Her name was Peggy Sue Gerron Rackham, but you probably just know her as “Peggy Sue” in Buddy Holly’s hit song.
Sadly, Gerron passed away at the age of 78 on Monday.
The song was originally meant for Holly’s niece Cindy Lou, but drummer Jerry Allison had a different idea. Allison wanted to change the title to “Peggy Sue” in order to impress his heartthrob. Peggy Sue eventually married Allison.
Gerron went on to write an autobiography called “Whatever Happened to Peggy Sue?: A Memoir by Buddy Holly’s Peggy Sue” about her cherished years with best friend Holly.
Source: http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20181001/peggy-sue-gerron-inspiration-for-buddy-holly-song-dies-in-lubbock