Peggy Sue (1957) by Buddy Holly
“Peggy Sue, Peggy Sue
Oh, how my heart yearns for you.”
Inspiration : Peggy Sue Gerron
Peggy Sue was named after drummer Jerry Allison’s girlfriend and future wife, Peggy Sue Gerron Rackham. The couple was actually broken up at the time, and this was Holly’s way of helping his friend out.
Peggy Sue Gerron. Photo by Gaye Gerard/Getty Images
According to her memoir, Whatever Happened to Penny Sue?, Gerron said that when she first heard the song, she was “so embarrassed, I could have died.” Well, the song worked, and Gerron and Allison quickly got back together. However, their reconciliation was short-lived. After being married for most of the ‘60s, the pair called in quits. Gerron went on to become a dental assistant and eventually remarried.