When Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a plane crash in Iowa, people all over the world read the news with broken hearts. People who loved and celebrated music were at a complete loss for words, and many consider February 3, 1959 as "The Day The Music Died."
Amazingly, the three superstars had, over the previous year, sold over 10 million records which was an absolutely astonishing number at the time. Countless music-listeners loved their songs, so to hear of such a grave loss was heartbreaking to young and old musicians alike who found their inspiration from their music.
Holly's newly widowed wife learned of her husband's death from reports on television, and since then a new policy was adopted not to disclose victim's names until after their families and loved ones had been informed personally.
A lot of other legends surround the infamous plane crash; like the story of how Richardson, who had the flu, swapped places with a member of the band, Waylon Jennings. When Holly found out Jennings was taking the bus he said, "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up," to which Jennings responded: "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes."
Even though it was obviously a joke, those seven words haunted Jennings for the rest of his life. A bit over a year before that horrible day, Holly showed up on The Ed Sullivan Show, where he performed his unstoppable song, "That'll be the Day." Please keep your eyes on the smooth motions he makes while playing his trusty electric guitar. This man's instrument was truly an extension of his own body.
So please sit back, and enjoy this quick bit of nostalgia back in the days before the music died.
And please SHARE this amazing video if you wish he had never gotten on that airplane!
