The Story of Rock's First Tragedy: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper Killed in Plane Crash REDDIT Hulton Archive, Getty Images Rock ‘n’ roll was still in its infancy when it suffered its first tragedy. On Feb. 3, 1959, three of its biggest stars — Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, known as the Big Bopper — were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. The three acts, along with Dion and the Belmonts, were on a package tour called the Winter Dance Party, which was to play 24 Midwestern cities in as many days. But the bus’ heating system was ill-equipped and broke down a few days later, which caused some musicians to catch the flu and Holly’s drummer Carl Bunch to be hospitalized for frostbite. By the time they reached the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake on Feb. 2, about a week and a half into the tour, Holly, after the show, decided to charter a plane from nearby Mason City to Fargo, N.D., just across the state line from their next gig in Moorhead, Minn.

As a bonus, Holly would be able to do his laundry, which had been neglected since the tour began. The plane, a Beechwood Bonanza, had room for only three passengers — Holly and his band — and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Holly’s bass player, future country legend Waylon Jennings , gave up his seat to Richardson, who was ill. According to Jennings’ autobiography, Holly teased his bass player by saying, “Well, I hope your ol’ bus freezes up.” To which Jennings responded, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes.” There are conflicting stories as to how Valens wound up in the third seat. Tommy Allsup, Holly’s guitarist, claimed that he lost a coin flip to Valens in the dressing room. In 2010, Dion DiMucci, who had been silent about that night for 51 years, claimed that he, not Allsup, was slated for the third seat because he was one of the headliners. But after winning the coin toss, he balked at paying $36 for the flight — the amount his parents paid in monthly rent for the apartment where he grew up — and gave Valens the seat.

Local DJ Bob Hale, who was the MC for the concert, agrees that it was between Allsup and Valens, but that he, not Allsup, flipped the coin. Regardless of the contradictions, around 12:55AM on Feb. 3, the plane carrying Holly, Richardson and Valens took off in a snowstorm with strong winds. But the plane traveled only a few miles before crashing, killing all four men instantly. The federal investigation ruled that even though the weather played a large role in the accident, the 21-year-old Peterson was too inexperienced to have been flying in such conditions. In addition, he had most likely misread the altitude indicator, which was different than the one on which he had trained, and inadvertently brought the plane down instead of up. At the time, Holly’s wife of six months, Maria Elena, was two weeks pregnant. The day after the crash, she suffered a miscarriage from the emotional trauma. In March 1980, a long-missing piece of the plane crash was discovered. Holly’s signature black-rimmed glasses had landed in a snow bank and were discovered in the spring of 1959, after the snow melted.

They were brought to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s office, sealed in a manila envelope and forgotten about for 21 years. Upon discovery, the glasses were returned to his widow and are currently on permanent display at the Buddy Holly Center in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas. Rockers Who Died at Age 27 Image of Flashback: How Waylon Jennings Survived the Day the Music Died - Rolling Stone Flashback: How Waylon Jennings Survived the Day the Music Died See Brent Cobb Sling Southern Charm, Perform 'Shine On... Flashback: How Waylon Jennings Survived the Day the Music Died Country icon was meant to be on the doomed plane that crashed on this day in 1959, killing Buddy Holly and three others Waylon Jennings gave up his seat on the plane that crashed on February 3rd, 1959, killing Buddy Holly and three others. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives All Stories The day the music died.

That's how songwriter Don McLean memorialized February 3rd, 1959, in his 1972 single "American Pie," an epic, eight-minute music-history lesson that begins with a reference to the plane crash that killed musicians Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson (a.k.a. the Big Bopper) and Ritchie Valens, along with the pilot of the 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza that had been chartered to transport the performers from Iowa to their next show in Minnesota. Less than six miles northwest of the airport where it took off, the plane went down, killing all onboard. More News PHOTOS: Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Waylon Jennings Songs From a TV theme song to an Outlaw anthem, your picks for the late legend's greatest hits One member of Holly's band who did not make the trip went on to become a country music trailblazer, one of the genre's original "outlaws." Waylon Jennings was hired by Holly to play bass for him on the Winter Dance Party Tour, which began January 23rd, 1959, in Milwaukee.

Jennings, 21 at the time, had been in New York City recording sessions produced by Holly, and after taking a train to Chicago, met up with the rest of Holly's band. Problems first arose when the tour buses hired to transport the group began breaking down. After a show in Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 2nd, Holly decided to charter a plane for himself, guitarist Tommy Allsup and Jennings so they could fly to Fargo, North Dakota, instead of taking the long, frozen bus trip. Richardson, who was suffering from the flu, asked Jennings for his seat on the plane, and Valens asked the same of Allsup. When Jennings told Holly that he was going to take the bus, Holly jokingly told him he hoped the bus broke down, to which Jennings replied, "I hope your ol' plane crashes." "God almighty, for years I thought I caused it," the country legend said decades later in a CMT interview . "The only reason Buddy went on that tour was because he was broke. Flat broke," Jennings revealed to Rolling Stone in 1973. "He didn't want to go, but he had to make some money.

