February 3, 1959
On a winter’s night, rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed when their chartered plane crashed in Iowa shortly after takeoff on a flight from Mason City to Moorehead, Minnesota. During the Winter Dance Party Tour, Holly had arranged for his band to fly between shows. Richardson, who had a cold, convinced Waylon Jennings, Holly’s band member, to give up his seat, and Ritchie Valens had won a coin toss for another spot on the doomed plane. The rock ‘n’ roll world was forever changed when these three young and talented musicians lost their lives. Buddy Holly was just 22, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, 28, and Ritchie Valens, only 17. Between them they had already garnered two No.1 songs and two other top 40 hits. Thanks to Don McLean’s No. 1 hit “American Pie” (1972) this day will forever be known as “the day the music died” to music fans everywhere.