Tuesday, 18th April 2006 (4058 views)

The diamond and white gold watch worn by Buddy Holly when he died has sold at auction in Dallas, Texas for $155,350 to a memorabilia collector.

The Omega watch, bearing the inscription "Buddy Holly 12-1-58" on the back, was auctioned earlier this week along with several other items, including Holly's 1958 passport, twenty original acetate recordings and several photographs and wardrobe items belonging to the singer.

The singer was famously killed when his single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza aeroplane crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa following a concert he had played nearby.

Two of the plane's other passengers, Ritchie Valens and "The Big Bopper", Jiles P. Richardson were also killed in the crash, which has been the subject of folklore since that fateful night on February 3rd 1959.

Many music historians as well as filmmakers, authors and fellow musicians have speculated upon events that night, which remain somewhat shrouded in controversy due to the sudden and unexpected nature of the crash.

Some stories suggest shots were fired on board, distracting pilot Roger Peterson, while others have simply apportioned blame to the awful flying conditions experienced that night, coupled with the young pilot's relative inexperience.

Either way the watch itself, as part of musical legend, was a highly sought commodity by collectors and fans alike and the price it fetched at auction was clearly an indication of this.

 

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