In 1959 I was a 15-year-old Canadian High School student. Our principal interrupted all morning classes to make a PA announcement of the three deaths. A collective wail was heard throughout the school.
Buddy and Ritchie would have gone on to revolutionize rock n roll even more than they have. I heard someone say one time âBuddy Holly is everywhere in music. Every time a kid plugs a Fender into an amp, heâs thereâ.
I was in my early teens the day the music died and I remember it well. I blubbered like a little girl and still get misty-eyed when reminded of it, like in this video. Several years ago I traveled to the crash site at took a ton of pictures which are posted on my web site. The Surf was closed when I arrived but the girl who worked there graciously opened it up for me and gave me the run of the place to look around and photograph. It is a visit I will never forget and I am grateful to her for her hospitality. Kids today have no idea. The 50's were such a great time to be a kid in America. Living during the dawn of Rock n Roll..... such a wonderful time to be alive. America is in the toilet now and I barely recognize my own country. The "music" if you can even call it that, blows. Happy to have lived the life I did but also happy that I am nearing the end of the runway. Great video. Thanks for posting!
I was born in 1960 and couldn't agree with you more! What do they say? "If I'd known I was going to live this long, I would've have taken better care of myself." đ
@@margarethooten3007 How true that is. I was born in 1955, I live in the UK (Ashford, Kent) an vaguely remember that event. But I still listen to his music all the time.
While I agree with your opinion as to music these days, I hope you might please refrain from calling America a toilet. Nothing is so bad that it cannot be fixed! I remember those "fantastic" days too however, can we try our best to make things work for our children etc??
McLean said he struggled with the song because he had put Holly on a pedestal. Then he played a venue with one of Holly's old bandmates who told him that the reason Holly was so anxious to get on the plane was because he had some laundry to do and needed time to get it done. McLean said that this brought Holly off the pedestal and humanized him, which helped him with the song.
I was born nine years later. Years later after reading Waylon Jennings book and I wrote Waylon a letter and told him what I thought of his book and that I was born 9 years later on February 3, 1968. I got an autographed 8 x 10 of Waylon
I was born 18 years later, and only started hearing about it when the Lou Diamond Phillips movie came out and the radio stations started playing their music again on pop radio. I was 10 then, and instantly fell into that old style rock and roll. I can't imagine how far they would have gone.
I wasn't born till 68, but I grew up with this music, as my older brother would get together in the evenings with their guitars and drums and play the songs of these great artists. When I got older and I learned about the crash, it felt like it had just happened, and I can still remember the shock.
I'm pretty sure that Ritchie was still alive when the plane crashed and he was thrown clear from the photos (not seen here} looks like he even crawled a bit but died from injuries sustained and exposure. He was still wearing his stage clothes! I went to the 'Fifty Winters Later' do at the Surf ballroom in 2009. got to meet the Crickets and such. It really was great and the snow was 4ft deep! I think Buddy was worried that someone would steal the money they earned. (He carried a .45 in his rucksack, he was a Texan!)
@@bogusmogus9551 So far as the pictures go, that was my assessment also. He was very much alive when the plane disintegrated around him, and sadly he was conscious in his last minutes. I wish I could UNSEE such things, but alas, sadly no. Maybe it was better when I only knew them as historical icons, than in the intimacy of the images recording the last moments of their lives. I feel the same about John Lennon's images. These are the images of history. We often say we want to know... BUT do we, really?
@@bogusmogus9551 no they all died on impact. You can read the actual autopsy reports....a person with real knowledge states the severe injuries they all had, they did not survive the crash!!
I wasn't born until 1974, but when I was a kid I remember listening to their music. To this day it's still a shock and heartbreak that we lost these talented musicians. They may be gone but never forgotten, their music lives on.â€
Being a big fan of The Beatles led me to check out their influences. Obviously, Buddy Holly, J. P. Richardson & Richie Valens were a big part of that. The 50s & 60s brought us some fantastic musical talent. It's a pity & probably selfish to think of the music we have been deprived of due to their untimely deaths.
I was born in 1963 years after the accident. But, I remember my mother telling me; her and her two sisters had tickets too their concert that evening. They was from Fort Dodge, IA and had given theyâre tickets away, too friend because they could go because roads where really icy that evening. Their parents kept them home!
I was eight y/oâŠold enough to understand something very bad had happened, especially with two older sisters in their teensâŠbut too young to care. Iâm now 71 and remember it all.
My husband grew up about 20 miles from Clear Lake. They have a monument commemorating that fateful event. In the field they crashed into. And a little museum with items donated from the families of each of them. The museum is still a dance hall. It use to be open all everyday. But about 12 years ago they stopped doing that and now open it by appointment only. And it is locked off when they open up for dances. We had his Junior and Senior proms in the dance hall. We werenât even glimmers in our moms eyes when it happened. But all the kids in the area sure grew up knowing about âthe Boysâ all those years later. The schools every year go to the museum with the classes and band and choir groups. It was always interesting. It seemed we saw all the same stuff but every year we would discover something new. It really was heartbreak for many years knowing that the crash sight was just a short distance from where we lived.
I don't know when you last checked in it but the SURF ballroom is open Monday - Friday 8a-4 p. It's not a "little museum. (tho that is now part of it's name) It is a ballroom with a memorbelia throughout. And souveneers. They host many concerts . Some are noted musicians charting today. .
@@PK-bh1ww Well thatâs awesome that they got the original hours reinstated. And I didnât mean that it was a small space. Or insignificant. But that it isnât like the Guggenheim or Metropolitan museum. And no we havenât been back in a few years. But our kids arenât small anymore. They are all grown and take their kids to the museum themselves. But thanks for the update. And it always had big name acts and dances and different entertainment acts and activities.
i was born the day he was buried. it was years later that i found out. it was years later that i realized the greatness of these young men. RIP sweet young men
I was born years after the tragedy. It was in 1971 when American Pie would play on the radio, that it would make me cry everytime I heard it. By then, I knew who Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens were, from listening to their songs over the years and an older sibling would recount the story of how they died. The song really did have an impact on me as a young child.
The first I heard of this tragedy was as a young pre teen at the movie theater they played a preview of "The Buddy Holly Story" - I was so excited I went home and told my mom about this great movie coming out and she told me Buddy Holly died in a plane crash years before I was born...
I was 7 years old when they died . but I remember my mom was upset about it. I knew who they were cause of the songs on the radio. and I still love there music
I was a little boy , we had just moved to , Mt Airy , Md. I am glad I was too little to know what was going on , but in the later 60âs , I became a rocker , the stones , kinks , and many more , but I am 68 now and I am worried that rock music is slowly going down hard , but I still have many memories, of all the great bands that I have seen from 73- until a few years ago. Sad but true !
I was born on February 3 in 86. Parents listen to this music still so I know who they were. Surprised a customer when he was questioning me about the song American Pie.
Thank you for not mentioning Dion as someone who could have had a seat, or someone who gave up a seat. That was his version of the seating arrangement. Dion in Feb. 1959 was the clear lesser-known headliner. Without question. It would have made much more sense to have the players for seats being Holly's band (Jennings/Allsup) and the tour's stars (Richardson/Valens). Another fact seldom told is that Buddy's band backed up Ritchie, the Bopper, and Dion as well as Buddy. When drummer Carl Bunch got frostbite and had to go home, Holly, Valens and DiMucci took turns playing drums. The band were very important. They always are, but especially in this insane scenario. A very nice summation of this tragic event.
You may indeed be correct about Dion's version of the story being incorrect, but I'd have to disagree with you that Dion would be considered a lesser headliner than all the others. Maybe lesser than Buddy Holly, but not the other two. By this time, Dion & the Belmonts had already had a number of big hits that charted nationally and Dion was already being viewed as somewhat of a teen idol. The Big Bopper was a DJ & songwriter and had recorded several records, but was really only known for one big hit (Chantilly Lace). Ritchie Valens had 2 or 3 well-known hits, but was basically considered a newcomer on the music scene. I'd say Dion & the Belmonts' level of popularity was most likely higher than Ritchie Valens or the Big Bopper.