I ain't sayin' the person's name that was the reason he was broke." Although "Jole Blon," one of the tracks produced by Holly, was only a minor success for Jennings, he would go on to become one of the most influential country acts of the Seventies. In 1976, Wanted: The Outlaws, which also featured his wife Jessi Colter, Willie Nelson and Tompall Glaser, was the first country album ever to be certified as a million-seller. In 2001, Jennings was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, although the ailing icon sent his son Shooter to accept the honor in his place. Following complications from diabetes, Jennings died in Arizona in February 2002. Don’t Miss a Story Sign up for our newsletter to receive breaking news directly in your inbox. We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners.

For more information please read our Privacy Policy How we use your email address RS Country The Curse of Buddy Holly The Curse of Buddy Holly The Curse of 27 The Curse of Buddy Holly Anyone familiar with the history of Rock knows the story of Buddy Holly: A charismatic and wildly talented songwriter/performer, Holly achieved enormous success while just barely into his 20s. After breaking with his band, The Crickets, Holly sets out on a disastrous national tour (the Winter Dance Party) with other Rock luminaries, in order to support his new wife and unborn child. After a performance at the Surf Ballroom on 3 February 1959, he charters a plane to take him, "The Big Bopper," and Ritchie Valens to the next gig. Tragically, the plane crashes, killing all three. (For a detailed account of that night's events, please visit the Holly-Bopper-Valens Tribute .) There is more to Buddy Holly's story. An ominous undertone supports the events leading up to Holly's death, and continues through to recent times, dispensing tragedy and claiming the lives of many artists associated with the legendary performer.

Continue reading for a brief overview of the strange events surrounding Holly's death, followed by a list of musicians who died early and tragically and their connection to the singer-songwriter. Buddy Holly Premonitions Shortly before embarking on the Winter Dance Party Tour, both Buddy Holly and his new wife, Maria Elena, were simultaneously disturbed by violent and eerily prophetic dreams. Maria Elena had dreamt of a fireball descending to earth in the middle of a field, followed by an explosion that left a great gaping hole in the ground. When she woke up Holly, he related that he had also just had a strange dream. He dreamt that he, his wife, and his brother were in a plane. His brother persuaded Holly to leave Maria Elena on top of a building, with the intention of returning for her. Reportedly, Holly was wracked with guilt for having left her behind in the dream. Maria Elena was supposed to accompany her husband on the Winter Dance Party tour. He had convinced her to stay behind, because of her morning sickness. Warnings While Holly was touring England in 1958, he received an ominous message from Joe Meek, a British recording engineer and producer.

On a night in January of that year, Meek had attended a tarot reading. The message delivered that night was "February third, Buddy Holly, dies." Holly thanked Meek for the warning, but did not seem concerned since February the third had already passed. Buddy Holly would die on 3 February 1959. The crash site. The Winter Dance Party The Winter Dance Party was plagued with problems. The tour buses continually broke down, the heaters refused to work, and both The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens had taken ill. Holly's drummer, Carl Bunch, had to leave the tour after he suffered severe frostbite on his feet. Holly's last song, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," was released shortly before his death. After the fatal plane crash, Maria Elena Holly miscarried the only child of Buddy Holly. "The Big Bopper" Jiles Perry (J.P.) Richardson - a.k.a. "The Big Bopper" - was on the Winter Dance Party tour, enjoying the success of his single, "Chantilly Lace." Richardson, who had the flu, persuaded Waylon Jennings (member of Holly's backing band) to give up his seat on Holly's rented plane.

"The Big Bopper" was the oldest person on the plane to perish. He was 28. Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valens ("La Bamba," "Oh Donna") was also a member of the Winter Dance Party. He convinced Tommy Allsup, another member of Holly's backing band, to flip a coin for the third seat on Holly's chartered plane. Valens, like "The Big Bopper," was also sick. He called "heads" and won, commenting that it was the first time he had ever won anything. Valens was only 17 at the time of the crash. (Years later, Tommy Allsup would open a club named "The Head's Up Saloon" to commemorate this life-saving coin toss.) Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent Singer Eddie Cochran (above) recorded "Three Stars," in honor of the performers killed in the plane crash. Cochran ("Summertime Blues") was supposed to have been on the Winter Party Dance tour. When he heard of the crash, Cochran felt as though he had cheated death, and was supposedly plagued by guilt and fear that death would soon come for him.

