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Der 3. Februar 1959 war ein schwarzer Tag für den Rock 'n Roll: Bei einem Flugzeugabsturz kamen drei der bekanntesten Musiker ihrer Zeit ums Leben. Sie tourten mit noch anderen Musikern durch das verschneite Amerika, und das in einem Bus der ständig liegen blieb und eine defekt Heizung hatte. Nach Ihrem Auftritt am 2. Februar im Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake hätten sie noch ca. 400 Meilen in dem Bus nach Moorhead, wo ihr nächster Auftritt gewesen wäre, zurücklegen müssen. Um sich diese Fahrt zu ersparen, entschlossen sich Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens und The "Big Bopper" ein Flugzeug zu chartern. Es sollte ein weiterer großer Tag für sie werden, doch es wurde "The Day The Music Died".
Buddy Holly: Nach seinem ersten Hit "That'll Be The Day (When I Die)" dauerte seine Karriere gerade mal 18 Monate. In dieser Zeit schrieb er zusammen mit seinem Produzenten Norman Petty einen Hit nach dem anderen und wurde auch in Übersee gefeiert. Buddy wurde 22 Jahre alt.
Ritchie Valens: Er war ein Chicano, ein US-Amerikaner mexikanischer Abstammung. Für seine High-School Freundin Donna Ludwig schrieb er den Song "Donna", der auf Platz zwei der US-Charts landete. "La Bamba", ein mexikanisches Volkslied, mischte er mit Rock 'n Roll und stürmte damit ebenfalls die Charts. Es war auch das letzte Lied auf der "Winter Dance Party" das am Abend vor dem Unglück gespielt wurde. Ritchie wurde 17 Jahre alt.
The "Big Bopper": Mit richtigem Namen Jiles Perry Richardson, wurde über Nacht bekannt als er 1954 in seinem eigenem Radiosender 122 Stunden nonstop Programm gemacht hat. Sein größter Hit war 1958 "Chantilly Lace". Für Johnny Preston hat er das Lied "Running Bear" geschrieben das in den USA und in Großbritannien nach seinem Tode eine Nummer eins wurde. Big Bopper wurde 28 Jahre alt.
Buddy Holly Tod - Originaltext einer US-Zeitung
Im folgenden Text ist die amerikanische Zeitungsmeldung über Buddy, Ritchie & the Big Bopper wiedergegeben
Clear Lake Mirror-Reporter, Thursday, February 5, 1959
DEATH OF SINGERS HERE SHOCKS NATION
Rock 'n Rollers, Pilot Die in Tragic Plane Crash
There was no fearful omen of tragedy Monday night when 1,100 teenagers and their parents packed the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake for a gala "rock'n roll" dance. featured were four nationally-known entertainers: Buddy Holly and the Crickets; the Big Bopper; Ritchie Valens; and Dion and the Belmonts. The entertainers were full of pep, reacting joyously to the big crowd of young people. The "Big Bopper" (J.P. Richardson), who wrote the hit song "Chantilly lace", and Ritchie Valens, author of several top hits, playfully Indian wrestled backstage between acts. Two hours after the dance, three of the four singers were dead, along with the pilot who was flying them to Fargo, N.D., for another appearance. Their broken bodies were found in and around the wreckage of the light plane they had chartered after the dance Monday night. Dead were the pilot, Roger Peterson, 21, of Clear Lake; Charles (Buddy Holly), 22, of Lubbock, Texas; Ritchie Valens (Richard Valenzuela), 17, of Los Angeles, Calif.; J.P. (Big Bopper) Richardson, 28, of Beaumont, Texas. Word of their death when the plane was found Tuesday morning in a snow covered field six miles north of the airport focused nationwide attention on Clear Lake. The three singers are considered among the top rock'n roll artists in the United States and their recordings are currently on the best selling list, some over the million mark. THE FATAL CRASH occured on the Albert Juhl farm, in a pasture about a half mile west of the farm house. The plane, a Beechcraft Bonanza chartered from the Dwyer Flying service, took off about 1 a.m. from the airport with the three men after they were taken to the airport by Carroll Anderson, Surf manager, his wife and son, Tommy. It is believed to have crashed shortly thereafter into the field on the Juhl farm. WRECKAGE OF THE PLANE was discoverd by Jerry Dwyer about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. He had received no reports from the plane since it departed and he began the search in another plane Tuesday morning. The craft first scraped the ground at a spot in the middle of the field, breaking off one wing and another parts of the plane. It then bounced and skidded about 200 