I watched Dion's video on CZcams where he gave his version of the events. They are so at odds with what's been established for decades that I have to question his motives. I'm convinced that Dion is more than a little jealous of all the attention the three who died got despite him being on that tour, too, and he probably offered his take to push himself into the limelight, as well. I'm not saying that's what he did, but the optics do look very suspect.
@@JoeCool7835 I can certainly understand why Dion would be pissed because he was a headliner on that tour, went on to even greater success in the 1960's and was eventually inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Yet, any movies that have been done about Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly, or that have covered that story in any way, have completely ignored the fact that Dion & the Belmonts were on that tour. They make it seem like there were only 3 headline performers (Buddy, Ritchie, and the Big Bopper), or even that those 3 performers were the ONLY ones on the tour. So I can totally understand why Dion would be pissed off about that. Does that mean that his coin flip story is accurate? No, not necessarily. If anything it might be a motive why he would make some shit up to try to seem more relevant to the story and gain more attention. Some have also noted that in the many interviews Dion has done throughout the 70's, 80's & 90's people don't recall him ever mentioning his version of the "coin flip" story. They say it was only in recent years (after the Buddy Holly musicians had passed away) that Dion suddenly came out with this whole story. Whereas Tommy Allsup has always claimed that he flipped a coin with Richie Valens. So yeah, I have been thinking that Dion's version of events may be partially bullshit or entirely bullshit. But when you hear Dion tell it, he does seem convincing and the story does seem to make alot of sense from a logical perspective.
@@JukeboxBalowski but Dion didn't die.. The movie and documentaries are about those who "died". Not those that lived... You don't see a lot in them about WAYLON and Tommy and both went on to have bigger careers than Dion... yet you never heard either of those 2 whining about not getting attention....
@@PK-bh1ww The fact that Dion didn't die is irrelevant. The point I'm making is that when they cover the Winter Dance Party tour in the movies, and even when they make nostalgic merchandise, they make it seem as if there were only 3 headline acts on the tour. (The 3 who died). They never even make any mention of the fact that DION & the Belmonts were also on the tour as a headline act. It's almost like they intentionally cut him out of the story. It would be like showing a reenactment of the "We Are the World" video being made but only showing artists who have already passed away, and not showing any of those who are still alive and still performing. Makes little sense.
I was born in 1962 so wasn't around at the time, but as an englishman and a big Buddy Holly fan, the loss is still felt, he gave so much in a short space of time and unfortunately for us no more was to come but his legacy will always live on...."RAVE ON"
oh man..... I was born in '57 so family 'supplied' me with Buddy Holly singles PLUS the DelFI single of the Labamba/Donna single. Hell, i wasn't even in kindergarten yet and 'baby book' photos have me surrounded by 45s. The first hero of The Stratocaster was Buddy Holly.
As a retired, instrument rated pilot, I cannot imagine how a non-instrument rated pilot was allowed to fly from an airport under the weather conditions mentioned. Those folks didn't need to die.
It was felt all the way over here in Australia too đ I was born in 1956 and my mother always spoke about the plane crash with such saddness that killed Buddy Holly Ritchie Valens and Big Bopper..I even brought a vinyl of Buddy Holly, and when the movie La Bamba came out my Mum would watch it with us with so much emotion đ đđčđčđč
My late mother was to go to the show of this back in 1959 . She did not make it there but she did tell me that she remember it well . I think it was weather stop her from going .
I was in jr. High school, and it was announced over the school's intercom system. I remember that almost all of us knew of these icons very well, and it's true, that day is when music died. Many of the kids in our school were upset and saddened to the point that they were allowed to go home. I have downloaded nearly every song by all three of these artists, and listen to them all the time, and reflect back to a time when music was real, and life was simple and far better.
Any experienced pilot would have never flown in those conditions. Snowing and the dark of night, along with a non IFR pilot. I doubt the three young guys never realized this would turn into a disaster
I was an Airline Pilot all of my life, and know only too well the difficulties that come with bad weather and I had it all, and some times I made the hard decision to cancel the flight at the last minute. To venture out on an IFR flight without full IFR certification at night in weather and lack of experience is a disaster waiting to happen.
Iâd be the most interested to see how buddy holly would have progressed in the mid to late 60âs. Buddyâs psychedelic years wouldâve been fantastic.
i was not born when these artists passed away. I do remember the song that came out in 1971 as a tribute on the radio in Panama on the U S military station though.
1959 was a tough year for me, I had all their recordings. Later that year we also George "Superman" Reeves. It was a tough year for a 12 year old like me.
I wasn't born until 1968 but am obsessed with this story as my dad was a huge BH fan. I look at pics of him and am somehow fascinated with his angel face under a nerd guise. RIP Buddy, such talent lost too soon.
Awesome video!!! A friend of mine, his wife grew up north of Clear Lake, IA, and roughly 1 mile or so to the east of the plane crash. Her father was one of the very first persons to arrive at the crash site. She was 8 years old when this incident happened.
What I've always wondered about the plane crash, but something we obviously will never know, is what was happening on the plane. Did they know they were going to crash or did it take them by surprise? If they did know the plane was going down imagine what they would be doing? Imagine being on a plane, knowing it was going to crash and knowing that you were going to die? That's just something I can't imagine.
I'm sure they seen the ground but as it was a matter of seconds the only reaction they could have had was "oh shit". Not really much time to reflect on your life when you have a second to think about it.
Thanks for posting this video. Some of the photos I had never seen before. I'm pretty sure the photo shown at 8:04 shows my grandfather, the man with the dark hat and bomber jacket, looking down at a horrible sight. My uncle was just getting back home after being at the Surf that night met my grandfather,who was a doctor, as he was leaving. "Where are you going dad? Grandfather in a big hurry replied, "Some musicians were in a crash over by Clear Lake." I also worked with a good friend from Belmond, Iowa who was also at the Surf that night. Gary would always say that he wasn't into music that much, but that's where all the girls were. I was only three at the time but have visited the Surf many times. Well worth the visit. So much history in that ballroom.
I was born a few years after they died but for some very odd reason I've always felt a very strong connection to Buddy Holly. I've done a lot of research into their lives and the fateful crash and the incredibly sad thing is that it was totally avoidable, that pilot was not IFR certified he should not even have been flying at night, let alone at night in the snow. Such a tragic loss of talent, RIP Buddy, Ritchie, JP.
When I first learned his story, I was inspired to find more information on the Internet. When I did, I was able to make a connection between him and this character from a TV show. I saw so many similarities between those two individuals, one real one fictitious, Both with the same dream. It made me feel a connection.
I love the 50's and early 60's music and it's all I listened to in college in the mid 90's. I wish that they would make a new Buddy Holly movie based on his life. Because I heard the one with Gary Busey is not an actuate telling.
@@shoknifeman2mikado135 Maybe with the new Elvis that it might spark some new interest in this time period and we get one. I have been waiting for Dion's Story The Wanderer to be made into a film for 20 years.
I am convinced that Buddy would've had a much greater influence on music in later years as a writer and producer, I believe I saw somewhere that he was planning to start his own record label. I was born in '68 but I really feel a strong connection to the music of this period. What a tremendous loss of talent.
I wasnât alive when it happened & was in middle school when American Pie came out but didnât know about Buddy Holly till the Gary Busey movie. Loved it, it fact bought the soundtrack instead of the real LPs. đ still much later with Trivial Pursuit & La Bamba film then got the gist of the tragedy
I must say, this channel is VERY good at creating titles that make me think thereâs going to be some exciting stuff revealed that I had never heard of before. But this never actually pans out. I get tricked by it every single time. lol
@@margarethooten3007 I was referring to the title âWHAT REALLY HAPPENED?â I was a teenager in the 80s. Air safety was pretty good in the 80s. There was a helicopter crash near my house at a concert hall that killed a concert promoter named Bill Graham when I was a teenager as he left the venue. Iâm not sure why you ask. I was only commenting on the misleading title.
