On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly died in a plane crash along with fellow musicians Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper outside Clear Lake, Iowa.
After learning of her husband's death from the television news, she suffered a miscarriage the following day and could not attend Holly's funeral in Lubbock.
In the following years, María Elena Holly married Puerto Rican government official Joe Diaz, with whom she had three children.
As Buddy Holly's widow, she owns the rights to his name, image, trademarks, and other intellectual property.
As a receptionist at Peermusic, Maria Elena is believed to have met musician Buddy Holly in August 1957 when as rising stars he and the Crickets first visited Peer Southern Music in the Brill Building at 1619 Broadway to meet their publishing manager Murray Deutch, who was Maria's boss.
On June 19, 1958, just before recording a cover of the Bobby Darin song "Early in the Morning" in New York's Pythian Temple, Holly asked her out on a date.
'On August 15, 1958, less than two months after their first date, she married Holly at Tabernacle Baptist Church in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas.
[2] Buddy Holly also formed the Maria Music publishing company with which "Stay Close to Me" was filed.
According to Santiago, before she agreed to marry Holly, she insisted he resolve the issues he was having with his manager and producer, Norman Petty, who was in control of the Crickets' finances and allegedly withholding royalty payments.
[4] Santiago told Holly: "I don't want to sit around all the time, waiting for handouts from Norman Petty.
'"[7] In the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly was on tour when he and fellow musicians Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper died in an airplane crash along with pilot Roger Peterson outside Clear Lake, Iowa.
Actress Maria Richwine played Santiago-Holly's role in the 1978 movie The Buddy Holly Story.
[12] The suit also named Joe B. Mauldin and Jerry Allison, Holly's fellow bandmates in the Crickets, and accused them "of unjustified claims to royalty rights for recording sessions they didn't take part in",[12] Norman Petty was alleged to have "conspired with MCA to defraud the Holly heirs.
The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation co-hosts worldwide songwriting retreats with Chris Difford.