The Day The Music Died

Sixty-seven years ago, on February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” (J.P. Richardson) were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, along with pilot Roger Peterson.

After stopping at Clear Lake to perform, and frustrated by the conditions on the tour buses, Holly chose to charter a plane to reach their next venue in Minnesota. Richardson, suffering from the flu, swapped places with Waylon Jennings, taking his seat on the plane, while Tommy Allsup lost his seat to Valens on a coin toss.