51 years ago today was “the day the music died.” On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa killed three American musicians: Buddy Holly Ritchie Valens and”The Big Bopper”, J. P. Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson.
The Big Bopper had developed a case of the flu during the tour and asked one of Holly’s bandmates, Waylon Jennings for his seat on the plane; Jennings agreed to give up the seat. When Holly learned that Jennings wasn’t going to fly, he said, “Well, I hope your ol’ bus freezes up.” Jennings responded, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes.”
This exchange of words, made in jest, haunted Jennings for the rest of his life.
Dion DiMucci (of Dion & The Belmonts), who was the fourth headline performer on the tour, was approached to join the flight as well; however, Dion had heard his parents argue for years over the $36 rent for their apartment and could not bring himself to pay an entire month’s rent for a short plane ride.
