Magic was made here and other Clovis, NM Things to Do Tips

I cannot imagine that many people have heard of Clovis especially when compared to other tourist favourites such as Los Angeles, New York, Orlando or Las Vegas. And I have to say that from what I have seen there are few reasons to add this little town in New Mexico to a list of places to go to. The one reason for me is that this is where a man and wife owned a recording studio in the 1950s. They were Norman and Vi Petty and although they did have some success with their trio the studio earned its rightful place in Rock and Roll history as the place where Buddy Holly and the Crickets recorded their hits (That’ll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Rave On etc). Although the Norman and Vi are no longer with us the studio has been kept in much the same way as it was in the 50s when Buddy and the boys were making musical history. The mixing desk there now is not the one used for Buddy's recordings, but the monitors are and they sound great. The mic in the studio is also the one used by Buddy.

The studio is not open every day and it is run almost as a hobby by Ken Broad so you need to arrange an appointment with him prior to your arrival. Ken does a great job explaining the history of Petty, Holly and other artists that used the studio. The studio is not much bigger than a house with 4 main rooms, the reception area, the control room, the studio and a relaxation room. The latter being where the artists would relax during takes and even sleep when there for several days.

To arrange a tour of the studio you can contact Ken on +1 (505) 356 6422 or via ksbroad@yucca.net.

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Phone: +1 (505) 356 6422
Address: 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis
Website: http://www.superoldies.com/pettystudios/pettytour.html
Other Contact: ksbroad@yucca.net