who was in buddy holly's plane when it crashed
February 3, 1959. On a cold winterâs night a small private plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa bound for Fargo, N.D. It never made its destination. When that plane crashed, it claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. âBig Bopperâ Richardson and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Three of Rock and Rollâs most promising performers were gone. As Don McLean wrote in his classic music parable, American Pie, (annotated) it was âthe day the music died.â.