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You may not have known The Picks, but you have probably heard their voices which will be heard on records forever.

 

In 1957, The Picks - John Pickering, Bill Pickering and Bob Lapham - made Rock‘N’Roll history when they recorded the vocal backup harmonies for many of Buddy Holly’s most famous releases, including “Oh Boy“, “Maybe Baby“ and “Tell Me How“ on "The Chirping Crickets" Brunswick label. This web site shares the history of The Picks - before, during and after the Buddy Holly years, and also relays current events. Other songs "It's Too Late", "You've Got Love", "An Empty Cup (And A Broken Date)", "Send Me Some Lovin'", "Last Night", "Rock Me My Baby".

 

The Picks have overdubbed 67 Buddy Holly solo recordings giving them "the Crickets" sounds.                                                                                                                                                                                            

March 25, 2016 -  3CD set release The Absolutely Essential Collection includes Buddy Holly with voices of The Picks harmonizing with Buddy on the songs they recorded in 1957 released on "The Chipring Crickets" LP.

 

In  April, 2015, the Texas Music Museum in Austin, TX, produced a display panel - "The Picks" and added to the exhibit related to Buddy Holly. They plan to proudly display artifacts related to the Pickering Family Quartet, The Picks, The Pickering Brothers, John and Bill Pickering as soloist, songwriters, and Bob Lapham also as a writer of novels. Thanks to Clayton Shorkey, PhD. President, Board of Directors of TMM.

 

In July, 2015, the Texas Musicians Museum in Irving, TX opened and has memorabilia of Buddy Holly and The Picks.

 

In August, 2006, the Rock & Blues Museum in Clarksdale, MS opened and had memorabilia of Buddy Holly and The Picks. It is operated by Theo Dasbach and Cindy Hudock.

 

CD released in spring of 2013 - "Buddy Holly - The King of Tex-Mex". List of songs includes 9 songs The Picks recorded backup vocals on "The Chirping Crickets" 1957 LP.

 

The Picks are heard singing on "Oh Boy" and "Maybe Baby" on the CD "BuddyHolly - Icon", released March 1, 2011. The Picks are singing on 16 songs with Buddy Holly on the CD "Raining In My Heart"  released July 12, 2011.

 

 

THE PICKS ARE THE VOCAL GROUP WITH BUDDY HOLLY ON NINE SONGS ON THE 2011 53rd GRAMMY(R) AWARDS NOMINATION "BUDDY HOLLY NOT FADE AWAY: THE COMPLETE STUDIO RECORDINGS AND MORE" AS BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM. THE NINE SONGS FIRST APPEARED ON "THE CHIRPING CRICKETS" BRUNSWICK LP IN 1957. CONGRATULATIONS TO BOB LAPHAM AND THE LATE JOHN AND BILL PICKERING. JOHN'S TRIBUTE SONG IS ALSO TITLED "BUDDY HOLLY NOT FADE AWAY".

 

 Buddy Holly & The Picks sing "True Love Ways" (Pick Records) on the Panda Cheese commercials that originated in Egypt and are played there and in the Middle East countries. In 2010, the commercials won two grands prix at the Dubai Lynx International Advertising Festival in May, a Silver Film Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival  in June, and a Gold for Film at the Epica Awards. The 5-series commercials  have been seen since September 2010 and are seen worldwide on 9-06-2019 on search engines with one that has over 38,345,172 views, including one with Justin Bieber!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=X21mJh6j9i4feature=player_embedded  

 Complete song by Buddy Holly and The Picks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzLmiMvVh-E

 

 "The Picks - True Legends of Rock (I)"  article published in 

the Smalltok Global Magazine October 14, 2010.  

 "The Picks - True Legends of Rock (II)" November 10, 2010.

 

Buddy Holly & The Picks are found on several YouTube sites and various search engines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwaTgDTco2I&feature=youtu.be 

 The Picks are found on Facebook at

  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Picks/114114788598553

Thanks to writer, Dawn Lee Wakefield for the nice article on February 3, 2012: http://www.examiner.com/arts-in-houston/a-retrospective-on-singer-john-pickering-and-his-role-the-music-legacy-of-bud

People portrayed in the musical or associated with in the "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story" that John and Vicky Pickering, and some by Bob Lapham, knew include 1. Buddy Holly and Holley family; 2. Son of the Big Bopper and family; 3. Family of Ritchie Valens; 4. Niki Sullivan and family; 5 Joe B. Mauldin and family; 6. J.I. Allison and wife; 7. D.J. Hipockets Duncan; 8. Norman & Vi Petty; 9. Tommy Allsup and wife; 10. Maria Elena Santiago Holly Diaz and 2nd husband and sons; 11. Peggy Sue and daughter; 12. MC Bob Hale; 13, Bob Montgomery and family, 14. Larry Welborn; 15. Mrs. Ralph Peer and son, Ralph II of Peer-Southern; 16. NorVaJak Studios; 17. KDAV studios; 18. Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa; 19. Plane crash site; 20. The Picks (not listed by name); 21. [Note] Bill Pickering and Mr. Holley visited Maria Elena in her NYC apartment. 22. [Note] Songs used in the musical in which The Picks sang on the records include "Oh Boy" and "Maybe Baby". Picks' friends of songwriter Sonny West ("Oh Boy", "Rave On", etc.).  

Visit this web site's "Catalog" page for LP's, Cassettes and CD's for sale.

Vicky Pickering graduated from Lubbock (TX) High School Class of '55 with Buddy Holly.

 

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 Copyright © 2000 by John Pickering