"The Day the Music Died"

A Beechcraft Bonanza

February 3rd is sometimes called "the day the music died" because on this day in 1959, the plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper crashed killing all aboard. At that time, Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch made up Holly's band. They, along with Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (the Big Bopper), had been playing on the Winter Dance Party tour across the Midwest. Their plane went down over Iowa.

Because their tour buses were so cold and uncomfortable, Holly decided to charter a plane this time to get to their next performance in Minnesota. Richardson had the flu and swapped places with Jennings. Allsup lost his seat to Valens with a coin toss. After a late-night take-off in wintry conditions, the pilot lost control of the Beechcraft Bonanza and went down in a cornfield, leaving no survivors.

Buddy Holly's wife, Maria Elena, first heard the news on television. She became a widow after being married only six months. She was pregnant at the time but later miscarried due to the trauma. She wasn't able to attend the funeral and has never visited the cemetery. This situation prompted the policy not to release the names of victims until the family could be properly notified.

J.P. (Jiles Perry) Richardson, Jr. was usually called the "Big Bopper." He had been born in Texas where his father worked in the oil fields. Richardson was first a disc jockey and songwriter. He wrote "White Lightning" for George Jones. Richardson's own rockabilly style and enthusiastic personality eventually made him an early rock and roll star. His most famous hit came in 1958 with "Chantilly Lace."

Richie Valens was born in Los Angles, California, of Mexican descent. His career as a sought-after musician had lasted for only eight months. His biggest hit was "La Bamba." Others included "Donna" and "Come on Let's Go," which he sang on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. He was eighteen when he died and just beginning a promising career. They all three would be missed.

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