What started out as country and western quickly took on a more rebellious sound: rock 'n' roll. Born into a musical family, he learned piano and fiddle as a boy by the time he finished high school, he'd formed his own band. There were no survivors.įrom a young age, Buddy Holly played music. It was a quick search the wreckage was found just 6 miles from the airport. When the plane did not arrive at its destination in Fargo the following morning, a second plane went to look for the missing aircraft. Almost immediately, attempts to make radio contact were unsuccessful. Pilot Roger Peterson and his high-profile passengers took off at approximately 12:55am on February 3, from Mason City Municipal Airport in snowy conditions. The coin was tossed, and Ritchie Valens won by calling heads. According to Allsup's account, Valens approached him and asked for his seat on the plane. What happened next is unclear, but all agree that coin was tossed to determine who would leave the entourage behind and travel by plane to the next destination.
Buddy told him that 'I hope your damned bus freezes up again.' Waylon replied, 'Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes.' This casual remark haunted Jennings for years." "According to Jennings' memoir, Waylon: An Autobiography, he and Holly joked about the change in travel arrangements. Jennings gave up his seat to The Big Bopper, who was sick with flu-like symptoms. There were two spots available on the plane, which were intended for Holly's band mates Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings.
Drummer Carl Bunch suffered frostbite to his feet while on the tour and was hospitalized both Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper started to come down with likely flu.įed up with the miserable conditions, Buddy Holly decided to charter a plane for his band so that they could warm up and rest before playing the following evening. Rough weather conditions and uninsulated tour buses kept the troupe of musicians freezing cold. Poor planning meant the convoy had to travel hundreds of miles each day before evening performances, and frequently backtracked through areas it had already visited. In the early days of 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, Frankie Sardo and Dion and the Belmonts embarked on a tour of the midwest United States. The Winter Dance Party was to span Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa over the course of 24 days, with Buddy Holly as the lead singer. It has been 63 years since the tragic crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Following the release of Don McLean's most famous song, "American Pie" the crash was forever billed as 'The Day the Music Died.' The crash had a monumental impact on the world of music, fans, and popular culture. Richardson ("The Big Bopper") lost their lives, in addition to the aircraft's pilot, Roger Peterson. On that plane, touring musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. On February 3, 1959, a three-passenger plane went down less than six miles from the airport it had just departed. Richardson "The Big Bopper" (top left), Buddy Holly (top right), Ritchie Valens (bottom left), and pilot Roger Peterson (bottom right). Tommy said ''I'll flip ya for for the remaining seat.'' Valens won the coin toss, and with it a seat on the flight.J.P. Ritchie Valens had never flown in a small plane before, and asked Tommy Allsup for his seat. This would haunt Jennings for the rest of his life. When Holly learned that Jennings wasn't going to fly, he said in jest, ''Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up'' and Jennings responded, also in jest, ''Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes''. Richardson had developed a case of flu during the tour and asked Waylon Jennings for his seat on the plane. The tour bus was not equipped for the weather its heating system broke shortly after the tour began.īy the time Buddy Holly arrived at the Surf Ballroom that Monday evening, he was frustrated with the tour bus and decided to charter a plane. A logistical problem with the tour was the amount of travel, as the distance between venues was not a consideration when scheduling each performance. The Winter Dance Party was a tour that was set to cover 24 Midwestern cities in 3 weeks. There is a large pair of black rimmed glasses marking the trail head on Gull Avenue. The outdoor memorial is located just under 1/2 mile along the fence row in a field north of Clear Lake. In 2009, a second monument was erected on the 50th anniversary of the tragedy honoring their pilot, Roger Peterson. A stainless steel guitar and a set of three stainless steel records marks the exact spot where the plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, & JP ''The Big Bopper'' Richardson came to rest following their final concert at the Surf Ballroom.
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