Buddy Holly recorded the vocal, accompanying himself on guitar, on December 8, 1958, in apartment 4H of "The Brevoort" on New York City's
Fifth Avenue. Record producer Jack Hansen prepared Holly's solo recording for commercial release. The
Ray Charles Singers recorded backup vocals, and studio musicians recorded an instrumental arrangement on June 30, 1959, at
Coral Records' Studio A in New York. In 1964, Holly's former producer
Norman Petty recorded an alternate version of the song, with new instrumentals (by
The Fireballs) but without backup singers. The studio recording sessions and overdubs for "Peggy Sue Got Married" were similar to those for the posthumous track "
Crying, Waiting, Hoping". Buddy Holly's original, undubbed home recording was used as theme music in the film
Peggy Sue Got Married. The
Coral Records single reached number 13 on the official UK singles chart, Record Retailers (RR), in 1959 in a 10 week chart run. The song chronicled "Peggy Sue" name inspiration Peggy Sue Gerron's marriage to Crickets drummer, and Holly friend, Jerry Allison which took place in 1958. ==The Crickets version==