Iâve researched this for many years and Iâve pretty much got a good book, basically the flight went down only minutes after takeoff and they actually almost hit a farmhouse and the lady heard the plane coming and went out to turn on a yard lamp, seeing the plane go up missing the house, then went down in a little bit after, hit on Ritchieâs side on the left. The pilot Roger Peterson thought the instruments and it said they were going up, but they were actually crashing!! Sad
I was only 6 years old, but my older brother remembers it in the papers, and on television...he was late teens at the time...still remembers how sad it all was...
Hello, not bad but a couple minor error's. GAC booked the tour, contracted out the buses locally. They did have heaters, crappy ones (according to Tommy Allsup), he said they probably would have been adequate if not for the extreme temperatures.
I wasn't born until 1966 but over the years had heard their music many times such a great loss to the music world in that tragic accident but hope they rest in peace so glad that their music lives on â„ïžđ
At a very young age of 6 I was given a small single , The day the music died , it was played by me and my sister over and over . It was mostly unknown what the words meant but was the emotion Don McLean brought to this song . Can still remember every lyric , even have an exact clear memory of when the record would skip and we would have to tap the record to continue . â bye bye .
I was sitting in my sofa with my father up in the country listening to Valens's and Holly's music on my record player. I wasn't born until 2003 so I learned it from my father and a bunch of research in the world wide web. Loved this video, gave me the chills. What an awful event...
This version of the coin toss story is one version of the story, which is told by the Buddy Holly band members. However, Dion DiMucci who was also a headliner on that tour, tells a completely different version of the coin flip story. Dion said the plane had always been intended to be just for the headline performers. Not for the other band members. However since there were only 3 seats for passengers, Dion said he had to flip for the seat with Richie Valens. Dion's version makes sense, but for some unknown reason, it's generally not the story that most people accept as the true story.
Really do not know where people get false crap from. The plane was not booked by GAC the tour arrangers, so why would it be for the headliners? Buddy paid for it for himself and his band, Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch on drums, Dion had no say or involvement. Carl was in the hospital with frostbite, Waylon gave up his seat to the Bopper because Bopper was sick, Ritchie being a teenager to whom the word no has no meaning, asked Tommy five or six times if he would let him take his seat. Tommy went on to a long career and was forced to tell the story on almost every anniversary. The band was also backing the other acts, with Carl in the hospital Ritchie played drums when Buddy was up, and Buddy played drums when Ritchie was on. So Tommy was seeing Ritchie way more than usual, and each time they crossed paths Ritchie asked him give up his seat. They were all packed Tommy was expecting a letter from his mother sent to general delivery at the destination, Buddy asked him to go check make sure they did not leave anything behind. When Tommy went back in Ritchie was signing autographs, once again and for about the 5th or 6th time teenage mentality kicked in and he asked again, on impulse Tommy dug a 50 cent piece out said to call it, and lost. Tommy accompanied Ritchie out to tell Buddy what happened, and asked Buddy to get the letter for him at the general delivery, but to do that he needed to have some proof he was acting as an agent, so Tommy did not want to fuss fishing out his ID in the cold, and just handed his wallet to Buddy. That is how Tommy's ID was fished out of the wreak and it was mistakenly announced that he died in the plane crash, as they originally used the wallets and ID's to identity the bodies. I also had a correction concerning the bus for the main comments if you are interested. đ
@@moemcgovern7345 WOW. Is the average IQ of the commenters on YT below Tinker Bell's shoe size? Tommy was announced as having died in the crash as one of the original passengers. HIs ID and wallet having been with Buddy, discovered in the crash, which backs up his story, and totally refutes Dion's version. Not to mention Waylon Jennings was infamously plagued for years by guilt, for having given up his seat to the Big Bopper. Since Waylon was in Buddy's band and not a headliner. How the FU@K would he have given up his seat to the Bopper who was (wait for it..... a headliner), if the flight was only for the headliners to begin with? Dip your head in cold water, give it a good shake, and try to process a few things. I was not even born yet, and I can figure it out from a few simple checks, and a bit of logical thinking. Not to mention further backing up Tommy's version, a law was passed after the crash that the media could not announce details and names of people involved in fatal accidents until positive ID was established, and relatives notified first by the proper authorities, to avoid a recurrence such as falsely announcing Tommy's death on the radio.
@@DIDYOUSEETHAT172 I'm not saying anything that you said is incorrect. It all seems to make sense. However, according to a presentation done by Dion on CZcams, Buddy Holly figured it would be best for the headline acts to take the plane and arrive on time because they were the ones who people were paying to see. They weren't paying to see the musicians who were backing up Buddy Holly. Buddy Holly booked the plane, and each of the other passengers had to pay for their own ticket. Dion said he did a coin toss with Richie Valens and Dion actually won, but after hearing what price he'd have to pay to buy the ticket, Dion said he decided to turn his seat over to Richie Valens. DION said that everyone else who was in the room during that coin toss died in the crash which is why no one else can verify his story. I personally feel that Dion's story does make sense. I'm not sure why Dion would lie, but some people have speculated that since Dion's involvement in that tour has basically been ignored by most people who have written about it or made movies about it (despite being one of the headliners), perhaps Dion came up with a bullshit story to make himself seem more relevant to the story. LOL. I personally have no idea but I'm just pointing out that there seems to be 2 completely contradictory stories. Some have even speculated that perhaps there were 2 different coin tosses that took place đ€ which would explain why there would be 2 totally different stories. (DION'S CZcams video is called the 'The True Buddy Holly Story')
â@@JukeboxBalowski People lie (especially entertainers looking for free publicity) for all kinds of reasons. So from the top, the show could not go on without the whole entourage, so it did not matter who was on the plane. Buddy was interested in the comfort of the people he personally hired to back him up. Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch. Carl was in the hospital already when Buddy booked the flight, leaving himself Tommy, and Waylon. The plane he booked only held three passengers to begin with. Not the four headliners. Dion's story makes no sense when you look at the whole picture. The way he tells it the plane was booked for the headliners, Bullshit. That would mean the intended passengers would be Buddy, Ritchie, Dion, and the Bopper, not enough room. ANd again Dion does not explain why, when he says it was booked for the headliners, Waylon, Buddy's guitarist was on the flight instead of the Bopper. At the last minute Waylon gave up his seat for the Bopper who had come down with the flu, to spare him riding a cold bus, and be able to rest up before the nest show while the rest of the band went by bus. Waylon regretted and was bothered by that most of his life, classic survivors remorse. Not to mention when Buddy found out Waylon had given up his seat he jokingly said "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up!" Jennings quipped back "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes!"
I was only age 5 at the time but I remember hearing radio and TV reports and my teenage babysitter Becky was much upset, and I didn't know why. Today, I cannot understand why that pilot did not take off and immediately climb to cruising altitude, unless he had engine trouble, maybe from frozen fuel lines. Still, if so, he should have been able to glide down and make a reasonably good emergency landing. But the crash was like full power on. I'd like to know what happened to him up there, and why he lost altitude the way he did and couldn't pull out of it.
The plains instruments were in reverse. He thought he was climbing, but in reality he was guiding the plane into the ground because of the way the lever was positioned.
I wasnt born yet when this tragedy happened but i cant help but wonder how this 3 would have change music as it is now. Their music is so advance for their time. I especially like Ritchie Valens music. He has the look of a person so far ahead of his time. He could have written more songs for many generations to listen to....
There will always be conspiracy theories about who was flying & on was Buddy had begged to take off as he was taking flying lessons too. However we will never know the 100% facts - but 1 thing is 4 young men went to heaven that night :(
@@wombatwilly1002 You need to learn about aircraft. This aircraft was dual control & I never once said Buddy wanted to fly as they never got the chance. Dual control means both left & right seats are able to fly the aircraft. Obviously you know bugger all about flying & have shown a Zero Lack Of Knowledge on Aviation. As a private pilot for a few decades .................. perhaps I may know a little bit more. The aircraft was a Beechcraft Bonanza with a Vee shaped tail that was responsible for a high number of crashes in later years. Perhaps next time you need to do your research better before you comment on something you know very little about ?
@@matthewbrown6163 the altimeter was opposite to what Peterson was used to.Instead of going up,he was going down at 180mph when the wing tip caught the ground blow me!
