Don't get me wrong, I really like Buddy Holly, but the facts don't support the hype. His first record charted in august of 1957, which makes him far removed from "the birth of rock and roll".
His first three records made it to the top ten ( a huge accomplishment), but then he faded fast (three of his next seven records didn't even make the top 40, and none charted higher than 17).
As for his influence...the Beatles only covered Buddy twice ("words of love" and "crying waiting hoping")....this puts him FAR down the list of artists they covered. I don't hear a lot of Buddy Holly influence on the Beatles recordings (or Rolling Stones, or any one else for that matter).
I don't completely understand why. True, Buddy wasn't a great guitarist or vocalist, but his songs are way better than most of the songs written by recording artists of the era. I listen to Buddy's records and I hear at least five songs that I think should have topped the charts.
Still, facts are facts, and as much as we like Buddy, take away his untimely death, and we're not talking about him.