Rave on: Arts Center tells the 'Buddy Holly Story'

"Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story," the jukebox musical entertained British audiences for more than 12 years, opens at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina on Wednesday.

Based on the life and career of rock 'n' roll legend Buddy Holly, the show was a major hit in the West End, where it ran for 5,000 performances, making it one of the longest-running musicals in London history.

"It's a very unique kind of show," said Fred Willard, musical director and cast member of the Arts Center production. "It has a wonderful storyline that hits the high points of Buddy Holly's career, and at the same time it's like a concert of all his best-known songs."

The '50s icon, known for his trademark horn-rimmed glasses and vocal hiccup, was on the top of the charts for 18 months with hits such as "That'll Be the Day," "Oh Boy" and "Peggy Sue."

A pioneer in the early years of rock, Holly incorporated African-American rhythm and blues into his music, forgoing the traditional country style embraced by record producers of the era. He also introduced what became the standard rock band lineup: two guitars, bass and drum.

"He felt he knew things that the conservative record producers didn't understand at the time," said director Russell Treyz, who has helmed a number of Arts Center shows, including "White Christmas" and "Black Coffee." "He took an ethnic style of music and made it mainstream."

Ranked No. 13 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, Holly exerted a profound influence on popular music. His songs have been covered by everyone from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones to Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor.

"He laid the foundation for today's rock 'n' roll," said New York actor Matthew Gray, who plays Holly in the Arts Center's production. "He did things before anyone else even thought about doing them."

That included double-tracking his vocals. The then-innovative technique allowed Holly not only to sing harmony to his own lead vocals, but also to play both lead and rhythm guitar.

Not long after breaking up with his band the Crickets and venturing on his own, Holly died in a plane crash with fellow rockers Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson after a concert in Clear Lake, Iowa.But his music has lived on through the years.

"There's something so fresh, so simple and honest about his music that resonates with audiences," said Willard. "It's uniquely American. It's music that is eternally young."