I remember meeting Waylon Jennings when I worked at Columbia Studios and he was on an episode of Married With Children. He seemed like a really cool guy.
My parents were just young children the day the music died but they remember it. I learned of it from my parents and I grew up in the 80's and 90's so I saw documentaries on cable TV as a child. My husband says I'm an old soul because of my knowledge of so many things in the 50s. We younger generations have to study the history. I've been able to convince strangers that I was alive back then when I can tell my own generation of the details of the whole story leading up to the tragic day.
I wasn't born until 5 months later, but I remember hearing 'That'll Be The Day" on the radio in the early '70s and loving it, but I had no idea it was an old song. I thought it had just been released. Valens I never heard until later. "Chantilly Lace" I well remember hearing in the early '60s (but I thought it was by Tennessee Ernie Ford).
my dad was around in 1959 at age of 13 the buddy holly influence made my dad and his older brothers to form a band that had many names through 1959 to 1990 my dad is now 76! in 2022 after suffering a motoring accident in 2012 his voice never recovered, however, his guitar playing is still on-par. he is the last of the 4 brothers surviving and, in 2019 he celebrated his 60thst anniversary as an artist! the ''if you need me'' a Wilson Pickett cover by my dad is on my other youtube channel ''tino van der zwan'' so, have a listen if you like!
I remember it well. I had just turned 8, on Christmas day 1958. My mom was upset. I don't remember how my sister or my dad felt. It is one of those memories that I see constantly while awake, regardless of what I am doing.
I am not quite old enough to remember it first hand but I do know all about it, and I love a lot of the music from that era, and some of the more recent stuff as well.
I was born in 1961. But I grew to love the 50-60âs my parents era. My Dad wore âBuddy Hollyâ glasses & was a musician & in the military. He was 34, when I was 8 yrs old when he was killed in Viet Nam. I used to listen to all the music of the 50âs & 60âs. I often wished I grew up in that era instead of the 70âs. Now, a Grandmother of 4 . With 3 adult kids they all grew up w/ the âoldiesâ. Reminds me of my ParentsâŠ.good times! Love this music ! Thanks for this video!
my friend and I were school buddies...took guitar lessons together on Saturday mornings and big Holly fans..the weekend before the crash we had a Sat eve holly nite..we had his Los and 45s and tried to figure out what he played...we were devastated when we heard of of the crash..couldnt believe it...
All three were fun to watch and listen to - especially Buddy. ButâŠ..the music didnât die. This was an interesting account but highly sentimentalised because all 3 died together - tragedy transformed into nostalgia. What about Morrison Hendrix and Mama Cass? âŠ.did the music die again?
I remember very well the plane crash that occurred in 1959. I was 14 at the time. It really shocked the kids at my school in Long Beach Ca. I also saw a mid air collision from my grandparents front porch in Hawaiian gardens California. I thought it was a fireworks display. It turned out to be a passenger plane and I think a cargo plane. Too long ago to member the exact details.
Iâve been influenced and passionate about Buddy Holly and his story ever since I can remember! It wouldâve been really nice to hear a Christmas album from him! Among all the other things he could have done đą
11:38 I think Ritchie Valens was going to go on to have the best career out of the 3 as far as recording artist goes. He was so wise beyond his years when it came to music & gave the world a lot of greatness in just 8 months at 17 years old. I have no doubt that he would've evolved with the music business. Being that he was only 17 when he was killed in 1959 when Woodstock happened in August of 1969 Valens would've still only been 28 years old. It's possible he could've not only played Woodstock but been one of the headliners as well. I think we'd of seen his music charting well into the 1980's & possibly mid 90s. However Buddy Holly probably wouldn't be all that far behind Ritchie. He's already looked at as a founding father of Rock N Roll & rightfully so. He wasn't done being great by a longshot
I was 2 days old. My Mom said that I stood up in my hospital crib and said " WTF was that "!!! And promptly shit myself. But I was in grammar school when the song "American Pie" came out. It was an immediate smash hit. I still know every word of that song to this day.
Buddy Holly was so handsome. Read the short story They Got A Hell Of A Band by Stephen King. So many legends in there. I'd love to go to that town in the book.. I think. R.I.P. Bopper, Valens, & Holly.
I Was in mineral Wells Texas about twelve years old I remember learning about it walking down a railroad track I must have had my transistor radio đ» me and my buddies
I was born in 1971 my mother was a huge fan of buddy Holly and Waylon Jennings she told me what had happened and all I could do was cry. They were so young and had a full life to live I love the movie la bumba RIP buddy Ritchie and jilesđąđąđą
There is an odd connection with myself, Buddy Holly and my Highschool sweetheart. Buddy Holly was born on my birthday which is September 7, 1958 and Buddy was born on September 7, 1936... only 22 years earlier than me. My boyfriend's birthday is February 3, 1959... and that's the day THE MUSIC DIED. Born on my day and died on Kirk's birthday. Having grown older, I know the music didn't really die đ„but we have lost SO MANY GREAT MUSICIANS because of air plane crashes. The list is long and so sad!! J But just like The Righteous Bros. Sang, đ¶"If there's a Rock n Rollđž Heaven then you know they've got a hell of a band!đ€đ¶"
I was in the second grade and during recess the news was broadcast over the playground loud speaker which traumatized even kids our age as we use to listen to all three on our local 1950's rock station WCAO in Baltimore Maryland.
I'm from Philadelphia, so I grew up on Bandstand and rock and roll music. I remember that day. Everyone was depressed. It was like when JFK, was killed.
Yes I remember the day the music died i love Ritchie & Big Bopper & Buddy Holly & I think k they all would of been popular & big stars if they wouldn't of died. They were all great artist. R.I.P RITCHIE & BUDDY & THE BIG BOPPER!! YOUR WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN & WILL ALWAYS LIVE ON THRU YOUR MUSIC.
In 1959 I was a 15-year-old Canadian High School student. Our principal interrupted all morning classes to make a PA announcement of the three deaths. A collective wail was heard throughout the school.
Buddy and Ritchie would have gone on to revolutionize rock n roll even more than they have. I heard someone say one time âBuddy Holly is everywhere in music. Every time a kid plugs a Fender into an amp, heâs thereâ.
It's pretty accurate, that.
I was in my early teens the day the music died and I remember it well. I blubbered like a little girl and still get misty-eyed when reminded of it, like in this video. Several years ago I traveled to the crash site at took a ton of pictures which are posted on my web site. The Surf was closed when I arrived but the girl who worked there graciously opened it up for me and gave me the run of the place to look around and photograph. It is a visit I will never forget and I am grateful to her for her hospitality. Kids today have no idea. The 50's were such a great time to be a kid in America. Living during the dawn of Rock n Roll..... such a wonderful time to be alive. America is in the toilet now and I barely recognize my own country. The "music" if you can even call it that, blows. Happy to have lived the life I did but also happy that I am nearing the end of the runway. Great video. Thanks for posting!
I was born in 1960 and couldn't agree with you more! What do they say? "If I'd known I was going to live this long, I would've have taken better care of myself." đ
@@margarethooten3007 How true that is. I was born in 1955, I live in the UK (Ashford, Kent) an vaguely remember that event. But I still listen to his music all the time.
While I agree with your opinion as to music these days, I hope you might please refrain from calling America a toilet. Nothing is so bad that it cannot be fixed! I remember those "fantastic" days too however, can we try our best to make things work for our children etc??
@@RAV1953 america is a toilet...I'm happy I don't live there
Kids today do know, Iâm a gen Z who knows everything about Buddy Holly
My dad was a teen in the 50âs and he said the Mexican girls were wearing a black armband for Ritchie sobbing his name out loud.
It hit them hard, Iâm sure. Thank you for sharing.
McLean said he struggled with the song because he had put Holly on a pedestal. Then he played a venue with one of Holly's old bandmates who told him that the reason Holly was so anxious to get on the plane was because he had some laundry to do and needed time to get it done. McLean said that this brought Holly off the pedestal and humanized him, which helped him with the song.
Rolling Stone had my favorite lead sentence about the event, in a story, published during the 1970s: "Dirty laundry killed Buddy Holly."
