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WATCH: Graham Nash Plays Buddy Holly's Guitar
Check out exclusive footage from a 2010 oral history live with singer-songwriter and musician Graham Nash, part of the British rock group The Hollies—named after the band's admiration for singer-songwriter and musician Buddy Holly, a prominent figure in mid-1950s rock and roll.
"Buddy was my friend," says Nash. "I never knew him, never met him, but he was my friend. Glasses? Thin? No sex? He was the kid next door. I loved his music. It's insanely simple, but it's timeless. I think we all agree on that; Buddy Holly's music is timeless."
During the session with MoPOP, Nash is presented with Buddy Holly's 1943 Gibson J-45 Acoustic Guitar, a gift to MoPOP's Permanent Collection by Michael and Barbara Malone. As he wields the iconic instrument which Holly hand tooled and cased in leather, Nash pauses to reflect on the moment.
"I think part of the process of this whole thing is to get as close to the flame as you can get without being burned," he says. "And I'm very close to the flame right now of this particular thing. I mean, this is Buddy Holly's guitar on which he wrote most of his famous songs. I mean, Buddy's hands are... I'm tripping out here, I'm sorry."
Following a moment of laughter from Nash and the crowd, Nash clutches the guitar and goes on to play Holly's 1957 song "Peggy Sue" followed by "Teach Your Children" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
"This is an insane moment for me. ... Wow," says Nash. "What can you say. Touching the flame."
Check out Nash's performance with Holly's guitar in the video below.
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