This was nothing but an accident that should never have happened. It was a day short of my 16th birthday when I heard that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper had died in the plane crash. I was absolutely devastated. I cried all day and all night, I kept my little transistor in bed with me and listened to their music playing non-stop. My mother dragged me out of bed to make me go to work, we left school at 15 years of age in those days. I honestly don't know how I got there. When I got home from work I went straight to my bedroom and just listened to their music playing over and over again. Even though I am now 74 years old, the memories of that day are as clear as anything and can still bring a tear to my eye for the waste of those young lives. I loved 50's and 60's music when I was a teenager, and I love it now, nothing ever came close to that era.
sheila ryan ..We old folks, I am 76 , remember Buddy Holly and his colleagues dying in the plane crash....We also remember his music. It was part of our young lives, exciting, daring, and holding out so much hope for the future.R.I.P. BUDDY.
I remember listening to the news and couldn't believe he died with the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens - it truly was a sad day in elementary I was 12 years old but enjoyed the music of the 50s and 60s too.
Last summer i visited the crash site these 3 talented men very respected missed i met Ritchies sister connie she lives around the corner from the surf ballroom shes a total sweetheart very respectful & loving
My mom turned 9 yrs. old the day before. The next day the music didn't just die here in the USA but also in Southern Mexico where she was. She remembers that day quite well. As a result she made sure my sister and I would know them by name and their music. La Bamba is one of my all time favorite movies. 😥
Elvis Presley didn't have done people say he did I'm tired of people saying that Elvis and played music together so that BS that Elvis Presley had buddy Holly them killed
@@michelledesgroseilliers2956 definitely a pioneer. He is the bridge between the American Rock N Roll and The 60s British Invasion. You look at what Buddy Holly did and The Crickets are a model for all the bands from Liverpool, London, etc…
I went by there in September 2024, and the front ticket booth is the same. You can see videos where the original stage is but they have added a slightly lower extention outward for bigger bands. It was a Sunday so didn't get in, but I hope to return again sometime.
Yeah, it's a Shame, But The Same Was True With Lynard Skynard's Plane Crash. & there was a Pilot & Younger Co-pilot, that Died Aswell, My Brothern Law is a Pilot & Like He, Said the Only Recognition a Pilot get's is when flying ESPECIALLY Someone Famous, is If They Save the Day !! In the Case of Buddy Holly's Pilot Roger Patterson, what I think Sucks is Bk then the FAA Ruled the Crash was due to pilot error, which is a Slap in the Face, when in fact the crash was most likely due to the Weather but that's the way it goes if U, save the day your a HERO !! If U, Crash Your a ZERO Just that Damn Quick !!!!
My son played Buddy Holly in "The Buddy Holly Story" in a wonderful and accuracte rendition of Buddy Holly's life, in May, 2016, in the Toronto area, Peterborough actually. It was magical and I was so proud of this performance by my son and many others. Who knew Matt could sing like that?!
I remember the first time I heard Buddy....back in early '57 when a radio DJ said he'd smuggled a record back to UK from the USA....it was like something out of heaven..we'd never heard a Strat before and when Buddy sang it was music from the gods....it woke so many of us up to super music, loved Buddy since that first hearing....still luvya Buddy.....you're still great and your music hasn't aged one bit.
Thank you for posting this on Buddy Holly. He was my 2nd cousin, once removed. My dad's 2nd cousin. My whole family was musical. My dad was in a band and doing really good until Elvis got popular, hahaha. He played the Mandolin, Steel guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, and sang and wrote his own songs and music. I bet those two are playing together right now. May they rest in peace!
Norman Petty was a "producer" in Clovis, NM... and put his name on all of Buddy's songs. Paul McCartney eventually bought the catalog and gave the proceeds to Buddy's family and his widow, Maria Elena Holly.
