On February 3rd, 1959, over Clear Lake Iowa, the music world lost Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and of course Richard Valens in an aeronautical accident. Twelve years later, it would spark Don McLean's iconic hit "American Pie". What is your connection to them?
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63 years ago today: The Richie Valens Plane Crash
- Thread starter ZantennaG1
- Start date
I received this press release today from Don's publicist:
DON MCLEAN HONORS "THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED" WITH SOLD-OUT CONCERT AT SURF BALLROOM; ADDS SIX NEW DATES TO NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
February 3, 1959, known as 'The Day The Music Died' monumentalized with sold-out concert in Clear Lake, Iowa
McLean’s American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour to visit the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Clowes Memorial Hall in Indianapolis, Atlanta Symphony Hall, The Town Hall in New York, Denver’s Paramount Theater, and many many more!
CLEAR LAKE, Iowa. – On February 3, 1959, a chartered aircraft crashed in Mason City, Iowa just minutes after takeoff claiming the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson – “The Big Bopper” – and the pilot, Roger Peterson.
The fateful day was coined “The Day The Music Died” by Don McLean in his hit “American Pie.” The song was released in 1971 and spent four weeks at No. 1 in 1972. In 2001, thirty years later, the Recording Industry of America named it the fifth greatest song of the 20th century.
“Buddy Holly was only 22 years old when he died on February 3, 1959. By that time he had recorded something like 60 sides and every one of them was a hit song and most were hit records. Even the Beatles can not compare to the magnitude of this contribution. The music he made, he invented himself with very little help from others,” said Don McLean.
Tonight, the Grammy-winning, Songwriters Hall of Fame Member McLean honors their memory with a sold-out concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.
His international 50th Anniversary “American Pie” World Tour which will visit multiple destinations in N. America, UK/Europe, and Australia, kicked off in Hawaii on January 28th and another six shows have been just added to the tour:
April 23, 2022 – Brattleboro, VT – Latchis Theatre
April 24, 2022 – Laconia, NH – Colonial Theatre
May 21, 2022 – Hot Springs, AR – Oaklawn Event Center
June 10, 2022 – Morgantown, WV – Ruby Amphitheater
July 1, 2022 – Beverly Hills, CA – Saban Theatre
July 2, 2022 – Saratoga, CA – Mountain Winery
For a complete list of tour dates, visit donmclean.com!
DON MCLEAN HONORS "THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED" WITH SOLD-OUT CONCERT AT SURF BALLROOM; ADDS SIX NEW DATES TO NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
February 3, 1959, known as 'The Day The Music Died' monumentalized with sold-out concert in Clear Lake, Iowa
McLean’s American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour to visit the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Clowes Memorial Hall in Indianapolis, Atlanta Symphony Hall, The Town Hall in New York, Denver’s Paramount Theater, and many many more!
CLEAR LAKE, Iowa. – On February 3, 1959, a chartered aircraft crashed in Mason City, Iowa just minutes after takeoff claiming the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson – “The Big Bopper” – and the pilot, Roger Peterson.
The fateful day was coined “The Day The Music Died” by Don McLean in his hit “American Pie.” The song was released in 1971 and spent four weeks at No. 1 in 1972. In 2001, thirty years later, the Recording Industry of America named it the fifth greatest song of the 20th century.
“Buddy Holly was only 22 years old when he died on February 3, 1959. By that time he had recorded something like 60 sides and every one of them was a hit song and most were hit records. Even the Beatles can not compare to the magnitude of this contribution. The music he made, he invented himself with very little help from others,” said Don McLean.
Tonight, the Grammy-winning, Songwriters Hall of Fame Member McLean honors their memory with a sold-out concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.
