About Tommy Allsup
Thomas Douglas Allsup (November 24, 1931 – January 11, 2017) was an American country music, rockabilly and Western swing musician. He was an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. With a career spanning over six decades, he most famously worked with entertainers such as Buddy Holly, including playing lead guitar on "It's So Easy!" and "Lonesome Tears", as well as playing with Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. He was originally slated to be on the plane which crashed in 1959, dubbed “The Day The Music Died”, but gave up his seat to Ritchie Valens after losing a coin toss. His guitar playing was featured on several popular American albums from the 1960s and 70s, including “The Gambler” and "Kenny" by Kenny Rogers. In 2000, he along with Floyd Domino, Larry Franklin, Vince Gill & Steve Wariner won the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance for their work on Bob’s Breakdown by Asleep at the Wheel. Allsup was the second youngest among his 12 siblings.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.