On 17 April 1960, Cochran, his girlfriend, hit songwriter Sharon Sheeley (Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool," Ritchie Valens's "Hurry Up"), and singer Gene Vincent ("Be-Bop-A-Lula") were on their way to London's Heathrow Airport for a return flight to the U.S. On the way, the Ford Consul they were riding in blew a tire. Vincent (above) re-injured the knee that had previously been hurt in a motorcycle accident. He would walk with a limp for the rest of his life. Sheeley suffered a broken neck and back. Cochran was thrown from the vehicle and rushed to St. Martin's Hospital, where he was visited by the original Crickets (Jerry Allison, Sonny Curtis and Joe B. Maudlin) who were touring in England at the time. He died the next day of massive head injuries. He was 22. The last single released by Cochran was "Three Steps to Heaven." The Crickets were the backing band. (Vincent would die in 1971 of internal bleeding from a ruptured stomach ulcer; he was 36.

Sadly, his family lacked sufficient funds and the city of Los Angeles had to bury him.) Ronnie Smith Singer Ronnie Smith was hired to replace Buddy Holly for the remainder of the Winter Dance Party. He joined Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch. The band later recorded as the Jitters. (Jerry Allison, Sonny Curtis and Joe B. Maudlin retained the rights to the name, the Crickets.) Ronnie Smith was committed to a state hospital in Texas for drug abuse. On 25 October 1962, he hanged himself in one of the bathrooms. He was approximately 24. Cowboy Copas Cowboy Copas (Lloyd Estel Copas) was a chart-topping country singer with hits like "'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered," "Alabam" (number-one for three months), "Flat Top" and "Signed, Sealed and Delivered." In 1956, Cowpas took part in a 14-date country & western tour in Little Rock, Arkansas. Also on the bill were Hank Thompson, George Jones, Wanda Jackson, and Buddy Holly & the Two-Tones (Sonny Curtis and Don Guess).

On 5 March 1963, Copas was returning from a benefit for the widow of "Cactus" Jack Call, a local disc jockey who died in a car crash. He was riding in a single-propeller Piper Comanche with fellow country musicians Hawkshaw Hawkins and Patsy Cline. Pilot Randy Hughes lost visibility around Camden, Tennessee and he hit some trees. The plane crashed in Fatty Bottom (70 miles west of Nashville). All onboard were killed. (For the complete story, visit the Archive's Patsy Cline Tribute .) Cowpas was 49. David Box The original Crickets (Allison, Curtis, and Maudlin) also had their share of continuing tragedy. Seventeen-year-old David Box was brought on as their new singer ("Peggy Sue Got Married"). He recorded with the band for a few years before going solo. On 23 October 1964, Box was killed when the Cessna Skyhawk 172 he was riding in crashed. He was 22 - the same age as Holly was when he died. Bobby Fuller Bobby Fuller admired and emulated Buddy Holly.

He had given a demo tape to Holly's parents, who forwarded it to Norman Petty, Holly's former producer. The Bobby Fuller Four had a hit with"I Fought the Law," which was penned by Sonny Curtis (of the original Crickets). The last song Fuller recorded was "Love's Made a Fool of You," which was written by Buddy Holly. On 18 July 1966, Fuller's body was found in his car at his house. He had been severely beaten, one of his right fingers was broken, and he was drenched in gasoline. Friends stated that Fuller had recently been harassed by local mobsters, possibly in connection with a woman. But the police judged his death a suicide. His death certificate states the causes of demise as asphyxia and inhalation of gasoline, ruled as an "accident." Fuller was 23. For more information on the life and death of Bobby Fuller, visit The Archive's Bobby Fuller Tribute . Joe Meek Joe Meek (Robert George Meek) was a pioneering record producer and songwriter.

Meek's works include The Tornados' "Ridin' the Wind" and "Telstar," which was the first song by a British act to reach #1 on the US Hot 100. Meek suffered from bouts of rage, paranoia and depression which were exacerbated by his drug use. He became obsessed with Buddy Holly, whom Meek claimed visited him in dreams. On the eighth anniversary of Holly's death (3 February 1967), Meek shot and killed his landlady before turning the single-barreled shotgun on himself. He was 37. Clyde McPhatter Clyde McPhatter was the lead singer with The Drifters before going on to a successful solo career. McPhatters's solo hits include "A Lover's Question," "Little Bitty Pretty One," and "Lover Please." In 1958, McPhatter participated in "The Biggest Show of Stars for 1958 — The Autumn Edition," with Bobby Darin, Dion and the Belmonts, The Coasters - and Buddy Holly and the Crickets. In 1972, McPhatter succumbed to liver, kidney, and heart failure.

He was just 38. Bobby Darin In 1958, Buddy Holly recorded Bobby Darin's song, "Early in the Morning." Also that year, Bobby Darin participated in "The Biggest Show of Stars for 1958 — The Autumn Edition," with Clyde McPhatter, Dion and the Belmonts, The Coasters - and Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Darin died in 1973 from complications of heart surgery which was needed to repair a faulty valve. He was 37. Five years earlier, Darin found out that his older sister was actually his mother; the woman he believed to be his mother was actually his grandmother. Phil Ochs Phil Ochs was an anti-establishment folk singer, who used his songs to protest against the Vietnam War and to campaign for civil, student, and labor rights. The FBI maintained a file on the singer nearly 500 pages long. Ochs sang a tribute to Buddy Holly on his final album, Gunfight at Carnegie Hall (recorded in 1970; released in 1975). In 1973, Ochs was assaulted and almost killed.

