Buddy Wayne Knox (July 20, 1933 - February 14, 1999) was an American singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 rockabilly hit song, "Party Doll".
Knox was born in the tiny farming community of Happy, Texas, and learned to play the guitar in his youth. In his teens, he and some high school friends formed a band called the "Rhythm Orchids". After they performed on the same 1956 radio show as fellow Texan Roy Orbison and his "Teen Kings" band, Orbison suggested that Knox go to record producer Norman Petty, who had a recording studio in Clovis, New Mexico, the same studio where Buddy Holly recorded several of his early hits, including "That'll Be the Day". 
Knox recorded "Party Doll". "Party Doll" was released on the Roulette record label and went to No.1 on the Cash Box record chart in 1957 (after being picked from the tiny Triple-D label). It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the
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RIAA. This success was followed by "Rock Your Little Baby To Sleep", a No.17 hit, and "Hula Love", a No.9 hit. While he never achieved the same level of artistic success as Holly or Orbison, Knox outlived both and enjoyed a long career in music. For his pioneering contribution, Knox was elected to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. "Party Doll" was voted one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Buddy was in the army and stationed with Elvis so the two had become good friends. When Buddy would be in California recording for Liberty records in the early 60’s he would call Elvis
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and would always be invited to visit him at his home. Buddy released several more mainstream pop records, featuring string arrangements and backing vocalists. "Lovey Dovey" and "Ling-Ting-Tong" were the most notable recordings from this era. The sound captured on these recordings was a distinct departure from his earlier rockabilly work for Roulette. Liberty and principal record producer Snuff Garrett successfully employed the same production techniques for their other mainstream pop artists of the time, which included Johnny Burnette and Bobby Vee.
Several singles recorded by Knox between 1968 and 1974 were notable for his experimenting with a variety of sounds and styles and, from a creative and critical standpoint, may have been his most productive era. His version of Delaney Bramlett's "God Knows I Love You", along with his self-penned "Salt Lake City", placed Knox firmly in the midst of the new pop music genre, being populated by artists such as Delaney & Bonnie, Eric Clapton, and others who were on the leading edge of the developing Southern rock style.
Throughout the 1970s, '80s, and early '90s he was based out of Manitoba, Canada and toured primarily in Western Canada and upper Mid-West US with occasional European appearances. In 1981, he starred in an independent Canadian movie "Sweet Country Road".
He said the fame took a toll on his family life. Travelling 250 days a year for 35 years, he was voted "the most travelling entertainer in the world" by Billboard magazine, but he said it cost three marriages for him.In 1992, he divorced and moved to British Columbia and was involved in several business ventures including a partnership in a local British Columbia nightclub.
Moving to Port Orchard, WA in 1997 to be with his fiancée, he experienced a fall and injured his hip. The doctor informed Buddy (who was a long-time smoker) at that time that he had terminal lung cancer. Knox scheduled a farewell show but died just a few weeks later on February 14, 1999, in Bremerton, Washington. He is interred in Dreamland Cemetery, in Canyon, Texas. (Edited from Wikipedia)