Feb 3, 1959:The day the music died

History ^ | Feb 3 | History

[Baynative]

On this day in 1959, rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff from Mason City on a flight headed for Moorehead, Minnesota. Investigators blamed the crash on bad weather and pilot error. Holly and his band, the Crickets, had just scored a No. 1 hit with "That'll Be the Day."

After mechanical difficulties with the tour bus, Holly had chartered a plane for his band to fly between stops on the Winter Dance Party Tour. However, Richardson, who had the flu, convinced Holly's band member Waylon Jennings to give up his seat, and Ritchie Valens won a coin toss for another seat on the plane.

[Baynative]

Holly, born Charles Holley in Lubbock, Texas, and just 22 when he died, began singing country music with high school friends before switching to rock and roll after opening for various performers, including Elvis Presley. By the mid-1950s, Holly and his band had a regular radio show and toured internationally, playing hits like "Peggy Sue," "Oh, Boy!," "Maybe Baby" and "Early in the Morning." Holly wrote all his own songs, many of which were released after his death and influenced such artists as Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney.

Another crash victim, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, 28, started out as a disk jockey in Texas and later began writing songs. Richardson's most famous recording was the rockabilly "Chantilly Lace," which made the Top 10. He developed a stage show based on his radio persona, "The Big Bopper."

The third crash victim was Ritchie Valens, born Richard Valenzuela in a suburb of Los Angeles, who was only 17 when the plane went down but had already scored hits with "Come On, Let's Go," "Donna" and "La Bamba," an upbeat number based on a traditional Mexican wedding song (though Valens barely spoke Spanish). In 1987, Valens' life was portrayed in the movie La Bamba, and the title song, performed by Los Lobos, became a No. 1 hit. Valens was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Singer Don McLean memorialized Holly, Valens and Richardson in the 1972 No. 1 hit "American Pie," which refers to February 3, 1959 as "the day the music died."

[Fiji Hill]

The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor--Big Bopper

[Conservative4Ever]

In Rock and Roll heaven, there must be a hellava band...

rock and roll will never die...

[shove_it]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAsV5-Hv-7U

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

That was a long, long time ago. I can still remember.... (I’m 65.)

[Ramcat]

If you believe in forever
Then life is just a one night stand
If there's a rock & roll heaven
Well, you know they got a hell of a band

[Fiji Hill]

Three Stars--Tommy Dee, with Carol Kay & the Teen-aires (1959)

[Iron Munro]

Thanks for the post.

This was a terrible tragedy and a huge loss.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Buddy Holly was the greatest rock 'n' roller . . . ever. And his music didn't have to have a "parental advisory" on it.

[InterceptPoint]

Actually music didn't die in 1959. Although severely injured it managed to live on into the very early 70's. But at that point there is no doubt that it died.

Although I'm no Rolling Stone (Mag) fan, here is a typical "All Time Greatest Hits" survey. You will see what I mean. Most of the great pop music comes from the 60's.

Rolling Stone Top 40 Greatest Songs of All Time"

[blam]

The ‘Crickets’ didn’t go on this tour with Buddy, so, Waylon and others were hired to fill-in in their absence.

[knarf]

Five years later, I was 16 and my ears just starting to hear 45RPM music ... I learned of Sam Cooke

[morphing libertarian]

The movie with Gary Busey was very well done. Busey did all of the singing himself.

IIRC he was omitted for san Oscar.

This was before he blew his mind out with coke.

I also recommend the Valens portrayal by Lou Diamond Phillips. The portray that Richie had visions of a pane crash. Don’t know how try that part is.

[ZULU]

Rap killed it.

[morphing libertarian]

I love auto text. Busey was NOMINATED FOR AN oscar.

[lowbridge]

According to the accident reports, it was primarily pilot error that caused the crash. The pilot had overestimated his abilities but wasnt qualified to fly under such conditions (nighttime during a snow storm). It required a pilot who was properly trained to fly by his instruments. 9 months earlier the pilot was tested for his certification for that particular thing, but he flunked.

[morphing libertarian]

I heard for the first time today, that in addition to Waylon not being on the flight that Paul Anka’s manager talked him into waiting.

http://oldies.about.com/od/50srockers/p/paulanka.htm

[morphing libertarian]

those of you familiar with Sam Cooke and those who need some edumakashun should check out his album “Live at Harlem Square.”

[ken5050]

Wonderful thread...thanks for posting..

Check out this 1957 video of Buddy Holley and he Crickets on the Arthur Murray Dance Party..listen to the introduction..the adults hadn't really figured out R&R..and also note that this was BEFORE he started wearing the big black glasses that became his trademark..

[Iron Munro]

Little Known Fact

J. P. Richardson, The Big Bopper, and country music super-star George Jones were life long friends.

Richardson wrote the country song “White Lightning” which was first recorded by Jones the week after the airplane crash at Clear Lake.

The song went on to become the first #1 hit for Jones at the start of his long career.