His international 50th Anniversary “American Pie” World Tour which will visit multiple destinations in N. America, UK/Europe, and Australia, kicked off in Hawaii on January 28th and another six shows have been just added to the tour:
April 23, 2022 – Brattleboro, VT – Latchis Theatre
April 24, 2022 – Laconia, NH – Colonial Theatre
May 21, 2022 – Hot Springs, AR – Oaklawn Event Center
June 10, 2022 – Morgantown, WV – Ruby Amphitheater
July 1, 2022 – Beverly Hills, CA – Saban Theatre
July 2, 2022 – Saratoga, CA – Mountain Winery
For a complete list of tour dates, visit donmclean.com!
That one sentence hits different than anything else. Ouch indeed.
Consider how much he had accomplished by age 22. If he was still alive, he'd be 85.
We remember days like that forever. I was "subbing" for the paper boy who delivered the Cleveland Plain Dealer in my neighborhood and was up before 5 AM. I had a transistor radio with an earpiece and was listening as I walked in the snow and heard WHK's overnight jock breaking the news and playing "Rave On" and other songs.
One of the paper subscribers was the manager of WERE, the other Top 40 station at the time. All the lights were on there, and I guess that he had been called by the station and they were deciding on how to cover the tragedy.
I got back home and took out my Buddy Holly 45s and albums... I had them all. I played them over and over until it was time to go to school.
The Music Died.
Some may not know that Buddy Holly's bass player was Waylon Jennings. He was supposed to be on that plane, but Richie Valens got the seat instead:
finance.yahoo.com
'Why would he die and not me?' Waylon Jennings' life-changing choice on ‘The Day the Music Died’
Waylon Jennings gave up his seat on the plane that crashed and killed Buddy Holly, a decision that haunted the country legend for years.
An epic 10-year search for Midwest fans who saw Buddy Holly's final tour
Sevan Garabedian of Montreal, Canada, has been on a relentless quest for vintage Buddy Holly fans and photos.
www.desmoinesregister.com
What to know about ‘the day the music died’ and Buddy Holly's plane crash in Iowa
What happened to Buddy Holly on "the day the music died"? Here's a look at the Clear Lake, Iowa, plane crash that changed rock 'n' roll forever.
Highly recommend reading this one:
www.startribune.com
Buddy Holly: The tour from hell
The story of the long, cold nights on the road before the Day the Music Died, 50 years ago.
www.startribune.com
Sadly we'll never know how many more hits he may have given us.
I heard when I was home from school for lunch. As you said we never forget where we were when events of that magnitude happen.
I don't want to burst anyone's bubble but Buddy Holly simply wasn't all that popular during his lifetime in America! On the other hand, he was a huge star in Britain! Holly's songs on the Hot 100: That'll Be the Day #1, Peggy Sue/Everyday #3, Oh Boy/Not Fade Away #10, Maybe Baby #17 and the posthumous It Doesn't Matter Anymore #13. All of his top ten songs were limited to 1957 and his career seemed to be winding down. I didn't list anything outside of the top 20 because they weren't hits. Ask David. By comparison, in the UK, He hit the top 20 eight times during his lifetime and It Doesn't Matter Anymore topped the chart! In addition, he had a #3 and #4 song in 1963, four full years after he died! I believe there were enough teenagers in 1959 to keep his legacy alive for a few years and when the Beatles and others arrived from England touting his influence, his songs became better known and the legend was truly born.
By the way, I've never ever heard this referred to as the Richie Valens Plane Crash!
So he wasn't fully appreciated during his lifetime. Does that come as any surprise to anyone? I also believe that it is a bit harsh to say that his career was "winding down" at the age of 21. Who is to say that he couldn't have staged a comeback? Maybe that was what he was attempting to do. I am 58, so I wasn't around in 1959; therefore, I don't really know. But I believe that he had already laid a legacy. Although I know most Buddy Holly songs through cover versions by the Beatles, Linda Ronstadt, and others.
I, too, don't ever recall it being referred to as Ritchie Valens' plane crash. Not even the movie La Bamba could change that legacy.
Holly sure had a big effect on the Beatles. Valens song "Donna" did peak on the charts after the crash, but that was about it for his songs.
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