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The Day The Music Died
Posted on 2/3/23 at 7:27 am
Posted on 2/3/23 at 7:27 am
64 years ago, on February 3, 1959, music lost the three incredible artists Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Big Bopper after their plane crashed.
That day remains known as "the day that the music died".
That day remains known as "the day that the music died".
2
Posted on 2/3/23 at 8:29 am to MorbidTheClown
Late last year, I went down that rabbit hole and three things absolutely shocked me:
1. When Buddy's bass player gave up his plane seat for The Big Bopper to fly, the bass player felt guilty for about 30 years. That bass player was future outlaw-country star Waylon Jennings.
2. Ritchie Valens was only 17.
3. The Big Bopper was only 28. He looked like he was 40, to me.
Later, I went down a related Don McLean rabbit hole that included American Pie & Vincent.
1. When Buddy's bass player gave up his plane seat for The Big Bopper to fly, the bass player felt guilty for about 30 years. That bass player was future outlaw-country star Waylon Jennings.
2. Ritchie Valens was only 17.
3. The Big Bopper was only 28. He looked like he was 40, to me.
Later, I went down a related Don McLean rabbit hole that included American Pie & Vincent.
This post was edited on 2/3/23 at 8:54 am
Posted on 2/3/23 at 9:04 am to LSUFreek
quote:
1. When Buddy's bass player gave up his plane seat for The Big Bopper to fly, the bass player felt guilty for abou 30 years. That bass player was outlaw-country star Waylon Jennings.
A little background...
The tour bus that was being used for that tour was a hunk of junk. The heater didn't work, or only worked intermittently. The weather in the midwest was insanely cold - when they were in Wisconsin a few days before temps dropped to -30. Waylon said that they had to wear all of their clothes, plus coats, plus wrap up in blankets. Richie Valens, being from southern California, didn't even bring a coat.
The bus had actually frozen up and broken down going from Duluth, Minnesota to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
After the Clear Lake show, upon learning that Waylon had given up his seat to Big Bopper, he and Buddy had this final conversation.
Buddy: "Well, I hope your damned bus freezes up again."
Waylon: "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes."
Posted on 2/3/23 at 9:20 am to PJinAtl
quote:
Buddy: "Well, I hope your damned bus freezes up again."
Waylon: "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes."
That was a crucial part I accidentally left out. Thanks for writing it out for those that may not know why Waylon blamed himself for decades.
quote:
Richie Valens, being from southern California, didn't even bring a coat
I'm sure I'm misremembering, but I thought all three were from Texas, and that being the convenient common denominator for them all touring together. EDIT: yep, I'm wrong. He was from L.A.
This post was edited on 2/3/23 at 9:25 am
Posted on 2/3/23 at 9:45 am to LSUFreek
quote:
hat was a crucial part I accidentally left out. Thanks for writing it out for those that may not know why Waylon blamed himself for decades.
I've always felt bad for Waylon for that. Neither of them could have known, and they were just being friends screwing around with each other. And then the damn thing happens.
A few other tidbits.
Tommy Allsup lost his seat on the plane to Ritchie Valens on the flip of a coin.
The Surf Ballroom still exists in Clear Lake, Iowa, and still hosts concerts.
The location of the plane crash (on private farm land) is marked by a stainless-steel monument that depicts a guitar and a set of three records bearing their names.
The intersection closest to the crash site (and start of a pathway to the site) is marked by a sculpture of Buddy's Wayfarer-style glasses.
Posted on 2/3/23 at 9:56 am to PJinAtl
quote:
The location of the plane crash (on private farm land) is marked by a stainless-steel monument that depicts a guitar and a set of three records bearing their names.
i want to see this before i die.
Posted on 2/3/23 at 10:32 am to LSUFreek
The 'home tapes' Holly made are available now and a must-hear.
He was developing as a songwriter and it is interesting to project him into the next decade - performer, writer, producer.
Would he have adapted to the great changes of the 60s or become a throwback 'oldies' act?
How would American music evolved had he lived? Would the British invasion still of had the overwhelming impact it did?
Lot of 'what ifs.'
A great talent lost far too early.
He was developing as a songwriter and it is interesting to project him into the next decade - performer, writer, producer.
Would he have adapted to the great changes of the 60s or become a throwback 'oldies' act?
How would American music evolved had he lived? Would the British invasion still of had the overwhelming impact it did?
Lot of 'what ifs.'
A great talent lost far too early.
Posted on 2/3/23 at 10:50 am to HodsonTiger13
quote:
Would he have adapted to the great changes of the 60s or become a throwback 'oldies' act?
How would American music evolved had he lived? Would the British invasion still of had the overwhelming impact it did?
I think music would have generally evolved like it did. I think Buddy would have moved more into the rockabilly area. I could see him fitting alongside early George Jones, Roy Orbison, and that group. He was the same age as Roy, and just a few years younger than Jones, Cash, Perkins, Jerry Lee, and Elvis.
Posted on 2/3/23 at 11:29 am to MorbidTheClown
quote:
i want to see this before i die.
Me too. I've always wanted to go to one of the memorial shows too, but never have.
I drove through the McDonalds in Clear Lake once in the 90s and asked the girl where the crash site was and she had no clue. The biggest fricking event in the there town's history and nothing but a blank stare. Unbelievable.
Posted on 2/3/23 at 1:07 pm to HodsonTiger13
quote:
Would he have adapted to the great changes of the 60s or become a throwback 'oldies' act?
He was already making brilliant innovative and groundbreaking music when he died. He would have continued that. The other two, not so much. Buddy reminds me of Brian Wilson and would have had a similar trajectory (without the nervous breakdown).
Posted on 2/3/23 at 1:29 pm to rebelrouser
quote:
The other two, not so much.
Richie Valens was a breakthrough performer as a Mexican singer becoming a mainstream artist in the US. There were a few others but they were few and far between at the time.
ANd you shut your whore mouth over Chantilly Lace.
Posted on 2/3/23 at 3:37 pm to MorbidTheClown
quote:
The Day The Music Died
When this company got involved in all aspects of the industry
..or, I guess I should say what they were formerly known as.
Posted on 2/3/23 at 4:34 pm to HodsonTiger13
quote:The 1960s career of this act gives you an idea of the arc Holly's career might have taken
Would he have adapted to the great changes of the 60s or become a throwback 'oldies' act?
Posted on 2/3/23 at 4:41 pm to rebelrouser
quote:While this is probably true of tBB, who was a DJ having a lark w/a novelty hit, RV is more difficult to generalize about. He was the father of Tex-Mex rock, a harder sound than the Caribbean/Latin influenced doo wop from the East Coast. Trini Lopez, Doug Sahm, Santana et al would follow in his footsteps.
The other two, not so much
"Come On Let's Go" and "La Bamba" are not only great records but historically significant as pioneering Latin-Rock. RV was only 17 -- who knows what he might have accomplished?
Posted on 2/3/23 at 9:12 pm to Kafka
quote:
this is probably true of tBB, who was a DJ having a lark w/a novelty hit
I'll agree with regard to the Bopper as a recording artist and personality. But JP Richardson may have made a mark as a songwriter.
He wrote White Lightning, which George Jones released less than a week after the plane crash and hit #1 in April of '59.
He also wrote Running Bear, which was recorded in '59 and hit #1 in '60 for Johnny Preston.
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