One important difference: Buddy wrote & arranged many of the great songs he recorded. Colonel Parker demanded that songwriters give up a big % of their publishing $ for Elvis do do their songs, because El wrote nothing, and that's where the $$$ is. Losing 50% or more of song that becomes an Elvis hit still leaves plenty; few songwriters could afford to refuse. One did: Dolly Parton turned down El's offer for "I Will Always Love You", & did quite well with it.
Gary Busey was Buddy Holly. Gary Busey is a true artist. That's why people think he's off his rocker. Most artists seem that way. Their brains are wired different. Long live Busey. RIP Buddy Holly.
It would be a real high point in my life if I had a chance to sit down and Jam with Gary, I think he is cool as hell no matter how off the wall people think he is, I once saw an old interview with Humphrey Bogart where he said simply “My job is giving my best performance to entertain people, what I do on my own time is my own business!” But then again, people think I’m off the wall, so if he is off the wall, that makes me like him all the better. My dads cousin was one of the Tarzan actors, he got tired of Hollywood, it takes a strong person to put up with all the behind the scenes crap, I know that the first time a director would talk down or yell at me like they do, I would hit that little cock sucker so fucking hard that by the time he would come too, his clothes would be out of style.
I think you almost have to be Born into Hollywood to be able to put up with the behind the scenes Bullshit, my dads cousin Gordy grew up from a young age as a Lumberjack so when he was on Summer vacation in Vegas working as a lifeguard at one of the hotels, a producers wife saw how naturally well built he was from years of natural hard work and not a “Sterroid Queen” she told her husband to give him a screen test, he did enjoy the whole thing for a while, but the politics and company people were enough to make “THE POPE TURN NAZI!” Even thou he was a hell of a nice guy he found Hollywood to not be worth it and retired in 1966, so I give anyone credit for simply sticking it out in Hollywood, it’s not all the fun and glamour all the time that people think. I don’t blame Gary for letting off a bit of steam once in a while.
Yes, the tragic death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson and the pilot, Roger Peterson, could have all been avoided. Holly's shyster of a manager could have been paying him the royalties he was due. That is the only reason he was on the tour. Whomever was behind the Winter Dance Party Tour could have paid for a better bus...one with a properly functioning heating system. And of course the pilot was not licensed to fly by instruments. Many "what ifs" in this story. But there was no conspiracy here. Simply a tragic accident that took the life of 4 young men, with their whole lives ahead of them.
Kato... Most of them. Having spent 60 years in "the biz" I can say that without any reservation at all. Here's Hunter Thompson's take: "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There is also a negative side." Hunter S. Thompson
LOL. Ole Hunter always new how to hit the nail on the head. Where do you fit into "the biz"? My main knowledge of it is via the dozens of rock bios I've read, and most of them detail how the acts are basically held in indentured servitude to the record companies, and what the record companies don't steal, their managers quite often take. One of the worst examples that comes to mind is Badfinger. But plenty of others come to mind; Billy Joel, Harry Nilsson, The Bay City Rollers even The Beatles were being ripped off by their beloved Brian Epstein. (you know, when he wasn't losing them millions simply through sheer incompetence...) I'd be interested in knowing more about your personal experiences.
kato64 Kato...Don't forget John Fogerty. It took him years to get what was rightfully his. Before I retired I toured and recorded with the Everly Brothers off and on (mostly on) from'64 until their breakup in '73. I also led various bands of my own over the years and had the opportunity to back up artists as diverse as Bobby Vinton, Steve Alaimo, Bobby Lewis, Jimmy Clanton, Bo Diddley and Hubert Sumlin. How's that for a mixed bag? LOL!
I'm a HUGE Rolling Stones fan and one of my all-time favorites for me is their excellent cover of Holly's "Not Fade Away". Really wonderful tribute to a man who influenced them and so many other musicians. Buddy Holly seemed to have been a generous man where music was concerned. I think he would've been tickled to hear what other people did with his compositions even though his own style was so distinctive.
