Remembering the ‘Day the Music Died’

Over the years there has been a number of musicians who have had their lives cut short as the result of a plane crash.  Glen Miller, Patsy Cline, Jim Croce, Ricky Nelson, and John Denver are among them.

But perhaps the most famous plane crash happened in 1959 and became known as “The Day the Music Died” – cutting short the careers and lives of Buddy Holley, The Big Bopper – JP Richardson – and a teenaged Richie Valens.

Buddy Holly publicity picture for Brunswick Records

In early 1959 Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, JP Richardson, Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, Frankie Sardo, Carl Bunch, and Dion DiMucci were touring around the American Mid-West for their Winter Dance Party tour.

Photo of J. P. Richardson, better known as en:The Big Bopper.

A poorly conceived plan and illogically laid out, the tour was scheduled for 24 stops in 24 days; crossing back an forth the country.  During a brutal winter season, the heater in the bus broke down just a week into the tour; leaving musicians sick and hospitalized with frostbite.

Ritchie Valens in a press photo dated to 1959.

Tired of the whole affair, Buddy Holley chartered a small plane on February 2 from Dwyer Flying Service at Mason City Municipal Airport Clear Lake, Iowa to their next gig in Moorhead, Minnesota.  Holly chartered the 1947 V-tailed Beechcraft 35 Bonanza for $36 per person with 21-year-old Roger Peterson as the pilot.

Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup were originally scheduled to join Holly in the plane.  But when Richardson stuck his head in the door of the plane, Jennings gave up his seat to the ailing singer.  The young Valens had never been in a plane before and Allsup flipped a coin with Valens to see who would get to fly in the plane – Allsup lost and Valens took the seat.

In the early morning hours of February 3; Holly, Valens, and Richardson arrived at the airport and with Peterson at the controls, the plane took off at around 12:55am local (central) time with owner Jerry Dwyer looking on. But only three minutes later as he watched the plane’s tail lights vanished from sight.  Dwyer’s attempts at contacting Peterson on the radio were unsuccessful.

At dawn, Dwyer took a plane to search for the Beechcraft and found it in a cornfield just six miles from the airport.  The debris field was scattered some 500 feet across the field.

The plane hit the ground with the right wingtip hitting first at 170mph; sending the plane cartwheeling.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (pre-NTSB) launched an investigation and determined pilot error was the cause of the crash.  The report stated that “pilot disorientation due to inclement weather” was the cause.  Peterson had over 700 hours of flying time but had failed his most recent IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) exam and was not qualified to fly under IMC – Inclement Meteorological Conditions.

At the time Peterson took off, conditions were VFR (Visual Flight Rules) but deteriorating and at night.  The report also stated that the weather briefer failed to advise Peterson of the deteriorating conditions which contributed to the cause of the crash.

The tour continued on for another two weeks with Waylon Jennings taking the lead spot.  Jokingly as he left the plane, Jennings told Holly that he hoped the plane crashed. Those words would go on to haunt Jennings.

Buddy Holly’s bride Maria Elena was pregnant and lost he baby after hearing of her husband’s death on the radio.

Dwyer was also haunted by the crash and later established a scholarship for music students.

Over the years a number of conspiracy theories has popped up but were later investigated and debunked.

Charles “Buddy” Holley was 22 at the time of his death.  JP “Big Bopper” Richarson was 28, and Richard Steven Valenzuela (Ritchie Valens) was just 17.

Tommy Allsup died at the age of 85 in 2017.

Waylon Jennings died in 2002 at the age of 64.

Dwyer Flight Service owner Jerry Dwyer died at the age of 85 in 2016

In 1971, Don McLean immortalized the day with his song “American Pie”.

In memory of the final concert for Holly, Valens, and Richardson at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa; a concert is held each year on the anniversary of that show.

Feature photo credit: Photo of the aviation accident known as “The Day the Music Died“, that occurred on February 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa, where rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson perished. The photo was taken by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in the course of their investigation of the crash. The CAB is the precursor to today’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and was a part of the Department of Transportation.