During the attack he was strangled which permanently damaged his vocal chords. Sunken into depression, he hanged himself in 1976 at the age of 36. The Buddy Holly Story In 1977, a film was made depicting Buddy Holly's life and career. Gary Busey was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Holly, and the screenplay was written by Robert Gittler. After completing the film, Busey was involved in a nearly fatal motorcycle accident. Gittler committed suicide shortly before the film's release. Elvis Presley Elvis Presley was The King of Rock & Roll, the most popular secular musician of all time. In October of 1955, Buddy Holly & the Crickets opened for The King in Lubbock, Texas. (Interesting aside: After Holly's fatal plane crash, Presley sent a flower arrangement to be displayed at the wake of "The Big Bopper.") On 16 August 1977, Elvis Presley died as the result of too many drugs being present in his system. Elvis was 42.

One version of T.Rex: American Pie : snopes.com American Pie Claim: The airplane that carried Buddy Holly to his death was named 'American Pie.' Status: False. Origins: Don McLean's recollection of the day (as a paperboy) he cut open a stack of newspapers to find that Buddy Holly had died led him to coin the term "the day the music died" to describe 3 February 1959: the date on which a plane crash took the lives of Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson (the "Big Bopper"). The phrase became a part of popular culture when McLean used it in his hit song "American Pie," a cryptic song featuring ambiguous imagery and a coded history of rock 'n' roll. The song's varied interpretations have been widely debated for decades now — McLean himself has so far declined to provide any answers, saying, "If I told people what I meant, they'd just say, 'No you didn't.'" The starting point of most analyses of the song is its title: "American Pie." What does "American Pie" refer to?

We could makes some guesses, but this article is about what American Pie is not: it is not, as widely reported on various lists of trivia that circulate on the Internet, the name of the airplane on which Buddy Holly was a passenger when he died. In an attempt to gain some extra rest time (and avoid traveling on buses prone to mechanical breakdowns and faulty heating), during a grueling and cold "Winter Dance Party" tour in early 1959, Holly chartered a private plane to fly himself and two band members to Fargo, North Dakota immediately after their February 2 performance in Clear Lake, Iowa. (The next day's show was in Moorhead, Minnesota, but Moorhead had no airport; the closest facility was in Fargo, ten miles away.) The plane, a red-and-white single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza, took off in the cold, windy, early morning hours of February 3 amidst light snow flurries. The plane never reached Fargo. The next morning searchers discovered that it had crashed on a snow-covered field shortly after takeoff, skidding over 500 feet before coming to rest against a wire fence and killing everyone on board.

The airplane, chartered through Dwyer's Flying Service in Clear Lake, Iowa, had no name. Its only designation was its wing registration number, N3794N. How the rumor that its name was American Pie (thus providing Don McLean the title for his song) started circulating is unknown, but it is undeniably false. As Don McLean himself said in 1999: The growing urban legend that "American Pie" was the name of Buddy Holly’s plane the night it crashed, killing him, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, is equally untrue. I created the term. (Another rumor regarding the title, that it was chosen because McLean once dated a Miss America contestant, appears to be equally spurious.) Addendum: Over the years, the list of people who "gave up a seat" on this ill-fated flight has grown to rival the list of persons claiming to have been invited to Sharon Tate's "quiet evening at home" the night the Manson family struck.

Although Buddy Holly initially may have asked around to find other tour members willing to share the cost of chartering a plane (as Dion DiMucci claims), the only persons who committed to fly on it with Holly were his two fellow band members, Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings. J.P. Richardson, who was coming down with the flu, managed to talk Jennings into giving up his seat so that he could arrive at the next tour stop early and have a little extra time to visit a doctor. Ritchie Valens spent the evening trying to convince Allsup to give up his seat on the plane, but Allsup, who needed to pick up a registered letter waiting for him in Fargo, demurred. Finally, just as Allsup was about to leave the Surf City ballroom for the airport, he gave in and agreed to flip a coin with Valens for a spot on the airplane.

(Unlike the way this scene is depicted in the Ritchie Valens film biography La Bamba, Holly did not charter a plane for "headliners only" or arrange the last-minute coin toss between Valens and Allsup, nor did that coin toss take place outside in a snowfall just as the plane was boarding.) Valens won the coin toss, and Allsup stayed behind to ride the bus to the next destination. Thus Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup were the only two persons who truly "gave up a seat" on Buddy Holly's final flight. Last updated: 5 May 2007 New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996. ISBN 0-684-80082-9 (pp. 268-286). Shannon, Bob and John Javna. Behind the Hits. New York: Warner, 1986. ISBN 0-446-38937-4 (p. 54).

