As far as The Picks know, it was 20 years after the fact before Norman Petty had finally mentioned The Picks (and The Roses) publicly. Petty, whom the Pickerings had known for almost 40 years at the time, was answering a question in a British TV Buddy Holly documentary, which John Pickering happened to see and hear in Houston about 1977. It was a brief reference, but it was exciting to one who had expected credits since 1957. But other than that belated brief reference by Norman Petty, apparently no one but Niki Sullivan publicly acknowledged The Picks for almost 20 years.  In fact, it was 30 years after the fact in 1987 when The Picks were finally credited in the USA by MCA in a reissue of the original "The 'Chirping' Crickets" album of 1957. This came a bit late for "enhancing the careers" of  Bill (by then deceased), John, and Bob: "The Picks" (or the careers of Bill and John, "The Pickering Brothers").

After Bill Pickering's sudden illness in 1973, John Pickering had kept singing as a soloist at Houston, Texas, releasing the country-oriented "The Picks 25th Anniversary" cassette (1982) for fan clubs, while his brother Bill recuperated at mother Beth's home in Lubbock. Bill Griggs (BHMS) had found Bill there in 1981, thus "finding" The Picks for the fans, 24 years after the fact. The Picks were then reunited with Bob Lapham in 1982 at the annual BHMS convention in Lubbock, Texas. It was after that meeting that John and Vicky Pickering first discussed the possibility of more Picks overdubs of Holly songs. Vicky began "bio" mail-outs to the media almost immediately, but it took awhile for John Pickering to bring about new sessions for "Buddy Holly & The Picks".

In 1984, Bill and John arranged for a meeting and met with Maria Elena Holly at the Buddy Holly Suite in Lubbock, Texas. They informed her of their desires to overdub more Buddy Holly solos, and she agreed that it was a good idea. She told them that Buddy spoke of them often and had planned to record with them again. Upon request, original masters were sent by MCA from storage vaults, and John Pickering wrote vocal arrangements, as he and Bill had done in 1957 at Clovis. John produced the sessions and the results were offered to MCA, precipitating an interesting part of the story to be covered by John Pickering in a coming book.

John Pickering began preparing for new sessions and wrote arrangements for the original "Picks" as they gathered from the Texas cities of Lubbock (Bill) and Abilene (Bob) to the John Pickering household in Houston, Texas. There they prepared to overdub many more Holly solos. The actual sessions occurred at a Houston recording studio call Sound Masters.

Motivation for the new sessions is obvious. By 1982, it appeared (especially in the USA) that the only way the public would ever be told about The Picks' contributions to Buddy Holly's music would be at The Picks' own time and expense. Obviously, there seemed to be no intention of anyone who actually knew the truth to speak out publicly about what happened in July and October of 1957 at that small isolated studio in Clovis, New Mexico in the wee hours of several mornings. It was like no one in the world except The Picks knew about it. However, the success of their singing on Crickets releases, in terms of record sales, quality and longevity, cannot be denied. It was as voices of "The Crickets" that Buddy Holly and his key harmony group The Picks won the "Best Vocal Group" awards of 1957, and it was long past time for the world to know it.

Release of new versions began in 1986 with an album entitled "Buddy Holly & The Picks 'The Original Chirping Sound!'".  This album and all the "Buddy Holly & The Picks" recordings and albums listed in the Collectibles section of this web site were the result of new Picks overdubs of Buddy Holly solos actually recorded by Holly in 1956/1957/1958. On more than one occasion, these versions were offered to MCA.

A detailed account of Houston sessions and subsequent releases will be included in a book by John Pickering in the future. Nine original vocal group-sound hit songs by Buddy Holly & The Picks were finished at Clovis, New Mexico in July/October of 1957. These originals were first released in late 1957 as by "The Crickets" on the Brunswick label ("Vocal Group with Orchestra"). Only four individuals were present in the studio when the harmony voices were added: the late Norman Petty, the late Bill Pickering, John Pickering and Bob Lapham. Only two remain, and they alone know the details of the sessions that produced nine vocal group songs, backed by the instrumental Crickets, among which are most of "The Crickets" biggest hits (according to Billboard's Hot 100).                          The story continues...