Buddy Knox

Buddy Wayne Knox, born on July 20, 1933, in Happy, Texas, is an American singer and songwriter who learned to play the guitar from a young age. In 1956, after performing on the same radio show as Roy Orbison, Knox was encouraged by Orbison to contact producer Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico. This led to the recording of "Party Doll", released by Roulette Records in 1957. The song reached Number 1 on the Cash Box chart and sold over a million copies, earning a gold certification from the RIAA. Subsequent hits included "Rock Your Little Baby To Sleep" and "Hula Love". In the early 1960s, Knox signed with Liberty Records, releasing more pop-oriented tracks like "Lovey Dovey" and "Ling-Ting-Tong". He later moved to Nashville in 1968 and signed with United Artists Records. Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, Knox experimented with various styles and collaborated with various artists. In 1981, he starred in the Canadian independent film Sweet Country Road. Knox resided in Dominion City, Manitoba, and toured extensively across Canada and the United States. "Party Doll" was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of songs that shaped rock and roll in 1998. Knox passed away on February 14, 1999, in Bremerton, Washington.