Whatever Happened To Buddy Holly's Widow?

Maria Elena Holly had three children with her second husband, and she is now divorced. Currently, she lives in Dallas, Texas and continues to manage Buddy Holly's story, including images and other forms of intellectual property. In 2010, she also co-founded The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation (per Wide Open Country.) It remains difficult for Maria Elena to listen to her late husband's music, "[B]ecause it's like Buddy being here," she said, and although Maria Elena Holly appreciates the Don McLean reference, she contends the music of Buddy Holly is immortal. "Buddy may not be here," She said, "but the music has not died. It is still alive and well," (via MassLive.)

Buddy Holly's marriage was not without controversy, however, even after his death. "Whatever Happened to Peggy Sue? A Memoir by Buddy Holly's Peggy Sue," published in 2007 by Peggy Sue Gerron, alleges that the early rock classic, "Peggy Sue Got Married" was not about Gerron's relationship with The Crickets' drummer (as was previously believed). Instead, Gerron claims it was written by Holly about a love triangle between Gerron, Maria Elena, and Holly himself — a drastic rewrite of Buddy Holly lore, as the Daily Mail reports. Maria Elena brought a lawsuit against Gerron to stop the publication of the book, via the Guardian. "It's very interesting that this woman makes up all these stories," Maria Elena said.