To remember the deaths of rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 3rd 1959. It was 56 years today that was the day that music died.

From wiki:

The Day the Music Died, dubbed so by a lyric in the Don McLean song "American Pie", is a reference to the deaths of rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 3, 1959. Pilot Roger Peterson was also killed.

After terminating his partnership with the Crickets, Holly assembled a new band consisting of Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch, to play on the '"Winter Dance Party" tour. The tour also featured rising artists Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, who were promoting their own recordings as well. The tour was to cover 24 Midwestern cities in three weeks.

The distance between venues and the conditions prevalent aboard the poorly equipped tour buses adversely affected the performers. Cases of flu spread among the band members, and Bunch was hospitalized due to frostbite. Frustrated by the conditions, Holly decided to charter a plane when they stopped for their performance in the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, to reach their next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota. Carroll Anderson, owner of the Surf Ballroom, chartered the plane from the Dwyer Flying Service. Richardson, who was affected by the flu, swapped places with Waylon Jennings, taking the latter's place on the plane, while Tommy Allsup lost his place to Ritchie Valens on a coin toss. Dion DiMucci (of Dion and the Belmonts fame) decided not to board the plane for the $36 fee (equivalent to $291 in 2015).

The investigation of the accident determined that soon after take off, a combination of poor weather conditions and pilot error caused spatial disorientation that made pilot Roger Peterson lose control of the plane. Hubert Dwyer, owner of the flight service company, could not establish radio contact and reported the aircraft missing the next morning. He took off in his own Cessna 180 and spotted the wreckage less than six miles (9.7 km) northwest of the originating airport in a cornfield. He notified the authorities who dispatched Deputy Bill McGill, who drove to the wreck site and found the bodies of the passengers and pilot. They were later identified by Carroll Anderson.

Bye Bye Miss American Pie....


ooh I just found my FB status update for midnight!  :D

I think I might have mentioned this if all 3 of them could've taken a cab instead, Would they have got stuck in the snow? ???

And according to Google maps the distance would be 5 hours and 31 minutes.

I think I might have mentioned this if all 3 of them could've taken a cab instead, Would they have got stuck in the snow? ???

And according to Google maps the distance would be 5 hours and 31 minutes.
It was Buddy Holly's decision to fly by plane for he did state the he did not want to suffer from frostbite.

It was Buddy Holly's decision to fly by plane for he did state the he did not want to suffer from frostbite.


Wasn't he wearing gloves or mittens? ???

Wasn't he wearing gloves or mittens? ???
At the moment, we will never know.

What were they going to in Moorhead,Minnesota? ???

According to a website, the temperature was 18 degrees with snow.


wind chill would be well below 0 enough to cause frostbite and loss of extremities.

What were they going to in Morrissey,Missouri? ???
Their next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota.

It was Buddy Holly's decision to fly by plane for he did state the he did not want to suffer from frostbite.


too bad hand warmers weren't invented at that time.

Their next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota.


Was it a concert sort of like a reunion special? ???

If I could've gone back in time and tell all three of them to let's stay in a hotel until the storm lets up.

If I could've gone back in time and tell all three of them to let's stay in a hotel until the storm lets up.
That is impossible Howard!

That is impossible Howard!


It was snowing hard and maybe someone could've called a person that's in charge of the venue saying that it's snowing hard we cannot make it and we will have to cancel it for some other time. Why take a chance when a few of the guys were sick with flu and pneumonia with a fever? You get what I'm saying Phil? ???

It was snowing hard and maybe someone could've called a person that's in charge of the venue saying that it's snowing hard we cannot make it and we will have to cancel it for some other time. Why take a chance when a few of the guys were sick with flu and pneumonia with a fever? You get what I'm saying Phil? ???



Because the show must go on.....

I always wondered how Waylon Jennings & Tommy Allsup felt. They must have had survivor's guilt all their lives.



Cat

I always wondered how Waylon Jennings & Tommy Allsup felt. They must have had survivor's guilt all their lives.


Can't say for Tommy, but Wayne did voice those very feelings...

Of course, the event did eventually lead to the rise of Bobby Vee, whose band filled in for Buddy at the fateful venue...

Because the show must go on.....


I know the show must go on but how can you have a few of your band guys get sick, maybe cancel it for another time? I'm just saying. They could've done in the summertime. I know I wasn't there but I was just looking at the situation from my view.

Can't say for Tommy, but Wayne did voice those very feelings...


Didn't he hate one of the members?

I always wondered how Waylon Jennings & Tommy Allsup felt. They must have had survivor's guilt all their lives.



Cat
but they did lose the draw.

Would the situation still be the same if it had rained instead of a snowstorm? ???

Would the situation still be the same if it had rained instead of a snowstorm? ???
For it to be the weather or temperature would be higher than minus zero, and planes can fly easily through rain. Thunderstorms is another matter. So, on that basis, yes the situation would be different.

For it to be the weather or temperature would be higher than minus zero, and planes can fly easily through rain. Thunderstorms is another matter. So, on that basis, yes the situation would be different.


I would imagine that most of them would catch pneumonia?

but they did lose the draw.



Yeah, they did but I'm sure they still had some survivor's guilt. I know I would have.



Cat

Let's say there was no storms and all three of them felt great enough to perform for the day with no symptoms in them and the plane flew straight with no problems, what would've been the outcome on February 4th? ???

Let's say there was no storms and all three of them felt great enough to perform for the day with no symptoms in them and the plane flew straight with no problems, what would've been the outcome on February 4th? ???
I think it is right not to assume anything in this topic, for the events took place over 50 years and cannot be changed.

I think it is right not to assume anything in this topic, for the events took place over 50 years and cannot be changed.


Sorry for assuming, It was just a thought.