I Miss the Days of Good Music
February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, JP Richardson (Chantilly Lace, Running Bear, White Lightning) all died when their private airplane crashed into a snowy field.
All three were on the verge of success and were touring the upper Midwest on the Winter Dance Party tour when they made the decision to skip a bus ride to their next destination and take a plane instead.
They Took Off During A Snowstorm And Went Down Minutes Later
Hollies bass Player at the time was Waylon Jennings who was to be on the plane as well.
But kindhearted Jennings gave his seat to Richardson who had the Flu.
The Official Report Concluded the Pilot, 21-Year-Old Roger Peterson, Was Too Inexperienced to Be Flying in a Snowstorm.
A 13-Year-Old Don McLean Was Heavily Influenced by Buddy Holly and Was Devastated When He Perished
For Don McLean, then a 13-year-old delivering newspapers, losing Holly was life-changing. He recalled:
"On that day, I remember cutting those papers open and seeing that story. And I was in absolute shock because I sort of communed with Buddy Holly. He was my guy.
And the newspaper didn't even mention his name. It said, "Three rock-and-rollers perished in plane crash."
That’s how insignificant that music was to the general population that day."
Years later in 1971, McLean turned his grief into lyrics in the song "American Pie."
Although the song is about much more than Holly and includes references to many events from the 60's, McLean labeling of the event as "the day the music died" was later adopted by the media as the perfect memorial for three stars who lost their lives too early.
Don McLean - American Pie 1971
[media=https://youtu.be/Z4q_MZ7CRvI?si=lDn7n5HRvDR5-33Z]
All three were on the verge of success and were touring the upper Midwest on the Winter Dance Party tour when they made the decision to skip a bus ride to their next destination and take a plane instead.
They Took Off During A Snowstorm And Went Down Minutes Later
Hollies bass Player at the time was Waylon Jennings who was to be on the plane as well.
But kindhearted Jennings gave his seat to Richardson who had the Flu.
The Official Report Concluded the Pilot, 21-Year-Old Roger Peterson, Was Too Inexperienced to Be Flying in a Snowstorm.
A 13-Year-Old Don McLean Was Heavily Influenced by Buddy Holly and Was Devastated When He Perished
For Don McLean, then a 13-year-old delivering newspapers, losing Holly was life-changing. He recalled:
"On that day, I remember cutting those papers open and seeing that story. And I was in absolute shock because I sort of communed with Buddy Holly. He was my guy.
And the newspaper didn't even mention his name. It said, "Three rock-and-rollers perished in plane crash."
That’s how insignificant that music was to the general population that day."
Years later in 1971, McLean turned his grief into lyrics in the song "American Pie."
Although the song is about much more than Holly and includes references to many events from the 60's, McLean labeling of the event as "the day the music died" was later adopted by the media as the perfect memorial for three stars who lost their lives too early.
Don McLean - American Pie 1971
[media=https://youtu.be/Z4q_MZ7CRvI?si=lDn7n5HRvDR5-33Z]