I saw on a biography about Buddy Holly that his wife was expecting. Upon hearing about his death on the radio she miscarried! Which makes it even more tragic! The pilot should never have taken off in that weather. Years ago I read that the pilot was not certified for night flying either and may have gotten confused, though he was climbing when he was doing the opposite. There have been so many differing reports I don't think we'll ever know what actually caused it! It's just so sad! I think the one that makes me cry the most is Ritchie Valens, he was only 17!
Krisna Reece Several factors: Deplorable weather conditions. A young pilot not IFR certified. Being ordered to fly without visibility. No illumination on the runway. Poor weather advisory practices and a severe design flaw in the Beechcraft Bonanza: The Sperry F3 was NOT designed for commercial pilot use. It was a tragic accident, and all and all, Jerry Dywer was negligent for equipping the youthful pilot with Aircraft he was completely unfamiliar with.
Krisna R I want to know why the one guy who was laying in the snow dead pants was off? Unusually in plane crashes either you burn up, or half of the person's bodies left, Etc but this picture shows half of the body showing his buttocks .....pants off? Doesn't make sense?
I'm from Lubbock. Buddy Holly fan, lifelong Holly historian. Peggy Sue Gerron died in Lubbock, today, Oct. 1st, 2018. As for the "mystery" behind Buddy's death, there is no mystery. A gun was on board but had no bearing on the crash. Crash was due to pilot error. Roger Peterson, a not-instrument rated pilot misread or disregarded the altimeter. Flew the plane directly into the ground. Two weekends ago, I attended a Texas Tech football game, parking in the parking lot of the skating rink shown in the first scene of the Buddy Holly Story.. The building is now a warehouse for a milk producer. It's a shame folks are producing films that are solving "mysteries" when there are none.
What happened on that plane is very simple. The pilot did not perform a Weight and Balance calculation prior to take off. I owned a plane just like the one they died in, and flew it for 5 years as a Commercial, IFR rated plot with 2500 hours flying time. Every plane has a Useful Weight Limit. That is; how much you can put in it. That weight has to be distributed properly in order for the aircraft to be stable, and be able to be controlled in the air. There is an area called the Balance Envelope located as the front/rear balance point like a teeter totter with a person on each end the balance point is where the board rest. It is located just behind the back seat, pretty much in line with the landing gear on a tricycle hear plane and in line with the wings. There is a small margin of error in the "Envelope". The weight of everything loaded, and and it's position in the plane must be entered into the W/B calculations prior to take off and adjustments made to make sure the weight falls within the W/B Envelope. This might even mean taking on less fuel, or less luggage, or even fewer passengers. Thst plane did not have a heater; the heat for the cabin came off the exhaust manifold of the engine. The pilot weighed about 160# and Buddy Holly weighted about 150# and had on probably 20# of clothing because of the weather. The Big Bopper weighed about 260# and Richie Valen weighed about 240# with each probably wearing 20# of clothing. They were in the back seat, and there was luggage from all three in a baggage compartment behind the back seat. The weight of the baggage could easily have been 80#. That is 800#+/-. 5 qts of oil about 15#. Two 35 gal fuel tanks = 70 gals @ 6#/ gal. = 420# of fuel for a total weight of 1235#. The useful load maximum on that plane was 1100#. So they were 135# overweight, which means the glide ratio of the plane was compromised should they have engine failure. It would be very difficult and slow for the plane to climb and control and easier for the plane to stall at slower speeds. The weight distribution was horrendously out of the W/B Envelope. There was 365# forward of the datum point and 680# rear of the datum point. The plane was tail-heavy and would have been difficult to trim to level flight and tended to want to fly nose high, and very difficult to control. I believe the plane finally stalled at an altitude to low to recover; if recovery was possible. The ceiling was 4000 feet and visibility beyond 3 miles and within VFR condition with light snow. They climed to less than 2000 feet altitude. The FBO watched the plane from the tower until it disappeared at a slightly downward angle. The FAA inspection report didn't even mention the Weight and Balance calculation that the pilot did not perform. That was the only error made along with not adjusting for that overload and imbalance. The FAA and a few reporters, and other idiots along the way have been distracted with light snow, temperature, a new compass in the plane, the fact that the pilot wasn't IFR rated, the fact that he only had 50 hours in that type of plane, yadda, yadda, yadda with things that did not matter. Taking off in a plane that exceeded its performance limits is what killed them. (That negligence has killed a lot of pilots and passengers) Perhaps the Pilot was awe struck at the celebrity passengers and distracted and too eager to get them into the air. Pilots are trained to, and should, follow a preflight written checklist to prevent these mental errors.
