The bird/Middle fingers of the month (Freaks and Geeks, Rihanna, Bieber, Bowie, Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings, Badfinger, Martin Freeman and more)

By Mona Goldwater, Signs and Gestures Ed.

Our monthly round-up of photos sent in by readers, and a few we discovered on various sites. . .

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"The day the music died" — February 3, 1959: Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper. and Richie Valens

By Jack Brummet, American Music Ed.

Today is the anniversary of "the day the music died." Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper died on a plane crash in Iowa. Holly had chartered a plane because their bus had become prone to breakdowns and often had no heat. The weather was bad and the plane crashed just after taking off. 

Buddy's band mate and friend Waylon Jennings--to Holly's displeasure--gave up his seat to the Big Bopper, who was sick. Holly told Waylon "I hope that bus breaks down." Waylon said to Holly "I hope your plane crashes," for which he felt guilty most of his life. 

I'm glad Waylon sat that one out, and wish Buddy could have been around to make more songs and see his music venerated by the next generation of people, including most notably, The Beatles.

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Waylon Jennings, Buddy Holly, a photo booth, Waylon's accidental good luck, and the day the music died

Waylon Jennings and Buddy Holly (and someone else's finger) in a Times Square photo booth.  A few months later on a tour, Waylon gave up his seat on Holly's plane to The Big Bopper, who had the flu.  The plane crashed six miles from the airport, on what some call "the day the music died."  And the plane was not named American Pie, contrary to the legend; it actually had no name. 

According to Waylon, on a VH-1 Behind the Music special, "The Day the Music Died," he and Holly good-naturedly kidded each other about Jennings' decision. Holly told Jennings, "I hope your ol' bus freezes up!" and Jennings replied, "Yeah? Well I hope your ol' plane crashes!" For years Waylon would not talk about his time with Holly because it was too painful.

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The Day The Music Died

By Jack Brummet

A large large steel pair of horn-rim glasses, similar

to those Buddy Holly wore, sits near the crash site

It was fifty-four years ago today that, as Don McLean wrote in "American Pie," the music died. 

A small airplane crash February 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed rock musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and the pilot Roger Peterson. 

Richardson, Holly, Valens

Buddy Holly had parted ways with the original Crickets by this time, and put together a new band with Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch, for a  '"Winter Dance Party" tour. The tour included Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper Richardson, who were promoting their own albums. 

The tour had been on tour buses, but the cold weather, long distances, and conditions aboard the ratty tour buses, began wearing down the musicians.  The bands were passing a raging 'flu virus back and forth, and  Holly's drummer was hospitalized for frostbite. Buddy Holly decided to charter a plane in Clear Lake, Iowa, to reach their next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota (near Fargo).  Waylon Jennings was bumped from the plane in favor of someone who was suffering from the flu (well, I guess that cured the flu). Tommy Allsup flipped a coin with Ritchie Valens to see who got a seat.  Valens "won."  Another survivor, Dion DiMucci (Dion and the Belmonts) didn't want to spend the $36. 

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A receipt for Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Boppers final flight

By Jack Brummet

A receipt written out to The Big Bopper for his final flight with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.  Of course, the plane went down that night. . .

It's probably an apocryphal story, but I've heard that Waylon Jennings actually fought The Big Bopper over which one of them would get on the plane.  That's one fight Waylon was probably happy to lose.  At least the next day. . .

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Buddy Holly on the Arthur Murray Dance Party 12/29/57

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