How much is Maria Elena Holly worth?
| Net Worth: | $23 Million |
|---|---|
| Who: | Buddy Holly’s wife |
| Date of Birth: | 20 December 1932 |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 1.58 m |
About Maria Elena Holly
Santiago-Holly and Peter Bradley established the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation in 2010. Santiago-Holly was one of the founders of the organization. The objective of the foundation, which is carried out by a nonprofit organization, is to perpetuate Buddy Holly’s musical legacy by removing any financial, cultural, or educational barriers that prevent younger generations from receiving a quality musical education.
Songwriting, production, arranging, and orchestration instruction are some of the subjects that are covered in the musical education that is offered. Performance education is also included. The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation works along with Chris Difford to put on songwriting retreats all around the world. Peter Bradley Jr., who serves as board Director of the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, is the one in charge of organizing these events.
She wed Holly at Tabernacle Baptist Church on August 15, 1958, which was less than two months after the couple had their first date. At the time, Holly was still living in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas. They made their home in Lubbock up until the time that Buddy ended his relationship with the Crickets, at which point they relocated to New York. In October of 1958, Santiago-Holly accompanied her husband on a tour and participated in promotional activities during that tour.
Additionally, Buddy Holly established the Maria Music publishing organization, through which he submitted his song “Stay Close to Me” Holly was involved in producing the rendition of the song that was performed by Lou Giordano and released on Brunswick 55115 on January 27, 1959.
It is believed that Maria Elena, who worked as a receptionist at Peermusic, met the musician Buddy Holly in August 1957. At the time, Holly and the Crickets were rising stars when they made their first visit to Peer Southern Music in the Brill Building at 1619 Broadway to meet their publishing manager Murray Deutch. Maria’s boss at the time was Murray Deutch.
Holly invited her out on a date on June 19, 1958, just prior to recording a cover of “Early in the Morning” by Bobby Darin in New York’s Pythian Temple. The song was originally performed by Darin. Since Santiago had never gone on a date before, he informed Holly that in order to go out with her, he would need to get permission from her aunt, which he swiftly received. After five hours of spending time together, Buddy proposed to Maria by presenting her with a rose and asking her to be his wife.
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper, along with the pilot Roger Peterson, were all killed in an airplane crash that occurred in the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, at Clear Lake, Iowa. Holly was on tour at the time of their deaths. Holly and Santiago had been married for only six months at the time, and she found out about the death of her husband from the reports that were shown on television. On February 4, Santiago suffered a miscarriage while she was pregnant with her husband’s kid as a result of the psychological anguish she sustained as a result of the occurrence. The burial of her spouse took place in Lubbock.
Santiago-Holly was not present during the funeral, and she has never been to the cemetery to pay her respects. Later in life, Santiago-Holly tied the knot with Joe Diaz, a high-ranking official in the Puerto Rican government. They were successful in having three offspring as a couple. She is a grandma and lives in Dallas, Texas, where she supports the legacy of her first husband despite the fact that she is now divorced. On their album 11 released the same year (1989), The Smithereens paid tribute to her with the song “Maria Elena” In the film adaptation of The Buddy Holly Story from 1978, actress Maria Richwine played the part of Santiago-Holly. In the Broadway production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Jill Hennessy played the role of Buddy’s girlfriend.
Summing-Up
On June 19, 1958, she was working as a receptionist at Peermusic when she met Buddy Holly and his band, the Crickets. Holly proposed to her after they had been out on their first date for five hours. On August 15, 1958, in Lubbock, Texas, the pair tied the knot, which was less than two months after they had first met. Buddy Holly and two other musicians, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, were all killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, close to Clear Lake in the state of Iowa. The following day, she experienced a miscarriage, and as a result, she was unable to attend Holly’s burial.
