Buddy Holly is a guitarist.
Buddy Holly . Petty became the band 's manager and sent the demo to Brunswick Records , which released it as a single credited to `` The Crickets '' , which became the name of Holly 's band . In early 1959 , Holly assembled a new band , consisting of future country music star Waylon Jennings ( bass ) , famed session musician Tommy Allsup ( guitar ) , and Carl Bunch ( drums ) , and embarked on a tour of the midwestern U.S. . The Crickets . The sleeve of their first album , The `` Chirping '' Crickets , shows the band lineup at the time : Holly on lead vocals and lead guitar , Niki Sullivan on rhythm guitar , Jerry Allison on drums , and Joe Mauldin on bass .