I was born nine years later. Years later after reading Waylon Jennings book and I wrote Waylon a letter and told him what I thought of his book and that I was born 9 years later on February 3, 1968. I got an autographed 8 x 10 of Waylon
My friend was born on this very day, Feb 3rd 1959.
The man who taught us all being crazy keeps us from going insane....
@@tophernuttle420 True Outlaw, baby!
Waylon has always been my favorite country singer...im glad he actually gave up his seat...i cant imagine not having all of his music to listen to..
I was born 18 years later, and only started hearing about it when the Lou Diamond Phillips movie came out and the radio stations started playing their music again on pop radio. I was 10 then, and instantly fell into that old style rock and roll. I can't imagine how far they would have gone.
I wasn't born till 68, but I grew up with this music, as my older brother would get together in the evenings with their guitars and drums and play the songs of these great artists. When I got older and I learned about the crash, it felt like it had just happened, and I can still remember the shock.
I've seen the crash scene photos. I can't unsee them. It's just tragic and sad. Such talent suddenly gone forever.
I'm pretty sure that Ritchie was still alive when the plane crashed and he was thrown clear from the photos (not seen here} looks like he even crawled a bit but died from injuries sustained and exposure. He was still wearing his stage clothes!
I went to the 'Fifty Winters Later' do at the Surf ballroom in 2009. got to meet the Crickets and such. It really was great and the snow was 4ft deep! I think Buddy was worried that someone would steal the money they earned. (He carried a .45 in his rucksack, he was a Texan!)
@@bogusmogus9551 So far as the pictures go, that was my assessment also. He was very much alive when the plane disintegrated around him, and sadly he was conscious in his last minutes. I wish I could UNSEE such things, but alas, sadly no. Maybe it was better when I only knew them as historical icons, than in the intimacy of the images recording the last moments of their lives.
I feel the same about John Lennon's images.
These are the images of history. We often say we want to know... BUT do we, really?
@@bogusmogus9551 no they all died on impact. You can read the actual autopsy reports....a person with real knowledge states the severe injuries they all had, they did not survive the crash!!
I wasn't born until 1974, but when I was a kid I remember listening to their music. To this day it's still a shock and heartbreak that we lost these talented musicians. They may be gone but never forgotten, their music lives on.â€
My parents and Uncle saw them 2 months before they died at Hershey Park 1958 .
Being a big fan of The Beatles led me to check out their influences. Obviously, Buddy Holly, J. P. Richardson & Richie Valens were a big part of that. The 50s & 60s brought us some fantastic musical talent. It's a pity & probably selfish to think of the music we have been deprived of due to their untimely deaths.
I was born in 1963 years after the accident. But, I remember my mother telling me; her and her two sisters had tickets too their concert that evening. They was from Fort Dodge, IA and had given theyâre tickets away, too friend because they could go because roads where really icy that evening. Their parents kept them home!
I was eight y/oâŠold enough to understand something very bad had happened, especially with two older sisters in their teensâŠbut too young to care. Iâm now 71 and remember it all.
Hello how are you doing today
It still boggles my mind that Ritchie Valens was a mere 17 years old.
My husband grew up about 20 miles from Clear Lake. They have a monument commemorating that fateful event. In the field they crashed into. And a little museum with items donated from the families of each of them. The museum is still a dance hall. It use to be open all everyday. But about 12 years ago they stopped doing that and now open it by appointment only. And it is locked off when they open up for dances. We had his Junior and Senior proms in the dance hall. We werenât even glimmers in our moms eyes when it happened. But all the kids in the area sure grew up knowing about âthe Boysâ all those years later. The schools every year go to the museum with the classes and band and choir groups. It was always interesting. It seemed we saw all the same stuff but every year we would discover something new. It really was heartbreak for many years knowing that the crash sight was just a short distance from where we lived.
I don't know when you last checked in it but the SURF ballroom is open Monday - Friday 8a-4 p. It's not a "little museum. (tho that is now part of it's name) It is a ballroom with a memorbelia throughout. And souveneers. They host many concerts . Some are noted musicians charting today. .
@@PK-bh1ww
Well thatâs awesome that they got the original hours reinstated. And I didnât mean that it was a small space. Or insignificant. But that it isnât like the Guggenheim or Metropolitan museum. And no we havenât been back in a few years. But our kids arenât small anymore. They are all grown and take their kids to the museum themselves. But thanks for the update. And it always had big name acts and dances and different entertainment acts and activities.
@@ianarchibald1423 why are you telling me that info? I never mentioned any ph calls..
I live very close to Ritchie Valens's Park. Every time I do go there, I break down in tears.
Itâs still sad for Ritchie. He was just getting started!
Er I think youâll find the other two were less than eighteen months in music performance so just started too.
Plus Ritchie valens was only 17
@@heathervelasco5159 Buddy Holly was only 22. Bopper was 28. They were all still young. Holly was even still a kid, kinda.
This was a well done video. I remember watching the movies about buddy and Richie in the 80s. Thank you.
I saw the Buddy Holly Story when I w a a kid in the 70s one of the best movies like that out .
I saw the Buddy Holly Story as a live performance by our local players. It told me a lot about the story I'd not known before.
i was born the day he was buried. it was years later that i found out. it was years later that i realized the greatness of these young men. RIP sweet young men
I was born years after the tragedy. It was in 1971 when American Pie would play on the radio, that it would make me cry everytime I heard it. By then, I knew who Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens were, from listening to their songs over the years and an older sibling would recount the story of how they died. The song really did have an impact on me as a young child.
I know it by heart. đ§
Listen to Waylon Jennings' The Stage (Stars In Heaven) or Tommy Dee's Three Stars. Two tribute songs before American Pie.
The first I heard of this tragedy was as a young pre teen at the movie theater they played a preview of "The Buddy Holly Story" - I was so excited I went home and told my mom about this great movie coming out and she told me Buddy Holly died in a plane crash years before I was born...
I was 7 years old when they died . but I remember my mom was upset about it. I knew who they were cause of the songs on the radio. and I still love there music
I was a little boy , we had just moved to , Mt Airy , Md. I am glad I was too little to know what was going on , but in the later 60âs , I became a rocker , the stones , kinks , and many more , but I am 68 now and I am worried that rock music is slowly going down hard , but I still have many memories, of all the great bands that I have seen from 73- until a few years ago. Sad but true !
I was born on February 3 in 86. Parents listen to this music still so I know who they were. Surprised a customer when he was questioning me about the song American Pie.
Thank you for not mentioning Dion as someone who could have had a seat, or someone who gave up a seat. That was his version of the seating arrangement. Dion in Feb. 1959 was the clear lesser-known headliner. Without question. It would have made much more sense to have the players for seats being Holly's band (Jennings/Allsup) and the tour's stars (Richardson/Valens). Another fact seldom told is that Buddy's band backed up Ritchie, the Bopper, and Dion as well as Buddy. When drummer Carl Bunch got frostbite and had to go home, Holly, Valens and DiMucci took turns playing drums. The band were very important. They always are, but especially in this insane scenario. A very nice summation of this tragic event.
You may indeed be correct about Dion's version of the story being incorrect, but I'd have to disagree with you that Dion would be considered a lesser headliner than all the others. Maybe lesser than Buddy Holly, but not the other two. By this time, Dion & the Belmonts had already had a number of big hits that charted nationally and Dion was already being viewed as somewhat of a teen idol. The Big Bopper was a DJ & songwriter and had recorded several records, but was really only known for one big hit (Chantilly Lace). Ritchie Valens had 2 or 3 well-known hits, but was basically considered a newcomer on the music scene. I'd say Dion & the Belmonts' level of popularity was most likely higher than Ritchie Valens or the Big Bopper.
I watched Dion's video on CZcams where he gave his version of the events. They are so at odds with what's been established for decades that I have to question his motives. I'm convinced that Dion is more than a little jealous of all the attention the three who died got despite him being on that tour, too, and he probably offered his take to push himself into the limelight, as well. I'm not saying that's what he did, but the optics do look very suspect.
