The Picks
The voices behind Buddy Holly's Crickets!

The Story of The Picks

ROCK'N'ROLL RECOLLECTIONS:
Stories from the Rockabilly Days
by Stu Frederick

February 2007

Three Voices We Never Really Knew

Sometimes we can look at a true-to-life story and see a guiding hand in the events. There are so many ironic encounters in the lead-up to the actual story, they really have to be included!

When Bill and John Pickering were very young, their musical family moved from east Texas to Lubbock, where they became acquainted with another musical family, the Holleys. It was 1939 and little Buddy Holley (as his family name was actually spelled) was only three years old. His older brothers were guitar-playing teenagers.

One year later, the Pickering family moved to Clovis, New Mexico where Bill became friends with Norm Petty. Norm was a young piano player at the time. Bill would introduce him to another piano player, Violet Ann Brady, in junior high. Norm and Violet Ann would play together and eventually marry.

Through the war years, the Pickerings became regional favorites as a gospel-oriented family music both in live performance and on the radio. Bill left for a tour of duty in the army near the end of the war. When he returned, the family moved back to Texas, Houston first, then Lubbock once again, this time more permanently. Bill became a radio DJ there. Re-acquainted with both Sonny Curtis and Buddy Holley, Bill was the first DJ to play Buddy's Decca solo release, "Blue Days, Black Nights."

Meanwhile, piano and organ duo Norm and "Vi" Petty had a national hit record, "Mood Indigo." The hit enabled Norm to build a "state-of-the-art" recording studio in Clovis to further their career. He began recording other artists there. Needing backing vocals, he contacted Bill Pickering in Lubbock (only 100 miles east of Clovis. In Texas, that's right down the street!). Bill and his brother John enlisted a third member, Bob Lapham, and "The Picks" singing group was born.

They came to Petty's studio in July 1957 for their first session. The timing was amazing. Buddy Holly's Crickets had, only 10 days before, recorded "Oh Boy" and "Peggy Sue." Norm played these songs for The Picks and asked Bill, an experienced DJ, which should be The Crickets' new release. The group agreed that Peggy Sue was ready to go, but thought that "Oh Boy" would sound better with a backing vocal. Norm asked them on the spot if they could produce a "Crickets" sound. The Picks took the challenge and "Oh Boy" was given the 'echo' harmony vocals we now associate with the song. Shortly thereafter, The Picks recorded the remaining eight songs of the "Magic Nine" on that first, historic "Chirping Crickets" album.

The album won the "Best Vocal Group of 1957" in both the USA and Great Britain. It has been called one of the 1950's five greatest rock'n'roll albums. Astoundingly, The Picks were never credited for their work. And, even today, in the Buddy Holly museum in Lubbock, no mention is ever given for their important role in those first recordings.

That is the essence of The Picks' story. It is, perhaps, not so unusual in the recording industry to not receive credit where credit is due.

However, it can't be denied that the work of The Picks was professional and created an outstanding result. Would the songs have stood by themselves? We won't ever know that. And, after Buddy died in that plane crash, the issue was dropped completely for many, many years. Here's where another story begins:

Bill and John Pickering pursued "day jobs" as necessary for survival, but continued to sing and record with some moderate success. With no credits to list from the Holly days, they slowly built their music careers until there came an opportunity for a Nashville audition in 1969. "The Pickering Brothers" won a country recording contract! For five years they recorded and enjoyed regional success. Then, in 1974, Bill Pickering suffered a brain anuerysm that nearly ended his life. He came out of it blind and partially paralyzed.

For the next several years, Bill Pickering struggled to regain his faculties. His vision returned in two years. But it was his voice that he had to work the hardest to regain. His signature tenor, so clearly identified with those early Buddy Holly hits, was silenced by the paralysis.

Meanwhile, in 1978, a major motion picture, "The Story of Buddy Holly", was made starring Gary Busey. Although a respectful biography, again, no mention of The Picks was made. The Crickets were shown singing all of their own vocals!

In 1982, John and Bill ran into Bob Lapham at a music convention. They hit upon an idea which led them to Maria Elena Holly, Buddy's widow, in 1984. Because, she said, Buddy had spoken admirably of their work on his songs, she instructed MCA records to release the original master recordings of many other Buddy Holly solo vocal songs so that the Picks could create new harmonies for them.

After much struggle, Bill had recovered his voice and was ready to sing again. The men gathered in Houston for the historic follow-up sessions. MCA would release the first album from the Houston sessions in the following year as "Buddy Holly & The Picks; 'The Original Chirping Sound!'" Perhaps it was due to their meeting with Maria Elena Holly that MCA also re-released the original, classic "Chirping Crickets" album. On this release, however, The Picks finally received credit for their work. It does my heart good to think that Bill Pickering saw that happen. He died just a few months after The Picks completed their follow-up album.

Today, John Pickering continues to sing and 'carry the flag' for The Picks, those essential voices of the 'Chirping Crickets'. Bob Lapham is a retired sports writer and small plane pilot. You can visit the Pickerings at www.PickRecords.com.