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Editor: James T. Crouse
Profession: Aviation Accident Attorney

Category: Plane Crashes

On this date in 1959, a 13 yr. old newspaper boy in New York cut open his stack of papers he was to deliver that morning to read that three stars of Rock 'n' Roll perished when their small chartered plane crashed in Iowa after taking off in the early morning hours. The boy was devastated, later stating he felt like someone had punched him in the face.

Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper were on the "Winter Dance Party" tour and had been battling freezing bus rides from town to town when Holly decided to charter a plane. The bus rides were so cold, Holly's drummer had already been hospitalized with frostbite. The Big Bopper had the flu and didn't want to spend another frigid night on the bus and asked a young singer by the name of Waylon Jennings if he could take his place on the plane. Richie Valens had a bad cold and asked a guitar player if he could have his seat. So the passenger list of this fateful flight was set. During a snow storm the inexperienced pilot, who wasn't qualified for night flying and apparently disoriented, flew the plane into the frozen ground at 12:55 a.m. killing all three musicians and himself.

Fans continue to visit the crash site, particularly on the anniversary of the plane crash that will always be remembered. Their legacies live on.

That 13 year-old-paperboy who was so stricken by the news of the deaths of these artists was Don McLean who later wrote the song "American Pie" which captured the nation's feelings of sorrow and loss on that February morning in 1959.