I love Buddys music, but I still say it is a shame the deaths of Big Bopper and Richie Valens end up being just barely a side note. Their deaths were equally as tragic.
Naw Ritchie gets madd props. Especially for such a short carreer. But yes holly was the man. They all were going to be the new era. Music became very dark and political after this area. This was the beginning and the end of the good old American music.
Yes that's the answer, he hadn't been a pilot for long and wasn't experienced with the weather conditions. It should never have happened. What a bloody senseless tragedy. They'd only just taken off. R.I.P
I remember when I first listen to buddy holly when I was 9 and I knew that he was my new favorite singer and I asked my brother "is buddy holly dead?" Assuming that he wasn't dead and the my brother was like "yes" :( I love Buddy Holly and his music he is my favorite singer
Damned record companies and their management. Buddy should have had money by 1959 and should never have had to do the winter dance party . The conditions were totally insane, the old unheated bus, etc. Such a waste.
Buddy had 7 top 40 hits in a little more than a year's span of 1957-58 so anyone could see he should have been doing well $$$ wise. Norman Petty was a crooked snake & had all of Buddy's royalties. I didn't read that until Petty was long dead. Ticked me off.
Yeah it was indeed a logistical nightmare for sure. I've always wondered, why tour up there in the frigid tundra? It might have been different with today's interstate highway system but at the time, only the eastern US & California had them, aside from some of the east-west toll roads, but none in those states they toured.
In my original comment I should have specifically included Norman Petty who still had Buddy's royalty money which by the end of 1958 would have been a sizable sum.
God bless Buddy, Richie, and the big bopper! Even there lives where cut short rock and roll would not be rock and roll with out them. R.I.P. God's of rock.
ok no blaming game just something new to talk about 60 years later im not blaming anyone or the bad timing/wheather but this plane could have landed more safe if they went in a different dirction land in a mystory place and not crush buddy holly himself drive this plane in 1950's it was hard to find pay phones and noone has not heard of a cell phone in 1959 news would so much more intersting on the redio news and news paper report that a plane has benish into thin air around 1am at night time but 2 days later more news comes on tv we have good news the same plane have land safely and all alive landed in a mystory place and could not find phones to call anyone
Buddy Holly is a legend. But he would never have been bigger than Elvis. Elvis was big almost immediately. Buddy Holly was big and was on TV but he didn't get the ratings Elvis had. The people didn't scream for him like they did for Elvis Presley.
We've lost so many musicians to plane/helicopter crashes: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Otis Redding, Glenn Miller, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Ronnie Van Zant, Randy Rhoads, Rick Nelson and his band, and, of course, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson. I was a little bitty kid when Holly, Valens and Richardson were lost, but I remember where I was when I heard the news. I was at my grandmother's house listening to the radio. So very sad and so many more besides these gone.
"I'm sure he's got some good songs going up there in the choir of Heaven." Damn, I'm 28 years old, and I'm Mexican. But I love this old school rock and roll.
The biography that I read is pretty gruesome. It details every single injury sustained by Holly, Valens, Richardson, and Peterson. They practically looked like they had been beaten to death.
