Buddy Holly was an influence of a popular singer.
Buddy Holly . Holly was a major influence on later popular music artists , including The Beatles , The Rolling Stones , Eric Clapton , and Elton John . Eric Patrick Clapton , ( born 1945 ) , is an English rock and blues guitarist , singer , and songwriter . He was also named number five in Time magazine 's list of `` The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players '' in 2009 .