Biography
In 1940, as young members of the Pickering Family Quartet (Mom, Pop, Billy and Johnny), who were singing daily on KICA, Clovis, New Mexico, the two brothers first met Norman Petty and Violet Ann Brady (later, Vi Petty). At the time, Johnny was seven and Billy and Norman were thirteen. Norman Petty, whose piano show followed their radio show, soon became good friends with Billy and Johnny. The family soon moved back and forth between Clovis (KICA), Lubbock (KFYO and KSEL) and Houston (KTRH and KPRC), performing with and meeting many other professional musicians over the years. "Pop" (John M.) Pickering died suddenly in 1953 and Mom (Beth), John and Bill were then joined by radio celebrity Jerry "Jaybird" Drennan as bass-singer for a short time. Soon after the death of "Pop", "Mom" retired from professional singing and Bill and John moved on to perform on their own. They helped form "The Plainsmen" (radio singers and winners of a Horace Heidt competition at Lubbock) but Bill left the group soon after and John joined a radio and TV gospel quartet called "Happy Rhythm Boys". Bill became a disc jockey for KLLL in Lubbock and was the first DJ to play Buddy Holly’s first Decca solo release, "Blue Days, Black Nights".
Later in 1956, Bill returned to Clovis as a KICA DJ and was re-acquainted with old friend Norman Petty at his then new 7th Street Recording Studio in Clovis, New Mexico. Seeing that Norman’s studio was to be known as the best state-of-the-art-studio in New Mexico, Bill soon called his brother John at Lubbock to come to Clovis and do back-up vocals for Norman’s artists. Upon agreeing to this arrangement, John called his friend and fellow Texas Tech student Bob Lapham and "The Picks" trio was formed.
On July 13, 1957, Norman Petty decided to show the Picks a couple of tracks from Buddy Holly, who had recorded them as solos (backed by the instrumental Crickets) at the studio ten days prior. While listening to "Oh, Boy!", everyone agreed that additional vocals were needed only on "Oh, Boy!". Norman quickly suggested that the trio overdub harmony back-up vocals to "Oh Boy" with a "Crickets" sound. The Picks agreed and the second "Crickets" hit, "Oh, Boy!" was soon ready for release on a Brunswick single 45. Due to the success of that song, The Picks' voices were soon added to eight more Buddy Holly lead solo recordings. This resulted in "The Crickets" versions of "Maybe Baby", "It's Too Late", "Tell Me How", "Rock Me My Baby", "Send Me Some Loving", "An Empty Cup", "Last Night" and "You Got Love". Including "Oh, Boy!", The Picks' nine overdubbed songs were included on the only Crickets' album released while Buddy Holly was alive: The Chirping Crickets (BL 54038; mono 331⁄3 LP; November 27, 1957). The Picks were never credited for their work during Holly's lifetime; it was not until 1987 on an MCA reissue of the original album that "The Picks" were credited in the USA for their performances.
Read more about this topic: The Picks
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