Tags: Waylon Jennings - Biography - IMDb Waylon Jennings Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (4) | Trivia (27) | Personal Quotes (5) Overview (5) 6' 0½" (1.84 m) Mini Bio (1) Jennings, a singer, songwriter and guitarist, recorded 60 albums and had 16 No. 1 country singles in a career that spanned five decades. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2001. With pal Willie Nelson , Jennings performed duets like "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", "Luckenbach" and "Good Hearted Woman". Those 1970s songs nurtured a progressive sound and restless spirit embraced later by Travis Tritt , Charlie Daniels , Steve Earle and others. His resonant, authoritative voice also was used to narrate the popular TV show The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). He sang its theme song, which was a million seller. "I aimed the narration at children and it made it work," he said in a 1987 AP interview.

He traditionally wore a black cowboy hat and ebony attire that accented his black beard and mustache. Often reclusive when not on stage, he played earthy music with a spirited, hard edge. Combined, Jennings had a well-defined image that matched well with his history of battling record producers to do music his way. About his independence, he said: "There's always one more way to do something-- your way." Some of his album titles nourished his brash persona: "Lonesome, On'ry and Mean," "I've Always Been Crazy," "Nashville Rebel," "Ladies Love Outlaws" and "Wanted: The Outlaws." He often refused to attend music awards shows on grounds performers should not compete against each other. Despite those sentiments, Jennings won two Grammy awards and four Country Music Association awards. He did not attend his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame last year. In 1959, his career was nearly cut short by tragedy. He was scheduled to fly on the light plane that crashed and killed Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper .

Jennings gave up his seat on the plane to The Big Bopper , who was ill and wanted to fly rather than travel by bus with those left behind. He and Holly were teen-age friends in Lubbock, Texas, and Jennings was in Holly's band. "Mainly what I learned from Buddy was an attitude," Jennings said. "He loved music, and he taught me that it shouldn't have any barriers to it." Born in Littlefield, Texas, Jennings became a radio disc jockey at 14 and formed his own band not long afterward. By the early 1960s Jennings was playing regularly at a nightclub in Phoenix. In 1963, he was signed by 'Herb Alpert''s A&M Records, then was signed by RCA in Nashville shortly thereafter by Chet Atkins . Once in Nashville, he and Cash became friends and roommates. His hit records began in the mid-1960s and his heyday was the mid-1970s. About his outlaw image, he said: "It was a good marketing tool. In a way, I am that way. You start messing with my music, I get mean.

As long was you are honest and up front with me, I will be the same with you. But I still do things my way." - IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous Spouse (4) Was briefly a member of Buddy Holly 's band as the bass player. He was married and divorced three times before marrying Jessi Colter . Was supposed to be on the flight that killed Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper . The Big Bopper was sick and wanted to fly rather than ride the tour bus, so Jennings gave him his seat on the plane. Ended a 20-year cocaine addiction in 1984. At times, he was spending $1500 a day on the drug. High school dropout who got his General Educational Development (GED) in 1989. Had have his left foot amputated due to diabetes in December 2001. He made occasional forays into television movies, including Stagecoach (1986) and The Oklahoma City Dolls (1981), plus the Sesame Street movie Follow That Bird (1985) and a low-budget country/western musical, Nashville Rebel (1966).

In the mid-1980s, he joined with Willie Nelson , Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson to form the quartet The Highwaymen, which recorded together and did concert tours. "I'd like to be remembered for my music-- not necessarily by what people see when they see us-- but what they feel when they talk about you," he said in 1984. His "Greatest Hits" album in 1979 sold four million copies--a rare accomplishment in country music for that era. His other hit singles included "I'm a Ramblin' Man", "Amanda", "Lucille", "I've Always Been Crazy" and "Rose in Paradise". Named Male Vocalist of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1975. Won a Grammy Award for a version of "MacArthur Park" recorded with The Kimberleys. He sold more than 40 million albums and singles worldwide, including 16 #1 country hits. Survived by Jessi Colter , his fourth wife, and seven children. When he was told by doctors to quit touring, he auctioned off much of his equipment. Less than a year later, though, he was back playing concerts.

He often refused to attend music awards shows on the grounds that performers should not compete against each other. Despite those sentiments, he won two Grammy Awards and four Country Music Association Awards. He did not attend his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Son (with Jessi Colter ) Shooter Jennings (b. Waylon Albright Jennings, 1979) sings with the Los Angeles band Stargunn. Worked as a disc jockey at a Lubbock, Texas radio station. Jokingly told his friend Buddy Holly that he hoped his plane crashed, after he gave up his own seat, but was said to be extremely remorseful of the light-hearted comment and for years felt somehow responsible for his friend's death. Stevie Nicks wrote her 1981 hit "Leather & Lace" at Jennings' request, as a song for he and wife Jessi Colter . It was his intent that they would record the song at a future time. However, by the time Nicks finished penning the song, Waylon and Jessi had split. Nicks recorded it with Don Henley (of Eagles ).

