Aired on Treasure Island Oldies –Feb 01, 2026

It’s no secret that many singer/songwriters, producers, and musicians hold a deep, reverent appreciation for the pioneering Rock & Roll style of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper, recognizing them as foundational figures.

Sporting a career that now spans over six decades across many genres including Rock & Roll, R&B, blues, and soul, one such artist states that he was directly impacted by Buddy Holly’s fresh sound.

Similar to Holly, who was a pioneer in studio techniques (like double-tracking) and self-contained rock groups, this artist became known for playing all instruments on his recordings and overdubbing them himself in the early 60s.

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As a teenager our featured artist founded the Rome Records label with Johnny Powers producing Johnny & the Jokers and later discovering Larry Chance and the Earls.

The artist’s credits include songwriting hits covered by acts like Vanilla Fudge (“Take Me for a Little While”), producing B.B. King’s 1990 live album Live at San Quentin, creating and producing jingles for brands like Pepsi Cola, and contributing to film scores and acting roles in movies like It’s My Party (1996).

 

In October 1962, early in his career, he did find some time to record and release his own song that made it to the 28th position on the Billboard Hot 100. Considered by many to be a lost treasure, we have played this song from time to time here on Treasure Island Oldies. The song had an unusual title – “That Stranger Used To Be My Girl.” And the artist has somewhat of an unusual name – Trade Martin.

Still active into the 2020s, Martin releases music via his Innovation Digital of America label, distributed by Universal Music Group, and performs for charities supporting veterans and sick children.

On February 3, 2009, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of “The Day The Music Died,” Martin, sounding a little bit like Bruce Springsteen, released a single titled “A Tribute To Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, And the Big Bopper,” highlighting their lasting impact. And it’s this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.

YouTube listing of the  song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOJiXXvNZR8

This “Moments In Time” story is yet another example of a “golden oldie” or forgotten favorite that earned its place in the evolution of Rock & Roll.