The Holy of Holies in this rock 'n' roll temple is the pay phone used by Buddy and Ritchie to make their last phone calls, mere minutes before their demise. Naughty teens would hide booze in nooks designed for ladies' handbags. View of the dance floor from the wooden booths. The Big Bopper's battered briefcase of death is another key exhibit, along with his last hotel room receipt ($3.75) and a copy of Elvis Presley's telegram of condolences, sent to Bopper's family. "His mama carried it with her for years," reads an accompanying sign (Ritchie was only 17 when he died). ![]() Buddy Holly's cufflinks are on display, as is Ritchie Valens' wallet of death. The Surf Ballroom is still a concert hall, and on the day we visited the roadies from the acts performing that night were marveling at the exhibits devoted to the Surf's most famous doomed musicians. One photo, larger than the rest, reveals that early rocker Ricky Nelson also performed at the Surf. Another, the Wall of the Forgotten (our name for it), features framed photos of obscure Surf performers such as Padiddle Joe and The Stardusters. One chronicles naughty teenagers' habit of smuggling booze into the ballroom. Visiting this time warp of an attraction is like visiting the similarly-frozen-in-amber Dealey Plaza kinda sad, but also kinda cool.Įxhibits in showcases wind their way through the building. With its old wooden booths and vaulted ceiling, the Surf is a throwback to another era - and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. ![]() By then the Surf, which had opened in 1948, was in danger of demolition, and remained that way until a local family purchased it in 1994 and restored the building it to look the way it did on the day of its most infamous concert. The grim anniversary, now seen as an important event, was ignored for years at the Surf until a bronze "Buddy Holly's Last Performance" plaque was finally unveiled in 1979. Last calls by Buddy and Ritchie were made from this pay phone.
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