How Should Musicians Handle Rejection and Failure Like Buddy Holly Did?

Every musician gets told no. I got told no plenty of times before we had any success. You have to understand something fundamental: rejection of your work is not rejection of you as a person. That took me a while to learn, but once I got it, everything changed.

I was rejected by labels. I recorded songs that went nowhere. I played shows where barely anybody showed up. I tried musical directions that didn't work. Early on, some people thought my voice wasn't good enough, or my sound was too different, or I wasn't the right look for a star. That stuff stings, I won't lie to you.

But here's what I learned: every single person who ever did anything worth doing got rejected. Chuck Berry got rejected. Elvis got rejected. If you're trying to do something original, of course some people won't get it. That's actually a good sign. It means you're not copying anybody.

The key is not to take it personally. A record label saying no to your song doesn't mean you're not talented. A crowd that doesn't respond doesn't mean your music is worthless. Sometimes it's timing. Sometimes it's the wrong audience. Sometimes you're just not ready yet, and that's okay. Growth comes from those failures.

What you do with rejection matters. You can either quit, or you can ask yourself what you can learn. That's what I did. When a song didn't work, I'd ask why. When a show went poorly, I'd think about what we could do better next time. I'd listen to my heroes and figure out what made their music work. I'd practice more. I'd try new things.

You also need people around you who believe in you when you don't believe in yourself. That's what the Crickets meant to me. When one of us was down, the others lifted us up. Don't try to do this alone.

And remember: failure is temporary. Success is temporary too. What matters is what you do with both of them. Stay curious. Stay hungry. Keep trying.