AJ Jenks

Buddy Holly tragically passed away 64 years ago yet his story and music live on, to date over 22 million people have flocked to see The Buddy Holly Story and it’s popularity continues. Not many people can boast playing Elvis and Buddy Holly on stage, we caught up with AJ ahead of The Buddy Holly Story arriving at The Grand Opera House on 15th August.

Thanks for taking the time to chat AJ, thought we could play a game of would you rather to break the ice, quick fire questions, one word answers , unless you feel the need to elaborate lol

Party Island or Deserted Island? Deserted island

Hands or feet? hands

Cook in or Eat Out? Eat out

Summer or Winter? winter

Sing or Act? act

Chocolate or Crisps? crisps

Boxers or Briefs? ummmm?

Weights or Cardio? weights

Book or movie? movie

Elvis or Buddy Holly? buddy

One thing you can’t leave the house without?

My boxers

That was fun, thanks lol

Sorry, I haven’t even asked how you’re doing :) I’m doing great thanks.

Before we chat about the show I wanted to backtrack a little, tell us about your upbringing, family life and where your love of theatre came from?

I was born in Birmingham and grew up there for a while and then spent my teenage years in Cornwall. My love of theatre came from actually watching the show buddy as a kid.

So many of our audience are into the arts, you did your training and graduated from Mountview, can you tell us how the whole experience was for you?

I don’t think I’ve got long enough to tell you haha, but it was fantastic. I trained in acting and music so we had to learn instruments as well as everything else. But i loved it.

Do you think formal training and qualifications are as important now in this ever changing digital age as they have been historically , we ask as people can literally become famous overnight with Tiktok

Sometimes yes sometimes no, the main thing is if you’re a true entertainer or not.

If MT didn’t pan out, was there a plan B career you would have pursued? I never class myself as an mt really always an AM, but i was always very interested in music. So maybe just a musician or a music producer

What’s the big dream or dream role you would love to play?

Buddy was always my biggest dream!

I have to ask about your other half Joanne Clifton who most people will know from Strictly, she is so lovely. We featured Joanne in the past when she was in Flash Dance and Rocky Horror, my question being so committed to your craft and touring, how do you get time to spend with each other?

We find as much time as we can to see each other, the main thing is, is that were both working and happy!

You will be over in Belfast in a couple of weeks, are you familiar with the city ? and apart from the show will you get much free time to explore and have a compulsory pint of the black stuff (Guiness) ?

Now we’re talking! I really love Belfast! I was there last year with Saturday night fever and it was a blast i had such a good time! And yes I visited a lot of pubs last time and will be planning to this time! I’ll be trying many pints of Guinness

Right on to the show, its fare to say that everyone of a certain age will know the tragic story of Buddy Holly, is there added pressure playing a character that so many people idolised?

When I first took on the character there was a stupid amount of pressure, playing someone that was real that people have listened to since they were kids, it can really sit on your shoulders. But I didn’t want to just be a tribute, I like to honour the person and do my own version of the character.

Forgive me I haven’t seen the show myself - I am looking forward to watching and reviewing on opening night - what can I and audiences expect - is it a full life story, does it focus on a certain period of his life ?

It’s mainly looking at the 18 months of buddy’s life, watching his rise to fame and fighting that cultural norm of country music bringing in his ‘devils music’ rock and roll, going all the way up to meeting his wife and then ending at the inevitable .

Are all his hits included? And on that note what’s your favourite song either that you or another cast member sings in the show? Oooo it really changes day by day and what the audience love, id have to say right now its a toss up between true love ways and peggy sue

It’s crazy to think that Buddy achieved so much in such a short space of time, what do you think made someone of only 22 years old stand out all those years ago?

It was so many things put together really, he wrote his own music which hardly anyone did back then, also his look even though slight made him such a character, not sexy or anything like that the glasses gave him that individual edge. And then the obvious tragedy of his death and the song ‘the day the music died’ elevated his legend more.

What would say to younger people maybe not familiar with Buddy Holly to attract them to the show?

As I was a teenager myself seeing the show the main thing id say is there’s a full cast playing everything live while acting singing and dancing, it really is a spectacle of a show to watch and it may change your life like it did mine!

Describe the show in 3 words - If you can. Rock and roll

Thanks so much AJ

You can see AJ and the cast of The Buddy Holly Story at Belfast’s Grand Opera House from 15th August, tickets are available via goh.co.uk