The Nicks/Henley version was included on her 1981 LP "Bella Donna" and went to #6 on the US charts. Waylon and Jessi never made a studio recording of the song. He claimed that his guitarist Jimmy Byrd was the only other man who could perform his trademark "Chicken Picking" style of guitar playing and often called him "Abe Lincoln" due to his resemblance to former president Abraham Lincoln . He was usually regarded as the unifying, central force of "The Highwaymen", as he brought together Johnny Cash , Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson , all of whom he had been friends with since the 1960s. Waylon Jennings: An Outlaw Opens Up Musically : NPR Waylon Jennings performs live in Nashville on Jan. 5, 2000. The singer died in 2002. Rusty Russell/Stringer/Getty Images Entertainment In the mid-1970s, country music star Waylon Jennings made records with a stripped-down production style and a rock rhythm. It was an outlaw movement, and it changed the direction of country music.

Jennings, who started his career as a disc jockey, grew up in Littlefield, Texas, and started playing in a band when he was 12. His group made frequent appearances on KDAV, a local country radio station, particularly its "Sunday Party" program. It was there that he met Buddy Holly in 1955. "Local acts got to come in and sing, and Buddy was one of the regulars. I was from another town, about 40 miles away," Jennings told Fresh Air host Terry Gross in 1996. "But that's where I first got to know him, and we just liked each other. And we both loved music, and that's the only thing we wanted to talk about and think about." Jennings became Holly's bass player and toured the country with him. It was Jennings who gave up his seat to the Big Bopper on the plane that crashed, killing everyone aboard — including Holly. "We had been on a school bus because a couple of days before, it had been about 40 below, and our regular bus froze up," Jennings said.

"Anyway, the Big Bopper had the flu, and he came to me and says, 'I hear you have a plane tonight. Is there any way I can talk you into letting me have your seat on that plane?' And I said, 'If you talk to Buddy and if it's okay with him, it's okay with me.' " Article continues after sponsorship The next day, Jennings' guitarist told him about the plane crash. "That was my first experience dealing with death with someone that was close to me," Jennings said. "It took me quite a while to get over it." Jennings took several years off from the recording industry, but continued working in radio. In 1965, he moved to Nashville, where he met Willie Nelson. A decade later, Nelson and Jennings would team up on their compilation album Wanted: The Outlaws, which became a platinum record. In 1978, Nelson and Jennings released their biggest hit, "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." Being an outlaw was a rewarding experience. Jennings had 16 No. 1 singles and several gold and platinum albums.

In 1975, he was named the Country Music Association's Male Vocalist of the Year and was later elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Jennings joined Gross in 1996 to discuss his autobiography Waylon, his collaborations with Nelson and his career in Nashville. He died in 2002 of complications from diabetes. On This Day: Buddy Holly Killed in Plane Crash on “The Day the Music Died” On This Day: Buddy Holly Killed in Plane Crash on “The Day the Music Died” February 03, 2012 06:00 AM by findingDulcinea Staff On Feb. 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash. The day would be immortalized as “The Day the Music Died” in the Don McLean song “American Pie.” The Day The Music Died Buddy Holly was headlining the “Winter Dance Party,” a three-week tour through 24 midwestern cities featuring Ritchie Valens, the “Big Bopper” J.P. Richardson and Dion & The Belmonts.

The grueling travel schedule and Midwest winter was hard for the musicians, especially after the heat in the tour bus stopped working. On Feb. 2, the tour stopped in Clear Lake, Iowa, to perform at the Surf Ballroom. Holly, frustrated by the bus rides, decided to charter a plane for after the show to take his band to the next tour stop in Moorhead, Minn. Valens and Richardson, who were sick with a cold and flu, respectively, asked Holly’s bandmates to give up their seats for them. Holly guitarist Tommy Allsup gave Valens his seat after flipping a coin for it. Richardson got a seat from bassist Waylon Jennings, who later joked with Holly about losing his seat. Holly said, “Well, I hope your bus freezes up,” to which Jennings replied, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes.” Jennings would say later in his life that the exchange haunted him: “I was awful young, and it took me a long time to get over that.” Holly, Richardson and Valens boarded the three-passenger plane, a Beechcraft Bonanza B3794N. It took off from Mason City, Iowa, around 1:00 a.m.

on Feb. 3, piloted by 21-year-old Roger Peterson, who had just worked a 17-hour day. Flying into a blizzard, the plane crashed into a cornfield shortly after take-off , killing all four men aboard. The crash was blamed on pilot error; the low visibility due to the weather conditions would have forced Peterson to rely on instruments to determine where he was flying. An inexperienced pilot with limited knowledge of his instruments, Peterson likely flew the plane down instead of up. The Civil Aeronautics Board’s official report on the accident states: “This accident, like so many before it, was caused by the pilot’s decision to undertake a flight in which the likelihood of encountering instrument conditions existed, in the mistaken belief that he could cope with en route instrument weather conditions, without having the necessary familiarization with the instruments in the aircraft and without having properly certificated to fly solely by instruments.” Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley was born in Lubbock, Texas , on Sept. 7, 1936.

