“The day the music died” happened in February 1959, and was a seminal day in the world of popular music. It was the day that several important and influential musicians in the world of rock and pop music died in a plane crash in Iowa. This is one of the most mourned losses in music history, and is referred to as “The day the music died.” The day achieved more recognition when it was mentioned and referred to in Don McLean’s famous song American Pie.
It’s an event that affected a generation of musicians and caused the world of music to lament the loss of some of the greatest talent of the time. There is a memorial concert held every year at the Surf Ballroom in Iowa to commemorate those who died and the impact they had on music. The event has been mentioned and cited in numerous films and songs and continues to have a major impact on the world on modern popular music. So, let’s look at some of the artists behind this tragedy.
Buddy Holly
By far and away, the most famous and popular of the stars to have died was Buddy Holly. The popular musician was the one who had made the decision to charter a plane, following bad experiences on tour buses, following grueling tour schedules. The 22-year-old had enjoyed a successful career up until that point, releasing 3 successful studio albums. Holly’s death shocked the music world but also increased interest in his work. He has since been cited as one of the major influences for the rock ‘n roll movement of the 1960s, and, specifically influential on artists such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan.
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was another of the musicians traveling on the plane when it crashed and was the youngest at just 17 years old! Valens was a promising artist whose star was on the rise at the time. He had only had a recording career for around eight months at the time of the tragedy but is still considered a pioneer of rock & roll, and, in particular, the Chicano rock movement of the late ‘50s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 for his services to music, and he continues to have a significant influence on modern artists.
J.P. Richardson
Richardson was the oldest of the three artists to have lost their lives, and was the most experienced. He had the perfect look and style of the time, and his voice was one of the finest around. All of this, combined with his unorthodox personality and attitude made him a star of the times. Richardson was nicknamed The Big Bopper on account of his imposing build but he was known to be a friendly man. He had a number of hits in the mid to late 1950s, but, the biggest was his recording of Chantilly Lace in 1958.
This trio of musicians had chartered a plane, a Beechcraft Bonanza, that fateful day, due to being fed up of the freezing conditions on the tour bus. They were touring with the rest of Holly’s band; Tommy Allsup, Waylon Jennings and Carl Bunch. Initially, it was supposed to be Buddy Holly, Allsop and Jennings on board the plane, but Richardson took Jennings place as he had the flu, and Valens won his seat on a coin toss against Allsup. The pilot lost control of the small, light plane soon after takeoff due to the darkness of the hour and the inhospitable wintry weather conditions. The plane ultimately crashed into a cornfield, killing everyone on board. That is what happened the day the music died.
