" Not Fade Away " was originally released as the B-side of the hit single " Oh , Boy ! " and was included on the album '' The " Chirping " Crickets '' ( 1957 ) . The Crickets ' recording never charted as a single . Along with the familiar take 2 of " Not Fade Away " , there exists a take 1 , the first verse of which is missing ; it has been released with the first part of take 1 spliced into it . Contrary to the depiction in the film '' The Buddy Holly Story '' ( 1978 ) , " Not Fade Away " was not the last song Holly performed in his final concert , in Clear Lake , Iowa , on February 2 , 1959 , just before his death in a plane crash . At a symposium held in Clear Lake in observance of the 50th anniversary of his death , in a panel discussion with Tommy Allsup , Carl Bunch , and Bob Hale ( the master of ceremonies at Holly 's final show ) , all agreed that the final song of the night was Chuck Berry 's " Brown Eyed Handsome Man " , performed by all of the acts on the bill
his death in a plane crash
The Day the Music Died
Not Fade Away (song)