@@JoeCool7835 I can certainly understand why Dion would be pissed because he was a headliner on that tour, went on to even greater success in the 1960's and was eventually inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Yet, any movies that have been done about Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly, or that have covered that story in any way, have completely ignored the fact that Dion & the Belmonts were on that tour. They make it seem like there were only 3 headline performers (Buddy, Ritchie, and the Big Bopper), or even that those 3 performers were the ONLY ones on the tour. So I can totally understand why Dion would be pissed off about that. Does that mean that his coin flip story is accurate? No, not necessarily. If anything it might be a motive why he would make some shit up to try to seem more relevant to the story and gain more attention. Some have also noted that in the many interviews Dion has done throughout the 70's, 80's & 90's people don't recall him ever mentioning his version of the "coin flip" story. They say it was only in recent years (after the Buddy Holly musicians had passed away) that Dion suddenly came out with this whole story. Whereas Tommy Allsup has always claimed that he flipped a coin with Richie Valens. So yeah, I have been thinking that Dion's version of events may be partially bullshit or entirely bullshit. But when you hear Dion tell it, he does seem convincing and the story does seem to make alot of sense from a logical perspective.
@@JukeboxBalowski but Dion didn't die.. The movie and documentaries are about those who "died". Not those that lived... You don't see a lot in them about WAYLON and Tommy and both went on to have bigger careers than Dion... yet you never heard either of those 2 whining about not getting attention....
@@PK-bh1ww The fact that Dion didn't die is irrelevant. The point I'm making is that when they cover the Winter Dance Party tour in the movies, and even when they make nostalgic merchandise, they make it seem as if there were only 3 headline acts on the tour. (The 3 who died). They never even make any mention of the fact that DION & the Belmonts were also on the tour as a headline act. It's almost like they intentionally cut him out of the story. It would be like showing a reenactment of the "We Are the World" video being made but only showing artists who have already passed away, and not showing any of those who are still alive and still performing. Makes little sense.
I was born in 1962 so wasn't around at the time, but as an englishman and a big Buddy Holly fan, the loss is still felt, he gave so much in a short space of time and unfortunately for us no more was to come but his legacy will always live on...."RAVE ON"
oh man.....
I was born in '57 so family 'supplied' me with Buddy Holly singles PLUS the DelFI single of the Labamba/Donna single.
Hell, i wasn't even in kindergarten yet and 'baby book' photos have me surrounded by 45s.
The first hero of The Stratocaster was Buddy Holly.
As a retired, instrument rated pilot, I cannot imagine how a non-instrument rated pilot was allowed to fly from an airport under the weather conditions mentioned.
Those folks didn't need to die.
Is it possible that the wings of the plane iced up and the plane nose dived to the ground cause it couldn't climb
They were all before my time and I still feel the loss.
It was felt all the way over here in Australia too đ I was born in 1956 and my mother always spoke about the plane crash with such saddness that killed Buddy Holly Ritchie Valens and Big Bopper..I even brought a vinyl of Buddy Holly, and when the movie La Bamba came out my Mum would watch it with us with so much emotion đ đđčđčđč
My late mother was to go to the show of this back in 1959 . She did not make it there but she did tell me that she remember it well . I think it was weather stop her from going .
got marroed 3 years ago amd Ritchie Valens' WE BELONG TOGETHER was our wedding song. Crazy that he was only 17.
I was in jr. High school, and it was announced over the school's intercom system. I remember that almost all of us knew of these icons very well, and it's true, that day is when music died. Many of the kids in our school were upset and saddened to the point that they were allowed to go home. I have downloaded nearly every song by all three of these artists, and listen to them all the time, and reflect back to a time when music was real, and life was simple and far better.
Any experienced pilot would have never flown in those conditions. Snowing and the dark of night, along with a non IFR pilot. I doubt the three young guys never realized this would turn into a disaster
I was an Airline Pilot all of my life, and know only too well the difficulties that come with bad weather and I had it all, and some times I made the hard decision to cancel the flight at the last minute. To venture out on an IFR flight without full IFR certification at night in weather and lack of experience is a disaster waiting to happen.
Iâd be the most interested to see how buddy holly would have progressed in the mid to late 60âs. Buddyâs psychedelic years wouldâve been fantastic.
i was not born when these artists passed away. I do remember the song that came out in 1971 as a tribute on the radio in Panama on the U S military station though.
I was 7yrs old in '59 and vaguely remember "the day the music died".
still brings a tear to the eye
1959 was a tough year for me, I had all their recordings. Later that year we also George "Superman" Reeves. It was a tough year for a 12 year old like me.
True. Although I never bought the whole suicide story with George Reeves. I don't think that he took his own life.
It could have very well happened that way.
I wasn't born until 1968 but am obsessed with this story as my dad was a huge BH fan. I look at pics of him and am somehow fascinated with his angel face under a nerd guise. RIP Buddy, such talent lost too soon.
Awesome video!!! A friend of mine, his wife grew up north of Clear Lake, IA, and roughly 1 mile or so to the east of the plane crash. Her father was one of the very first persons to arrive at the crash site. She was 8 years old when this incident happened.
What I've always wondered about the plane crash, but something we obviously will never know, is what was happening on the plane. Did they know they were going to crash or did it take them by surprise? If they did know the plane was going down imagine what they would be doing? Imagine being on a plane, knowing it was going to crash and knowing that you were going to die? That's just something I can't imagine.
I'm sure they seen the ground but as it was a matter of seconds the only reaction they could have had was "oh shit". Not really much time to reflect on your life when you have a second to think about it.
The pilot was inexperienced and the weather was bad nothing more
I was born Feb. 3, 1969. It's kind of depressing to know that my birthday is known as "the day the music died" lol.
The real crime is that they had to book the flight at all. The tour was a fiasco and a horror show from the beginning.
Thanks for posting this video. Some of the photos I had never seen before. I'm pretty sure the photo shown at 8:04 shows my grandfather, the man with the dark hat and bomber jacket, looking down at a horrible sight.
My uncle was just getting back home after being at the Surf that night met my grandfather,who was a doctor, as he was leaving. "Where are you going dad? Grandfather in a big hurry replied, "Some musicians were in a crash over by Clear Lake."
I also worked with a good friend from Belmond, Iowa who was also at the Surf that night. Gary would always say that he wasn't into music that much, but that's where all the girls were.
I was only three at the time but have visited the Surf many times. Well worth the visit. So much history in that ballroom.
I was born a few years after they died but for some very odd reason I've always felt a very strong connection to Buddy Holly. I've done a lot of research into their lives and the fateful crash and the incredibly sad thing is that it was totally avoidable, that pilot was not IFR certified he should not even have been flying at night, let alone at night in the snow. Such a tragic loss of talent, RIP Buddy, Ritchie, JP.
When I first learned his story, I was inspired to find more information on the Internet. When I did, I was able to make a connection between him and this character from a TV show. I saw so many similarities between those two individuals, one real one fictitious, Both with the same dream. It made me feel a connection.
I love the 50's and early 60's music and it's all I listened to in college in the mid 90's. I wish that they would make a new Buddy Holly movie based on his life. Because I heard the one with Gary Busey is not an actuate telling.
You got THAT right
@@shoknifeman2mikado135 Maybe with the new Elvis that it might spark some new interest in this time period and we get one. I have been waiting for Dion's Story The Wanderer to be made into a film for 20 years.
"Pilot Was an IDIOT ....
Takeoff, 1am in Snow "
Should have been the Title !
I am convinced that Buddy would've had a much greater influence on music in later years as a writer and producer, I believe I saw somewhere that he was planning to start his own record label.
I was born in '68 but I really feel a strong connection to the music of this period. What a tremendous loss of talent.
I wasnât alive when it happened & was in middle school when American Pie came out but didnât know about Buddy Holly till the Gary Busey movie. Loved it, it fact bought the soundtrack instead of the real LPs. đ still much later with Trivial Pursuit & La Bamba film then got the gist of the tragedy
I must say, this channel is VERY good at creating titles that make me think thereâs going to be some exciting stuff revealed that I had never heard of before. But this never actually pans out. I get tricked by it every single time. lol
When you were a teenager, did one of your favorite rockstars die in a small plane crash?