This show here is 20+ years old now. Plenty of facts have come out since then that make this whole episode pretty obsolete: Roger Peterson took off in a snow storm, wasn't trained to fly by instruments alone, and was put in a plane he'd never flown in before. The plane had an inverted gyroscope, the opposite of the ones he was used to, so he thought he was ascending when in fact he was descending. It was a sad, freak accident. End of story, case closed.
The Dryner Airplane had a Sperry Gyroscope that was different the the Gyroscope Peterson trained on, It was opposite of what he trained on. Peterson turned the controls to level the airplane but in fact the right wing was 90 degrees from level. the Airplane hit the ground at 160 miles an hour and cartwheeled 500 feet. They were all killed on impact.
Im sorry, tears just started falling watching this. Buddy was so incredibly talented. His music was out of this world. A life tragically cut short... The day the music died. What choice did he have that last night. Stuck in a Bus that the heater didnt work and had broke down, he was sick with the flu. So when he got the Idea to fly to Missouri he took it up. A all night right ride on a freezing bus or a hour flight in a heated plane. Not to hard to pick if you have the money and he did..... Such a sad and terrible waste to so much talent.... I think If he had lived he would have become a even bigger star. Maybe even bigger than Elvis. Even Waylon Jennings said he had talent unbounded. Im sad that Im too young to have seen him play live. But I grew up listening to my Dad's records. Your music Lives on Buddy...R.I.P Buddy.
I think that had they lived, it would of been good competition for the British Invasion coming to America. Buddy was on the verge of becoming bigger than Elvis. He had so much music and in the studio he was doing things way ahead of his time.
23 years old buddy the big bopper and Ritchie almost 60 years on and your still loved missed and your music still is great you all made a difference we salute you
I heard no scandal, just tragedy. Talented young men who were killed in a plane crash. The pilot was young but, why blame him? Someone had to give them permission to take off.
Legend.. he did his thing.. 50's music in my personal opinion is best era of music of all time.. if I had to choose a era to listen to and nothing else I'd choose the doo Woop era Everytime.. great music
I visited the crash site a few days ago. I got the same feeling being at the crash site as I do being at a cemetery. It is a very somber peaceful place.
From what I read, when he started out as a musician, his last name was constantly being misspelled. He finally decided to go with it and use the misspelled last name as his stage name. Legally I think he was Charles Hardin Holley.
Gary Busey did an awesome portrayal of Buddy Holly. Unforgettable tribute! Great singer songwriters all a tragedy fallen from the sky. Fate is a mystery.
I dont think that has anything to do with it. Many, many other careers are high pressure and demanding. In fact when I look around, EVERYONE is in a hurry these days, especially when they are driving. I do not see any connection between "fame" and it's "high cost." Many people are doing very very well famous and lead good, solid lives and were never taken out by airplane crashes.
This was good but I believe it was all just an accident. No conspiracy or struggle just an accident. They all probably died upon impact, and seeing that bopper was the largest he was thrown the furthest. Rip Buddy, Ritchie, Bopper, and Roger we love you guys forever. The music never dies
I'm thinking ice on the wings. Never see anything written on how long the plane was sitting there before they took off. The second suspect would be spatial disorientation. I don't believe that Peterson ever flew at night solely on instruments or at least I never read that he did.
Very true, very true. Back then, night flying was more common both on private and commercial airlines. The then-current piston engined planes only flew an average of 300 mph so more time was needed. Nowdays it's mostly cargo planes in the skies at night. Peterson's age---21--to me was too young & inexperienced to be flying passengers already. A more experienced pilot might have made it a safe flight but unfortunately we'll never know.
They flipped a coin: Buddy says “ I hope your bus freezes up” Waylon says “Well, I hope your plane falls out of the sky” which obviously was just some sh!t-talking/joking. Words that would absolutely Haunt poor Waylon until the day he died. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY BECAUSE YOU MAY NEED TO LIVE WITH THOSE WORDS....
