Simviation Forums

1959 - Feb 3



Rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff on a flight from Mason City to Moorehead, Minnesota.

[size=0]According to the History Channel's site.[/size]

I can still remember my shock & disbelief when I read about this on the front page of the newspaper. Buddy Holly was one of my heroes. He was more famous in Britain than at home in those days.

Soooo bye bye, Miss American pie
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
And good 'ol boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye,
Singin' this'll be the day that I dieeeee..

Many no doubt know the story, but it's kind of eerie... Waylons and Jessup, miserable in the cold bus that night, would later discover they'd had it much better than the three who took that fateful flight. Legend has it that there was a coin-toss involved in deciding who would get to fly; probably not true, but it was just a matter of chance, for sure.
This is lifted from here:

http://www.history-of-rock.com/ritchie_valens.htm

'On February 2, 1959, the "Winter Dance Party" arrived in Clear Lake Iowa, to play a dance at the Surf Ball Room. the heater on the converted bus that he had been traveling on hadn't been working properly for days while the outside temperatures were near zero. On the way to Clear Lake the bus broke down completely. Buddy Holly who was unhappy with the traveling accommodations arranged to fly to the next stop in a leased airplane. He leased a four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza for himself and the band members, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup. The Big Bopper and Valens talked Jennings and Allsup out of their seats. After the show Holly, Richardson and Valens went to the airport and took off shortly after midnight for Fargo, North Dakota. The plane took off and shortly there after crashed into a pasture a mile from the airport. All aboard were killed. '

Here's a link to the official CAB report on the crash:

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/cab.htm

There are some puzzling facts about the instruments, but the bottom line was: bad wx and a pilot not qualified for flight into IMC. Factor in a thoroughbred like a Bonanza, with a full load...  :-/

I have nothing to add in the subject but a comment which I think is a good thing to have in mind. Music cannot die. Music existed before the first human being voice was heard and will be after the last human's breath. Music always existed in the woods, in the oceans and in the vast ends of universe anong nebulas and stars. We only reproduce music the way we can understand it.

I have nothing to add in the subject but a comment which I think is a good thing to have in mind. Music cannot die. Music existed before the first human being voice was heard and will be after the last human's breath. Music always existed in the woods, in the oceans and in the vast ends of universe anong nebulas and stars. We only reproduce music the way we can understand it.

Good point, and comforting. I never did like Don McLean, or that damn song...

Just one more comment. I find the subject of this thread too much "black-and-white", yet acceptable as driven by inner grieve of a fan. Richie Valens was just a famous musician. I don't say good or bad as I don't accept such features in music as it is subject to each individual's preferences and personality. Popularity is a measurable feature.
Apart from this a lot of musicians died and a lot lived and popularity is not necessarily followed by quality. For example I never liked the Beattles, I never liked Rolling Stones. Does it mean I don't think they are good? No. I just don't like them.