Our Era - Movies, Music, Radio and TV, 6th Edition

Our Era - Movies, Music, Radio & TV, 1950‟s and 1960‟s. February 3, 1959Courtesy of http://www.fiftiesweb.com/crash.htmThe Day Music DiedOn a cold winter's night a small private plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa bound for Fargo, N.D. It never made itsdestination.When that plane crashed, it claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson and the pilot,Roger Peterson. Three of Rock and Roll's most promising performers were gone. As Don McLean wrote in his classicmusic parable, American Pie, it was "the day the music died."Performing in concert was very profitable, and Buddy Holly needed the money it provided. "The Winter Dance PartyTour" was planned to cover 24 cities in a short 3 week time frame (January 23 - February 15) and Holly would be thebiggest headliner. Waylon Jennings, a friend from Lubbock, Texas and Tommy Allsup would go as backup musicians.Ritchie Valens, probably the hottest of the artists at the time, The Big Bopper, and Dion and the Belmonts would roundout the list of performers.The tour bus developed heating problems. It was so cold onboard that reportedly one of the drummers developed frostbiteriding in it. When they arrived at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, they were cold, tired and disgusted.Buddy Holly had had enough of the unheated bus and decided to charter a plane for himself and his guys. At least hecould get some laundry done before the next performance!That night at the Surf Ballroom was magical as the fans went wild over the performers.Jiles P. Richardson, known as The Big Bopper to his fans, was a Texas D.J. who found recording success and fame in1958 with the song Chantilly Lace.Richie Valenzuela was only 16 years old when Del-Fi record producer, Bob Keane, discovered the Pacoima, Californiasinger. Keane rearranged his name to Ritchie Valens, and in 1958 they recorded Come On, Let's Go. Far more successfulwas the song Valens wrote for his girlfriend, Donna, and its flip side, La Bamba, a Rock and Roll version of an old Mexicanstandard. This earned the teenager an appearance on American Bandstand and the prospect of continued popularity.Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley (changed to Holly due to a misspelling on a contract) and his band, The Crickets, had anumber one hit in 1957 with the tune That'll Be The Day. This success was followed by Peggy Sue and an appearance onthe Ed Sullivan Show. By 1959, Holly had decided to move in a new direction. He and the Crickets parted company.Holly married Maria Elena Santiago and moved to New York with the hope of concentrating on song writing and producing.Dwyer Flying Service got the charter. $36 per person for a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza.Waylon Jennings gave his seat up to Richardson, who was running a fever and had trouble fitting his stocky frame comfortablyinto the bus seats.When Holly learned that Jennings wasn't going to fly, he said, "Well, I hope your old bus freezes up." Jennings responded,"Well, I hope your plane crashes." This friendly banter of friends would haunt Jennings for years.