He played guitar, banjo and mandolin by the age of 15, and by the mid-1950s was playing in a country duo with childhood friend Bob Montgomery. Holly turned to playing rock and roll in 1955, after seeing Elvis Presley perform in Lubbock. “He loved Presley's rhythm—it wasn't country and it wasn't blues—it was somewhere in the middle and it suited just fine,” recalls country singer Sonny Curtis, a childhood friend of Holly. “After seeing Elvis, Buddy had only one way to go.” He was signed onto a record label in 1956. In 1957, Holly and his band, the Crickets, recorded “That'll Be the Day,” which soon topped the pop charts . By 1958 the group had had seven Top 40 singles, including “Peggy Sue” and “Oh Boy!” “Though Holly lacked the arresting sexuality of Elvis Presley, he nonetheless cut an engaging, charismatic figure with his trademark horn-rimmed glasses and vocal hiccup,” writes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Crickets split up in 1958, and Holly moved to Greenwich Village and married Maria Elena Santiago. Maria was pregnant with their first child when Holly was killed , but she had a miscarriage after the accident. Though his career as a popular musician lasted only about a year and a half, Holly left an enduring legacy . He was innovative in his use of double-tracking and other studio techniques, and popularized the lineup of two guitars, a bass and drums that is used by many rock bands. He influenced 60s bands such as the Beatles, whose named is derived from the Crickets, and the Rolling Stones, whose first hit was a cover of Holly’s “Not Fade Away.” Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela was born in the Los Angeles suburb of Pacoima, surrounded by Mexican music but also influenced by R&B vocal groups.

He learned guitar and joined a local band when he was 16, and was eventually taken under the wing of Del-Fi label owner Bob Keane, with whom he produced his debut single, “Come On, Let's Go.” He would then release “Donna,” and “La Bamba.” "Donna” was later called "one of the classic teen love ballads" by rock critic Lester Bangs, and “La Bamba,” perhaps his most-remembered hit, “foreshadowed garage-rock, frat-rock and punk-rock,” according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sources in this Story MSNBC: Big Bopper autopsy debunks foul-play rumors The “Big Bopper” Jiles Perry Richardson Jr. was born on Oct. 24, 1930 in Sabine Pass, Texas. He earned the stage name of The Big Bopper in 1957 while working as a DJ at KTRM in Beaumont, Texas. He set a record in 1957 for continuous broadcasting for six days, spinning more than 1,800 records.

He would have his own chart-topping single in 1958 with “Chantilly Lace,” and other popular hits such as “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Big Bopper's Wedding.” Despite rampant rumors after his death that a gun of Buddy Holly's found at the crash site was fired on the plane, an exhumation in 2007 found that there had been no “foul play” involved during the plane crash . Buddy Holly plane crash may be re-examined - CNN.com Buddy Holly plane crash may be re-examined By Katia Hetter and Rene Marsh, CNN Updated 5:22 PM ET, Wed March 4, 2015 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: The day the music died Musician Buddy Holly, 22, was one of four people -- including two other promising young singers -- killed in a February 3, 1959, plane crash a few miles from Mason City Municipal Airport, near Clear Lake, Iowa.

The tragedy became known as "The Day the Music Died," after a lyric from Don McLean's 1971 hit "American Pie." Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: The day the music died Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson all died in the crash, which was blamed on poor weather and possible pilot error. It was snowing that night, with high winds and poor visibility. Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: The day the music died Singer Valens was just starting to make it big with "La Bamba" when his life was cut short at age 17. He was later immortalized in a 1987 movie. Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: The day the music died Richardson was sick the night he took Waylon Jennings' seat on the plane. Known by his stage name, "The "Big Bopper," he had a hit the previous year with "Chantilly Lace." Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: The day the music died Jennings was playing bass in Holly's band in 1959 and went on to become a country music legend.

He was reportedly haunted by guilt over giving away his seat. Jennings died in 2002. Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: The day the music died Dion DiMucci of Dion and the Belmonts was the only one of the Winter Dance Party tour's four headliners not on the plane that night. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and is still performing. Hide Caption Story highlights Pilot error and snow were reasons stated for Buddy Holly plane crash An aviation enthusiast has new theories for crash that also killed the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens (CNN) It's the day the music died. In the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, a small aircraft carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson crashed a few miles from Mason City Municipal Airport, near Clear Lake, Iowa. Pilot Roger Peterson also died in the crash. The voice of the hit songs "Peggy Sue" and "That'll Be the Day" was silenced forever.

