Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
CLOVIS — The annual Clovis Music Festival always attracts Buddy Holly fans.
This year, the fans started coming in earlier than usual.
Larry Adamson, of Franklin, Tennessee, was in Clovis last week, part of his three-week Holly-themed tour of the United States.
Adamson's love for the rocker was born when he saw Holly perform in 1958.
"We saw him get out of his car in a T-shirt and jeans and just thought to ourselves, 'this guy isn't cool,'" Adamson said about the first time he and a buddy caught a glimpse Holly.
"Well, later, when he came on stage, let's just say, he was cool."
The music festival is in full swing tonight, with impersonators of Holly, Orbison and Ritchie Valens performing at Marshall Auditorium.
Holly and Orbison recorded at Norman Petty's Clovis studio on West Seventh Street. Organizers host the annual gathering to honor Petty, who grew up in Clovis.
Adamson won't be here for the shows this week, but he had plenty to see when he was here.
"I was amazed by the Norman Petty museum," Adamson said. "The local people have done an outstanding job of putting it together."
Plenty of out-of-town rock fans are in town for the festival.
Rich Wiseman, a Santa Fe native, has been attending for more than a decade.
"I remember it like it was yesterday. I saw an advertisement in an auto magazine for this little music festival in 2004 and have been coming ever since," Wiseman said.
Wiseman brings his daughter, Shauna, every year and she has become a staple of the festivities. Shauna has Down syndrome but that does not stop her from dancing in the aisles at the concerts, Wiseman said.
"She has a pure heart and loves pure things," Wiseman said. "And that's what 1950s music is. Pure."
When they attend, the Wisemans stay with good friend Bill Shockley, a 23-year Clovis resident, who always makes time for the festival.
"I enjoy the oldies, I enjoy the studio and I enjoy the people that run it," said Shockley, who has dedicated a "man cave" to the 1950s with antiques, collectibles and a 1200-strong record album collection.
Shockley said it makes him think of his childhood.
"I got into music in the early '50s and I have always been into rock and roll," Shockley said.
While many festival attendees think about the musicians that recorded in Clovis, Kenneth Broad and David Bigham are thinking of their good friend Norman Petty - the reason for the festival.
"The music they recorded here was easy to sing and it had a good tune but it didn't mean much to me. But Norman was a really good friend who left an atmosphere of happiness wherever he went," Broad said.
"He was so easy to work with and we had so much fun," added Bigham who worked as a studio singer for Petty from 1957 to 1959.
The men said while the festival is a celebration of musicians, even a celebration of Bigham himself, they always think of Norman and his wife Vi during this time.
"To me, this festival brings back precious memories of the past. Every time I walk into the studio, I can feel Norman's presence," Bigham said.