The Day The Music Died: Feb. 3, 1959

A few days ago we wrote about the 50th Anniversary of the founding of Motown Records, and today, Feb. 3, 2009 marks another golden anniversary of a seminal moment in the history of rock and roll. On Feb. 3, 1959, a plane crash claimed the lives of rock legends Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper; the day later became known as "The Day The Music Died", thanks to Don McLean's 1971 hit song, "American Pie".




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Holly began singing bluegrass in his Lubbock, Texas high school, but turned to rock music after watching Elvis Presley perform a live show in Lubbock in 1955. Holly's career was brief but prolific. He wrote and recorded many top ten hits including "Peggy Sue", "That'll Be the Day" and "Rave On", and was a major influence to several rock legends, including The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones. Holly entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the very first class of inductees in 1986.

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Rock pioneer and forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Richie Valens scored several hits in his brief career, most notably "La Bamba". Valens, recognized as the first Latino to cross over into the Rock mainstream, influenced future stars, Los Lobos, Carlos Santana and Los Lonely Boys. Valens was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

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J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson began his career as songwriter and enjoyed early success when George Jones recorded his song "White Lightning", and Johnny Preston recorded his song "Running Bear". But Richardson is best known for his own recording of "Chantilly Lace", an answer song to a Jayne Mansfield record, "That Makes It".

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In an odd twist of fate, Country legend Waylon Jennings, who was Holly's bass guitarist at the time, was also supposed to be on the plane that day, but gave up his seat to Richardson. A tour bus carrying other band members was to follow the plane to the next tour date, and Richardson, suffering from the flu, didn't want to make the frigidly cold bus ride, so Jennings agreed to trade places with him.