yards further to the northwest, scattering wreckage and debris along the way until it piled into a wire fence along the north end of the pasture. The plane was completely demolished in the crash, but did not burn. The bodies of the three entertainers were thrown from the plane, two of them lying a short distance to the south of the plane, and the third was thrown over the fence about 20 feet into the next field. The body of the pilot was entangled amid the wreckage of the main part of the plane. Ambulance took the victims to the Ward and Wilcox Funeral homes in Clear Lake. An investigation was launched by the Civil Aeronautics administration after the crash to determine its cause. Jerry Dwyer, operator of the flying service, could give no reason, stating that the plane was in good condition and that Mr. Peterson was a competent pilot. Indications pointed to the fact that the plane touched the ground at a low angle, skidding along the field instead of plunging steeply into the ground. The only mark at the place where it first hit was a furrow scraped out by a wing tip. CAA INVESTIGATIONS arrived in Clear Lake later Tuesday and remained overnight. Guards were posted at the scene throughout the day and through Tuesday night to keep the wreckage intact for the investigation. The mayor significance of loss of the three artists to the music world was indicated by the immediate requests of national press associations for full coverage. Requests also have been received from Life magazine for pictures. Other members of the troupe who appeared at the Surf Monday night were traveling to Fargo by chartered bus. Ironically, Buddy Holly had told KRIB disc jockey Bob Hale at the Surf that he didn't want to take a chance in the bus since it had broken down while traveling from Green Bay, Wis., to Clear Lake the day before. The three therefore decided to charter the plane and take care of advance arrangements in Fargo Tuesday. Valens, who only last year was a high school student at San Fernando, Calif., had just finished his first movie and his song, "Donna" sold more than a million records. Richardson, known as the "Big Bopper", won nationwide fame for the song, "Chantilly lace" which he wrote some months ago. Buddy Holly, singing star of the Crickets, has made eight records, two of which, "Peggy Sue" and "That'll be the day", sold over a million and a half copies. His newest record, just released, is "It doesn't matter anymore". ROGER PETERSON was born May 24, 1937 at Alta, the son of Arthur and Pearl Kramer Peterson. He graduated from Fairview Consolidated school in 1954, attended Ross Aviation school at Tulsa, Okla., and was employed by the Graham Flying service at Sioux City, before coming to Clear Lake about a year ago. He was a member of the Redeemer Lutheran church at Ventura and of the Clear Lake Junior Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Peterson and De Ann Lenz were married Sept. 14, 1958, in Alta and had resided in Clear Lake since their marriage in one of the Armsbury cottages on N. Shore dr. Besides his wife, he is survived by his parents; two brothers, Ronald and Robert; one sister, Janet; his grandmother, Mrs. Elmer A. Peterson of Sioux Rapids. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Thursday (today) at the Redeemer Lutheran church with the Rev. E.H. Widmann officiating. Services also will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at St. Paul's Lutheran church at Alta with burial to be in the Storm Lake Memorial cemetery. THE BODY OF J.P. RICHARDSON was taken by air Wednesday to Beaumont, Texas, for funeral service. he was born Oct. 24, 1930, and is survived by his wife, Adrian, and a daughter, who are in New Orleans. Mrs. Richardson also is expecting another child (J.P. Richardson jr.). THE BODY OF RITCHIE VALENS was scheduled to be taken by rail Wednesday to San Fernando, Calif., for funeral services. Richard Valenzuela was born May 13, 1941, to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Valenzuela. He is survived by his mother, Conception Reyes of Pacoma, Calif. Arrangements for Mr. Valens were completed through the Ward Funeral home. THE BODY OF CHARLES (BUDDY) HOLLY, who was born Sept., 1936, was taken by plane Wednesday afternoon to Lubbock, Texas, for funeral services. Arrangements here were completed through Wilcox Funeral home.
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