@@margarethooten3007 I was referring to the title âWHAT REALLY HAPPENED?â I was a teenager in the 80s. Air safety was pretty good in the 80s. There was a helicopter crash near my house at a concert hall that killed a concert promoter named Bill Graham when I was a teenager as he left the venue. Iâm not sure why you ask. I was only commenting on the misleading title.
Iâve researched this for many years and Iâve pretty much got a good book, basically the flight went down only minutes after takeoff and they actually almost hit a farmhouse and the lady heard the plane coming and went out to turn on a yard lamp, seeing the plane go up missing the house, then went down in a little bit after, hit on Ritchieâs side on the left. The pilot Roger Peterson thought the instruments and it said they were going up, but they were actually crashing!! Sad
I was only 6 years old, but my older brother remembers it in the papers, and on television...he was late teens at the time...still remembers how sad it all was...
I was 15 and devastated about this terrible trip
Hello, not bad but a couple minor error's. GAC booked the tour, contracted out the buses locally. They did have heaters, crappy ones (according to Tommy Allsup), he said they probably would have been adequate if not for the extreme temperatures.
RIP
Roger Peterson
(1937-1959)
Buddy Holly
(1936-1959)
Ritchie Valens
(1941-1959)
and
J.P. Richardson Jr.
(1930-1959)
I wasn't born until 1966 but over the years had heard their music many times such a great loss to the music world in that tragic accident but hope they rest in peace so glad that their music lives on â„ïžđ
At a very young age of 6 I was given a small single , The day the music died , it was played by me and my sister over and over . It was mostly unknown what the words meant but was the emotion Don McLean brought to this song . Can still remember every lyric , even have an exact clear memory of when the record would skip and we would have to tap the record to continue . â bye bye .
I love you videos .....great work...
I was sitting in my sofa with my father up in the country listening to Valens's and Holly's music on my record player. I wasn't born until 2003 so I learned it from my father and a bunch of research in the world wide web.
Loved this video, gave me the chills. What an awful event...
This version of the coin toss story is one version of the story, which is told by the Buddy Holly band members. However, Dion DiMucci who was also a headliner on that tour, tells a completely different version of the coin flip story. Dion said the plane had always been intended to be just for the headline performers. Not for the other band members. However since there were only 3 seats for passengers, Dion said he had to flip for the seat with Richie Valens. Dion's version makes sense, but for some unknown reason, it's generally not the story that most people accept as the true story.
Really do not know where people get false crap from. The plane was not booked by GAC the tour arrangers, so why would it be for the headliners? Buddy paid for it for himself and his band, Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch on drums, Dion had no say or involvement.
Carl was in the hospital with frostbite, Waylon gave up his seat to the Bopper because Bopper was sick, Ritchie being a teenager to whom the word no has no meaning, asked Tommy five or six times if he would let him take his seat.
Tommy went on to a long career and was forced to tell the story on almost every anniversary. The band was also backing the other acts, with Carl in the hospital Ritchie played drums when Buddy was up, and Buddy played drums when Ritchie was on. So Tommy was seeing Ritchie way more than usual, and each time they crossed paths Ritchie asked him give up his seat.
They were all packed Tommy was expecting a letter from his mother sent to general delivery at the destination, Buddy asked him to go check make sure they did not leave anything behind. When Tommy went back in Ritchie was signing autographs, once again and for about the 5th or 6th time teenage mentality kicked in and he asked again, on impulse Tommy dug a 50 cent piece out said to call it, and lost. Tommy accompanied Ritchie out to tell Buddy what happened, and asked Buddy to get the letter for him at the general delivery, but to do that he needed to have some proof he was acting as an agent, so Tommy did not want to fuss fishing out his ID in the cold, and just handed his wallet to Buddy.
That is how Tommy's ID was fished out of the wreak and it was mistakenly announced that he died in the plane crash, as they originally used the wallets and ID's to identity the bodies. I also had a correction concerning the bus for the main comments if you are interested. đ
I was only 7, so I'm not sure which was true.
@@moemcgovern7345 WOW. Is the average IQ of the commenters on YT below Tinker Bell's shoe size? Tommy was announced as having died in the crash as one of the original passengers. HIs ID and wallet having been with Buddy, discovered in the crash, which backs up his story, and totally refutes Dion's version. Not to mention Waylon Jennings was infamously plagued for years by guilt, for having given up his seat to the Big Bopper. Since Waylon was in Buddy's band and not a headliner. How the FU@K would he have given up his seat to the Bopper who was (wait for it..... a headliner), if the flight was only for the headliners to begin with? Dip your head in cold water, give it a good shake, and try to process a few things. I was not even born yet, and I can figure it out from a few simple checks, and a bit of logical thinking. Not to mention further backing up Tommy's version, a law was passed after the crash that the media could not announce details and names of people involved in fatal accidents until positive ID was established, and relatives notified first by the proper authorities, to avoid a recurrence such as falsely announcing Tommy's death on the radio.
@@DIDYOUSEETHAT172 I'm not saying anything that you said is incorrect. It all seems to make sense. However, according to a presentation done by Dion on CZcams, Buddy Holly figured it would be best for the headline acts to take the plane and arrive on time because they were the ones who people were paying to see. They weren't paying to see the musicians who were backing up Buddy Holly. Buddy Holly booked the plane, and each of the other passengers had to pay for their own ticket. Dion said he did a coin toss with Richie Valens and Dion actually won, but after hearing what price he'd have to pay to buy the ticket, Dion said he decided to turn his seat over to Richie Valens. DION said that everyone else who was in the room during that coin toss died in the crash which is why no one else can verify his story. I personally feel that Dion's story does make sense. I'm not sure why Dion would lie, but some people have speculated that since Dion's involvement in that tour has basically been ignored by most people who have written about it or made movies about it (despite being one of the headliners), perhaps Dion came up with a bullshit story to make himself seem more relevant to the story. LOL. I personally have no idea but I'm just pointing out that there seems to be 2 completely contradictory stories. Some have even speculated that perhaps there were 2 different coin tosses that took place đ€ which would explain why there would be 2 totally different stories. (DION'S CZcams video is called the 'The True Buddy Holly Story')
â@@JukeboxBalowski People lie (especially entertainers looking for free publicity) for all kinds of reasons. So from the top, the show could not go on without the whole entourage, so it did not matter who was on the plane. Buddy was interested in the comfort of the people he personally hired to back him up. Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch. Carl was in the hospital already when Buddy booked the flight, leaving himself Tommy, and Waylon. The plane he booked only held three passengers to begin with. Not the four headliners.
Dion's story makes no sense when you look at the whole picture. The way he tells it the plane was booked for the headliners, Bullshit. That would mean the intended passengers would be Buddy, Ritchie, Dion, and the Bopper, not enough room. ANd again Dion does not explain why, when he says it was booked for the headliners, Waylon, Buddy's guitarist was on the flight instead of the Bopper. At the last minute Waylon gave up his seat for the Bopper who had come down with the flu, to spare him riding a cold bus, and be able to rest up before the nest show while the rest of the band went by bus. Waylon regretted and was bothered by that most of his life, classic survivors remorse. Not to mention when Buddy found out Waylon had given up his seat he jokingly said "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up!" Jennings quipped back "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes!"
My job brings me through Lubbock regularly. I go visit Buddy there every time.
I was only age 5 at the time but I remember hearing radio and TV reports and my teenage babysitter Becky was much upset, and I didn't know why. Today, I cannot understand why that pilot did not take off and immediately climb to cruising altitude, unless he had engine trouble, maybe from frozen fuel lines. Still, if so, he should have been able to glide down and make a reasonably good emergency landing. But the crash was like full power on. I'd like to know what happened to him up there, and why he lost altitude the way he did and couldn't pull out of it.
The plains instruments were in reverse. He thought he was climbing, but in reality he was guiding the plane into the ground because of the way the lever was positioned.
Excellent and very respectful video
They never made it to Morehead, MN. That is how Bobby Vee got his break. He filled in with his band. I think he was 16 years old!
I wasnt born yet when this tragedy happened but i cant help but wonder how this 3 would have change music as it is now. Their music is so advance for their time. I especially like Ritchie Valens music. He has the look of a person so far ahead of his time. He could have written more songs for many generations to listen to....
