Series''. Cochran audibly breaks into sobs in his recording, most notably in the second verse.

Other versions

"Three Stars" was also covered by: * Ruby Wright (1959) *

Bonnie Owens Bonnie Owens (born Bonnie Campbell; October 1, 1929 – April 24, 2006) was an American country music singer who was married to Buck Owens and later to Merle Haggard. Biography She was born Bonnie Campbell in Blanchard, Oklahoma, United Sta ...

with Tommy Dee (1963, recorded in tribute to

Hawkshaw Hawkins Harold Franklin "Hawkshaw" Hawkins (December 22, 1921 – March 5, 1963) was an American country music singer popular from the 1950s into the early 1960s. He was known for his rich, smooth vocals and music drawn from blues, boogie and honky ...

Cowboy Copas Lloyd Estel Copas (July 15, 1913 – March 5, 1963), known by his stage name Cowboy Copas, was an American country music singer. He was popular from the 1940s until his death in the 1963 plane crash that also killed country stars Patsy Cline an ...

and

Patsy Cline Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American singer. One of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, she was known as one of the first country music artists to successfully Cross ...

.) *

Showaddywaddy Showaddywaddy are a rock and roll group from Leicester, England. They specialise in revivals of hit songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, while also issuing original material. They have spent 209 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, and have had 10 ...

(1975) *

Palma Violets Palma Violets were an English band from Lambeth, London. The band formed in 2011, based on the musical partnership of frontmen Samuel Fryer and Chilli Jesson. The band's musical output is primarily in the indie rock genre, with some garage r ...

(2013)

References

1959 songs 1959 singles Eddie Cochran songs Ruby Wright (big band-era singer) songs Showaddywaddy songs Commemoration songs United Artists Records singles Songs about Buddy Holly {{1950s-single-stub