Knox was born in the tiny farming community of Happy, Texas and as a boy learned to play the guitar. In his teens, he and some high school friends formed a band called the “Rhythm Orchids.” After performing on the same 1956 radio show as fellow Texan Roy Orbison and his “Teen Kings” band, Orbison suggested Knox go see record producer Norman Petty at his studio in Clovis, New Mexico. Knox recorded three songs at Petty’s studio, most notably “Party Doll” that later was released on the Roulette label and went to No.1 on the Cash Box magazine music chart in 1957. This success was followed by “Rock Your Little Baby To Sleep”, a top 20 hit, and “Hula Love”, a top 10 hit. While he never achieved the same level of artistic success, Buddy Knox enjoyed a long career in music. For his pioneering contribution, Knox was elected to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. “Party Doll” was voted one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In May 1969, Buddy Knox appeared at Langley Speedway (British Columbia) in Langley, British Columbia, Canada and assisted in handing out trophies to the race winners. A lifelong user of cigarettes, Buddy Knox died of lung cancer in 1999 in Bremerton, Washington. He is interred in Dreamland Cemetery, in Canyon, Texas. |
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