Tragic loss ,was in my teens ,never forgotten đđąđ
There will always be conspiracy theories about who was flying & on was Buddy had begged to take off as he was taking flying lessons too. However we will never know the 100% facts - but 1 thing is 4 young men went to heaven that night :(
Peterson was found mangled like a pretzel in the pilots seat
No conspiracy.
@@wombatwilly1002 You need to learn about aircraft. This aircraft was dual control & I never once said Buddy wanted to fly as they never got the chance. Dual control means both left & right seats are able to fly the aircraft.
Obviously you know bugger all about flying & have shown a Zero Lack Of Knowledge on Aviation. As a private pilot for a few decades .................. perhaps I may know a little bit more. The aircraft was a Beechcraft Bonanza with a Vee shaped tail that was responsible for a high number of crashes in later years.
Perhaps next time you need to do your research better before you comment on something you know very little about ?
@@matthewbrown6163 the altimeter was opposite to what Peterson was used to.Instead of going up,he was going down at 180mph when the wing tip caught the ground
blow me!
@@wombatwilly1002 Attitude indicator not altimeter. Peterson was not instrument rated but was flying in instrument conditions.
I remember meeting Waylon Jennings when I worked at Columbia Studios and he was on an episode of Married With Children. He seemed like a really cool guy.
awesome content-thank you
My parents were just young children the day the music died but they remember it. I learned of it from my parents and I grew up in the 80's and 90's so I saw documentaries on cable TV as a child. My husband says I'm an old soul because of my knowledge of so many things in the 50s. We younger generations have to study the history. I've been able to convince strangers that I was alive back then when I can tell my own generation of the details of the whole story leading up to the tragic day.
I wasn't born until 5 months later, but I remember hearing 'That'll Be The Day" on the radio in the early '70s and loving it, but I had no idea it was an old song. I thought it had just been released. Valens I never heard until later. "Chantilly Lace" I well remember hearing in the early '60s (but I thought it was by Tennessee Ernie Ford).
my dad was around in 1959 at age of 13 the buddy holly influence made my dad and his older brothers to form a band that had many names through 1959 to 1990 my dad is now 76! in 2022 after suffering a motoring accident in 2012 his voice never recovered, however, his guitar playing is still on-par.
he is the last of the 4 brothers surviving and, in 2019 he celebrated his 60thst anniversary as an artist!
the ''if you need me'' a Wilson Pickett cover by my dad is on my other youtube channel ''tino van der zwan'' so, have a listen if you like!
I remember it well. I had just turned 8, on Christmas day 1958. My mom was upset. I don't remember how my sister or my dad felt. It is one of those memories that I see constantly while awake, regardless of what I am doing.
I am not quite old enough to remember it first hand but I do know all about it, and I love a lot of the music from that era, and some of the more recent stuff as well.
The pilot who wasnât instrument certified took off into IFR conditions immediately lost orientation and flew into the ground.
I was born in 1961. But I grew to love the 50-60âs my parents era. My Dad wore âBuddy Hollyâ glasses & was a musician & in the military. He was 34, when I was 8 yrs old when he was killed in Viet Nam. I used to listen to all the music of the 50âs & 60âs. I often wished I grew up in that era instead of the 70âs. Now, a Grandmother of 4 . With 3 adult kids they all grew up w/ the âoldiesâ. Reminds me of my ParentsâŠ.good times! Love this music ! Thanks for this video!
Thanks for sharing your video. I enjoyed watching. Take care and God Bless.
my friend and I were school buddies...took guitar lessons together on Saturday mornings and big Holly fans..the weekend before the crash we had a Sat eve holly nite..we had his Los and 45s and tried to figure out what he played...we were devastated when we heard of of the crash..couldnt believe it...
Lps and 45s..
Long Live Rock n Roll. Good video, Thanks. May all four Rest In Peace.
All three were fun to watch and listen to
- especially Buddy.
ButâŠ..the music didnât die.
This was an interesting account but highly sentimentalised because all 3 died together - tragedy transformed into nostalgia.
What about Morrison Hendrix and Mama Cass? âŠ.did the music die again?
yes
I remember very well the plane crash that occurred in 1959. I was 14 at the time. It really shocked the kids at my school in Long Beach Ca. I also saw a mid air collision from my grandparents front porch in Hawaiian gardens California. I thought it was a fireworks display. It turned out to be a passenger plane and I think a cargo plane. Too long ago to member the exact details.
Being overseas at the time I did not know until don McClains immortal song to the three legends how they died, what a loss đ„Č
1959 t0 1971
Iâve been influenced and passionate about Buddy Holly and his story ever since I can remember! It wouldâve been really nice to hear a Christmas album from him! Among all the other things he could have done đą
RIP Buddy, Ritchie and The Big Bopper
11:38 I think Ritchie Valens was going to go on to have the best career out of the 3 as far as recording artist goes. He was so wise beyond his years when it came to music & gave the world a lot of greatness in just 8 months at 17 years old. I have no doubt that he would've evolved with the music business. Being that he was only 17 when he was killed in 1959 when Woodstock happened in August of 1969 Valens would've still only been 28 years old. It's possible he could've not only played Woodstock but been one of the headliners as well. I think we'd of seen his music charting well into the 1980's & possibly mid 90s. However Buddy Holly probably wouldn't be all that far behind Ritchie. He's already looked at as a founding father of Rock N Roll & rightfully so. He wasn't done being great by a longshot
I was 2 days old. My Mom said that I stood up in my hospital crib and said " WTF was that "!!! And promptly shit myself. But I was in grammar school when the song "American Pie" came out. It was an immediate smash hit. I still know every word of that song to this day.
Buddy Holly was so handsome. Read the short story They Got A Hell Of A Band by Stephen King. So many legends in there. I'd love to go to that town in the book.. I think. R.I.P. Bopper, Valens, & Holly.
I loved each of them. I was born in 1972...but I still loved them. They were great and so talented. Love you boys foreverđđđ
I Was in mineral Wells Texas about twelve years old I remember learning about it walking down a railroad track I must have had my transistor radio đ» me and my buddies
I was born in 1971 my mother was a huge fan of buddy Holly and Waylon Jennings she told me what had happened and all I could do was cry. They were so young and had a full life to live I love the movie la bumba RIP buddy Ritchie and jilesđąđąđą
There is an odd connection with myself, Buddy Holly and my Highschool sweetheart. Buddy Holly was born on my birthday which is September 7, 1958 and Buddy was born on September 7, 1936... only 22 years earlier than me. My boyfriend's birthday is
February 3, 1959... and that's the day THE MUSIC DIED. Born on my day and died on Kirk's birthday. Having grown older, I know the music didn't really die đ„but we have lost SO MANY GREAT MUSICIANS because of air plane crashes. The list is long and so sad!! J
But just like The Righteous Bros. Sang, đ¶"If there's a Rock n Rollđž Heaven then you know they've got a hell of a band!đ€đ¶"
I was in the second grade and during recess the news was broadcast over the playground loud speaker which traumatized even kids our age as we use to listen to all three on our local 1950's rock station WCAO in Baltimore Maryland.
I'm from Philadelphia, so I grew up on Bandstand and rock and roll music. I remember that day. Everyone was depressed. It was like when JFK, was killed.
Have you heard the album by the Hollies? A Beautiful tribute to Buddy Holly.
They still don't know what they had lost. Some actually believe Rock and Roll, was started with the Beatles.
I was about 7 years old.
I wasn't even a glint in my dad's eye.đ
Ritchie Valens was a teenager he hade made a , sort of folk music and turned it into rock and roll. L la Bamba
Yes I remember the day the music died i love Ritchie & Big Bopper & Buddy Holly & I think k they all would of been popular & big stars if they wouldn't of died. They were all great artist. R.I.P RITCHIE & BUDDY & THE BIG BOPPER!! YOUR WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN & WILL ALWAYS LIVE ON THRU YOUR MUSIC.
Buddy Holly is the first Album I bought ĂĄs a 13 yr old kid early 80s