I can imagine that pain my bestfroend died on my 21st b-day Feb 2nd 2014. I told him to chill or hes gonna end up dead. Woke up the next morning to 17 missed calls and like 14 or 15 messages. He died that night qnd i blamed myself for so long for not just telling him to come over and chill and just wait til the next night when all of us were gonna go to the casino. I didn't sleep for years it seemed like i stayed up every night just stairing at my phone terrified. I became addicted to coke alchoal and pain killers. Ended up overdosing twice but i think he was watching over me and wouldn't let me die. i just hope hes smiling at the person I've become.
Hey Belle, don't sweat it! I see how it made you feel a little emotional. I once read his biography and his death was a true tragedy. You see all the excess and emptiness of music today and you would not believe what Buddy had to struggle just to be able to play his music and make an honest living. He was cheated out of royalties and disappointed by people all the time. But I think he is now been given his due.
He definitely inspired all of the Brit bands that came to America in the 60s. The Beatles took a page out of his book by merging classical with rock ballads!
A nurse friend was on duty at the Mason City hospital when the bodies were brought in, told me she actually seen the bullet hole in the back of the pilot Roger Peterson's neck.
no mystery, no scandle, it was to stormy, and bad weather conditions and an inexperienced pilot... I'm sure he did have a gun....Probably carried it for protection, and it probably got thrown out of the wreckage during the crash...
TheFarmerfitz . You are right, from what I have read, carrying a gun and using for protection . And what gun wouldn't go off from the in pack of a plane crash, it would only be shocking if it DIDNT go off
Actually the hornrims were the Everly Brothers' idea. When they were on tour in late '57, they picked out Holly's pair of those because, as you said, they thought those glasses would stand out. Prior to that, Buddy wore wire-rimmed ones. He decided they looked good! He needed to wear them of course--his vision was terrible.
The movie about Buddy Holly is a sad ending. The movie about Ritchie Valens (La Bamba) is a sad ending, too. Ritchie Valens was 17 years old when he died. I've seen both of those movies. Was there any movie about the Big Bopper?
+Pamela Schonour ... The Crickets (Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis) went to see the "Buddy Holly Story" and commented: "Well, that was somebody's story but it wasn't Buddy Holly's"
Pamela Schonour there was a movie being written for bopper but it never went into production. Because of the family. I leave near Beaumont tx were bopper was from. I've been to his grave and left him flowers and a note that said. Bopper you and buddy and Ritchie. Are forever great in the music world. And missed . I've also seen the crash site. There is still to this day an indention in the ground by the fence that the plane was found.
Telling the story of them being at the Apollo, Music bridging the gap between black and white, especially back then. I think that’s a most beautiful thing to hear! Instead of always noticing the things that separate us, I certainly wish we paid more attention to the things that bring us closer together, or could potentially. Btw… WHO in their right mind would assault a pilot at 4000' in the air?? I don’t think anyone with even half a brain. No… I think it was an accident plain and simple, regardless of the weapon that was found. When GB was describing how he felt at 12 years old hearing about their deaths, and how it took the air out of him… that was how I felt when I heard about the death of John Lennon. I was too young to fully understand but old enough to know the world lost a great talent. RIP, to all of them. 😢
Waylon admitted years later that his booze and cocaine binges of the 1960's and 70's was due to that. He seldom talked of it, but was haunted by it until his dying day.
Poor guy- I feel bad for him. Loved all those guys- Buddy Holly was long gone before I was born but I still loved his music. Lesson learned: I've said similar things to friends of mine, just joking, and I will never do it again.
Aida not Ahmad: Then there was Patsy Cline and Cowboy Capos, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Patsy's manager who was also the pilot, Randy Hughes plane crash in '63 and Otis Redding and some members of the band, Bar Kays plane crash in '67 and then Jim Croce and five others plane crash in '73. Lots of music has died.
Sorry Bubba, that's Cowboy Copas. