The Day the Music Died

A Tragedy in American Music

On a dark and frigid night along a runway that runs through farmland in Clear Lake, Iowa, a group of men gather by a waiting airplane. Silence and the pinpoint lights of snow stretch out in every direction, matching the endless expanse of cornfields. The men, most of whom are musicians who have just played a concert at a high school, walk slowly to the airplane, exhausted by that night's concert along with their travel for the tour. Only a few moments later, the plane sputters from the air, crashing into a nearby field and killing everyone on board. 

Hours later police, members of the press, family, and fans gather at the site, shocked and saddened by the news. Years later a song is written about the crash, and that song stirs the hearts of many listeners, rekindling their memories of the crash. Generations later, movies are made about the musicians and their shortened lives, leaving many to wonder what could have been. 

Just who were these men? Why was their loss felt so deeply by so many Americans?

So Much Talent Gathered in one Place

The group of men were in the midst of their "Winter Dance Party Tour," and were playing concerts at high schools and dance halls throughout the mid-west of the U.S. They were scheduled to fly from Clear Lake to Moorhead, Minnesota. The three musicians on board were Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Some members of Holly's band were originally scheduled to be on the plane, which could only seat three passengers. 

One of those band members was Waylon Jennings, who became a famous country musician in his own right. Richardson, however, convinced Jennings to give up his seat on the plane, since Richardson was sick with the flu at the time. When Holly learned that his friend Jennings would not be on the flight, he told him "I hope your 'ol bus freezes up." Jennings responded with "I hope your plane crashes." Valens, meanwhile, is said to have won a coin toss with another of Holly's band members to see who would take the final seat on the plane.

Of the musicians who were on the plane that night, the most famous was Buddy Holly. Holly, who was only 22 years old, had been born in Lubbock, Texas. He grew up listening to country music but had become a fan of rock and roll after he opened for various rock musicians, including Elvis Presley. Some of Holly's most popular songs were "Peggy Sue" and "Oh Boy!" He and his band had a regular television show and they toured internationally.

While not as famous, Ritchie Valens, whose real name was Ritchie Valenzuela had already written a number of radio hits such as "Donna" and "La Bamba." Valens was by far the youngest person on board that night at only 17 years old.

The third musician who died that night was J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson, who was 28. The Big Bopper had started out as a radio disc jockey and had started writing his own songs. He scored a hit with the song "Chantilly Lace" and he played his concerts with the same fun and free-wheeling style that matched his radio personality.

Cultural Relevance of the Day the Music Died

The victims of the crash, especially Holly and Valens, were up and coming musicians and many of their fans were excited by how they were helping to change rock and roll. The fact that they were all together on the plane left a void in the rock music of the time, and may have changed the course of rock music in the following years. 

In 1972, singer Don McLean released a song called "American Pie." This song refers to the tragedy of that night in 1958 and became a #1 song in the U.S. The tragedy itself became known as the Day the Music Died.

Day the Music Died Fun Facts

• In 2001, Ritchie Valens was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• A movie, "La Bamba" was made about Valens life in 1987.
• The rock band Weezer recorded their hit song "Buddy Holly" in 1994.
• Buddy Holly wrote most of his songs, some of which were recorded by Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney.
• The Big Bopper wrote the song "Running Bear" which was later recorded by singer Johnny Preston.

{{Brett}}
Founder of LingoMetro, Brett lives in Seattle with his wife and his cat, Tippee.