Buddy Holly: Words of Love with Kiefer Sutherland

Rizzoli welcomes Kiefer Sutherland, renowned actor, musician and ambassador of the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, to celebrate the release of the new monograph dedicated to musician, songwriter, and rock-and-roll trailblazer Buddy Holly, published by Genesis. He will be in conversation, followed by a signing.

PLEASE NOTE:

• This event is ticketed. Tickets include either a $20 store voucher or a copy of the book.
• Additional copies of the books will be available while supplies last.
• Book purchase is required to enter the signing line. Only copies of the book purchased from Rizzoli will be signed. No other items will be signed.
• This event is mixed seated/standing. Seats are first come, first served.
• This event starts at 5 pm. Doors open at 4:30 pm.
• Ticketholders who are unable to attend the event will be able to pick up their books in store up to two weeks post-event. We can't guarantee signed copies will be available to ticketholders who don't attend the event.
• A very limited quantity of the deluxe edition signed by Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are available .

Conceived in 2017 from a conversation with Roger Daltrey, Words of Love by Genesis Publications is the definitive celebration of musician, songwriter and rock and roll trailblazer Buddy Holly. Created in partnership with Maria Elena Holly and the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, this seminal volume offers an intimate look at Buddy's life, music, and lasting legacy, revealing the man behind the timeless music.

Words of Love features over 400 rare and archival items, including photographs, personal letters, handwritten notes, clothing, iconic glasses, guitars, tour posters, recording agreements, and press cuttings, and much more—many of which are previously unpublished. Through these artifacts and an extensive collection of rare and never-before-seen photographs, Words of Love charts the unusual rise of a musical pioneer who defied conventions and shaped the future of rock and roll.

With forewords by Maria Elena Holly and Paul McCartney, afterword by Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend and cover art fro Ronnie Wood, Buddy’s legacy is recounted through the voices of those who knew him best. Bandmates Jerry 'JI' Allison and Sonny Curtis, as well as friends like Paul Anka, Dion, Duane Eddy, and Don Everly, share their memories alongside insights from over 80 influential musicians, including David Gilmour, Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison, Dolly Parton, Robert Plant, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, and Brian Wilson.

From his Texan roots, to his work with the Crickets, to his final months of innovation preceding his tragic death, Words of Love unravels the complexities of Buddy Holly’s life and celebrates his enduring influence on music history.

'Buddy was playing the lead guitar, which we loved, but he was also singing it, which we loved, and he'd wriSen it, which we loved. So on a number of levels he was very inspirational. He became a hero for us and gave us the idea to go and do it ourselves.' - PAUL McCARTNEY

'You could learn from Buddy Holly how to write songs, the way he put them together. He was a beau: ful writer. The greatest. And I mean that - the greatest.' - MICK JAGGER

'I've worked with so many people in music and I just know we'd have collaborated if things had been different. You can hear Buddy's musical ideas across the whole spectrum of music. Everybody is inspired by something he did!' - NILE RODGERS

'I play Buddy Holly every night before I go on. It keeps me honest.' - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Kiefer Sutherland has been a professional actor for almost forty years, starring in movies such as Stand By Me, The Lost Boys, Young Guns, Flatliners, A Few Good Men, A Time to K*ll, Dark City, Melancholia, Forsaken and They Cloned Tyrone.He has also starred in the TV series 24, Designated Survivor and Rabbit Hole.

He balanced his acting career with other projects that have been personally and creatively satisfying. In 1992 he began competitively roping on the USTRC circuit, winning rodeos in Phoenix, Indio and Los Angeles, and running a small cattle ranch on the central coast of California.

In 2016 he released the first of three studio albums over a period of five years, Down In A Hole, Reckless & Me and Bloor Street which were followed by an extensive touring schedule of over 600 live shows. His fourth studio album is set to be released early 2026.

Host or Publisher Rizzoli Bookstore