Jordan Cunningham talks ahead of Ritchie Valens role at Wolverhampton theatre

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story opens at Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre on Tuesday and runs until February 4.

Jordan Cunningham plays Ritchie Valens, who was on the fateful flight with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper on February 3, 1959 – 'the day that music died'.

Jordan says: "We perform the show in Wolverhampton on the 58th anniversary of the crash and it will be a very interesting night. It could be quite an emotional one for some of the Buddy fans out there, but I believe they celebrate it quite energetically."

The Buddy Holly Story has an energetic feel and perfectly celebrates the music of Buddy Holly and his friends. "When I auditioned for Ritchie Valens I remember them saying to me that he was very much the Justin Bieber of the 50s," Jordan adds. "He achieved such success at a really young age. Songs like La Bamba I was aware of aged eight or nine, not necessarily knowing it was Ritchie Valens, but he had such an impact that his music still lives on."

Rehearsing

Jordan immersed himself in the music of Buddy Holly before going into rehearsals.

"Spotify was a godsend when it came to rehearsing. I was only familiar with La Bamba before working on the show, so some of the other songs and especially the right pronunciation was something I was less familiar with.

"Luckily, on this tour we have an amazing actor Miguel Angel who is Puerto Rican and played the part of Ritchie Valens on tour and in the West End. His first language is Spanish so he could tell me what I was pronouncing wrong.

"I love the end of the show, it's just a huge celebration of the incredible music. There's a brilliant storyline that culminates in that bittersweet but amazing final concert in 1959. The entire cast come together and everyone's playing their instruments, having a great time."

Buddy Holly was born in 1936 but died tragically in 1959. The American musician and singer-songwriter was at the centre of mid-1950s rock and roll and became a worldwide star.

He had been born in Lubbock, Texas, and his family were musicians.

He soon established himself and by 1952 he had made his first appearance on local television. Within three years, Holly was playing as the opening act for Elvis Presley and that experience persuaded him to take music more seriously.

He enjoyed a meteoric rise after his music shifted from country and western to entirely rock and roll and soon he was playing as the opening act for Bill Haley & His Comets. Talent spotters signed Holly to Decca Records and a slew of hits followed.

Holly's band, The Crickets, provided a platform for his rock'n'roll songs and he enjoyed a series of best sellers like That'll Be the Day and Peggy Sue.

However, Holly's life came to an abrupt and tragic end when he was involved in an aeroplane crash while at the peak of his powers. Tickets are available on 01902 42 92 12, at the box office or online at grandtheatre.co.uk

By Andy Richardson