Bill Griggs knows Lubbock, but Lubbock may not be so familiar with him. That could change this weekend as he's inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame, formerly the Buddy Holly Walk of Fame, commemorating his work as an expert on 50s music and an authority on Buddy Holly.
But while Holly's statue sits on a pedestal, Griggs says he's never put the singer on one personally.
"I just admire this kid," he said, "and I use that word fondly. He died at the age of 22, and look what he accomplished in a year and a half. It was just amazing."
Griggs spent his career researching the music he loved as a kid. Born into a musically-inclined family in Connecticut, Griggs grew up attending concerts soaking up all he could. He was 17 when he saw Holly perform and never forgot the rock legend, even though everyone else seemed to.
"I was disgusted because I was no longer seeing Buddy Holly's name, no longer heard his music on the radio," Griggs said. "You'd go into a record store asking for Buddy Holly, they ask 'Billie Holiday?' He'd been forgotten."
So Griggs took action, founding the Buddy Holly Memorial Society in 1975 and later a corresponding magazine. The society would grow to encompass all 50 states with hundreds of members.
Griggs' crowning achievement is a five book set, "Buddy Holly Day-by-Day." It's a work of international recognition so meticulous it accounts for all but 12 days of Holly's tragically short career.
Jacqueline Bober, the curator for the Buddy Holly Center, says Griggs' knowledge has been invaluable.
"He has done a lot to raise the profile of Buddy Holly, the Buddy Holly Center and by extension the city of Lubbock," Bober said.
But if you ask Griggs, his proudest achievement has nothing to do with Holly.
"It's the friends," he said. "I've made so many around the world. How many can say that?"
Probably close to the same number who have a plaque on the Walk of Fame, an honor his fans, friends and family worked years to procure.
Griggs' wife, Sharon Griggs said, "We've been trying for almost ten years. Finally!"
They've also served as his support system as he battles stage four cancer diagnosed earlier this year. But this honor's given Griggs fresh hope.
"To know I'll have a plaque long after I'm gone makes me so happy," he said.
Griggs' plaque won't find a permanent home on the current Walk of Fame. Shortly after this weekend's induction, the Holly statue, the West Texas Walk of Fame and Terrace will be taken down and stored at the Civic Center while the current location gets torn up for road work.
If all goes according to plan, come October, the statue and the Walk of Fame will be placed at the Buddy and Maria Elena Holly Plaza on Crickets Avenue, just a stone's throw away from the Buddy Holly Center.
That means it'll be a while longer before Griggs sees his legacy permanently recognized next to Holly's.
But after 42 years of work, what's a few more months?
Induction Ceremony:
6:30 p.m. Friday
Buddy Holly Statue
7th and Ave Q
Click
here for more on Griggs' story and body of work.
