Niki M. Sullivan (June 23, 1937 – April 6, 2004) was an American rock and roll guitar player, born in South Gate, California. He was one of the three original members of Buddy Holly's backing band, The Crickets. Though he lost interest within a year or two of his involvement, his guitar playing was an integral part of Holly's early success. He performed on 27 of the 32 songs Holly recorded over his brief career. He also co-wrote a number of his own songs. In 2012, Sullivan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Crickets by a special committee, aimed at correcting the mistake of not including the Crickets with Buddy Holly when he was first inducted in 1986.