A few months later, the Civil Aeronautics Board blamed the accident primarily on the pilot's lack of qualification and certification to fly solely by instruments and secondarily on an inadequate weather briefing . (PDF). Read More Now, the National Transportation Safety Board, the successor to the aeronautics board, may be taking another look. The NTSB received a letter from aviation enthusiast L.J. Coon, a self-described retired pilot and aircraft dispatcher, asking it to look at other possible contributing factors to the crash. They include the aircraft's weight and balance calculations (for passengers, baggage and fuel), possible issues with rudder panels and possible carburetor Induction icing, Coon told CNN in an email. "You have gotten our attention," the NTSB wrote in February, saying it would examine the information he provided, Coon's email said. JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Will we get answers on the death of Buddy Holly? 03:12 The NTSB never fully closes a case, but any petition to re-examine a crash needs to show that there is new information suggesting the original probable cause is incorrect, NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss said.

The agency has two months to review the petition and decide whether there's new information that would make it revisit the case. In 1959, Holly, Valens and Richardson were part of the Winter Dance Party , a tour that had started in Milwaukee and traveled to small cities in Minnesota and Iowa. The musicians had traveled in subfreezing temperatures in unheated buses, and people were getting sick. Holly booked the four-seat aircraft to fly to Fargo, North Dakota, where he planned to finally do laundry and rest in advance of the group's next concert in nearby Moorhead, Minnesota. Country legend Waylon Jennings , then Holly's bass player, gave up his seat to a sick Richardson. Jennings, who died in 2002 at age 64, was haunted by his decision for years to come. Dion and the Belmonts were also on the tour, but Dion gave up his seat on the plane after hearing the $36 per-person price tag. He was the only headliner not on the plane and the only headliner who didn't die that night. Fans remember 'the Day the Music Died' The crash has inspired generations of artists.

Lou Diamond Phillips played Ritchie Valens (originally Valenzuela) in the 1987 hit movie "La Bamba." Gary Busey played Holly in the 1978 movie "The Buddy Holly Story." Don McLean , who was inspired by Holly's music, memorialized that day as "The Day the Music Died" in his 1971 song "American Pie." Giving Up Seat in Buddy Holly Plane Saved Jennings' Life - latimes YOU ARE HERE: LAT Home → Collections Giving Up Seat in Buddy Holly Plane Saved Jennings' Life Waylon Jennings was a member of Buddy Holly's band on Feb. 3, 1959, when he gave up his seat in a small plane scheduled to take Holly and some other musicians on to the next show. The plane crashed, killing all aboard, including Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, "the Big Bopper." Jennings says he gave his seat to Richardson because "he had a bad cold, and he was a big guy." "We'd been driving around in this dinky school bus, and the seats were real uncomfortable for him; he just couldn't get any rest at all.

I can sleep anywhere, so I let him take the plane on ahead," he said. Meanwhile, Jennings continued, guitarist and fellow band member Tommy Allsup gave up his seat to Valens "because Ritchie needed to get some cleaning done. . . . He had a cold too, and he didn't have any clean clothes to wear." The band was called the Crickets but was not Holly's original Crickets band. MORE: The day the music died - Feb 03, 1959 - HISTORY.com The day the music died Share this: The day the music died Author The day the music died URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1959, rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff from Mason City on a flight headed for Moorehead, Minnesota. Investigators blamed the crash on bad weather and pilot error. Holly and his band, the Crickets, had just scored a No.

1 hit with “That’ll Be the Day.” After mechanical difficulties with the tour bus, Holly had chartered a plane for his band to fly between stops on the Winter Dance Party Tour. However, Richardson, who had the flu, convinced Holly’s band member Waylon Jennings to give up his seat, and Ritchie Valens won a coin toss for another seat on the plane. Holly, born Charles Holley in Lubbock, Texas, and just 22 when he died, began singing country music with high school friends before switching to rock and roll after opening for various performers, including Elvis Presley. By the mid-1950s, Holly and his band had a regular radio show and toured internationally, playing hits like “Peggy Sue,” “Oh, Boy!,” “Maybe Baby” and “Early in the Morning.” Holly wrote all his own songs, many of which were released after his death and influenced such artists as Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney. Another crash victim, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, 28, started out as a disk jockey in Texas and later began writing songs.

Richardson’s most famous recording was the rockabilly “Chantilly Lace,” which made the Top 10. He developed a stage show based on his radio persona, “The Big Bopper.” The third crash victim was Ritchie Valens, born Richard Valenzuela in a suburb of Los Angeles, who was only 17 when the plane went down but had already scored hits with “Come On, Let’s Go,” “Donna” and “La Bamba,” an upbeat number based on a traditional Mexican wedding song (though Valens barely spoke Spanish). In 1987, Valens’ life was portrayed in the movie La Bamba, and the title song, performed by Los Lobos, became a No. 1 hit. Valens was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Singer Don McLean memorialized Holly, Valens and Richardson in the 1972 No. 1 hit “American Pie,” which refers to February 3, 1959 as “the day the music died.” Related Videos

Question: Who was the singer who gave up his seat on the plane that crashed, killing Buddy Holly?
Answer: Waylon Jennings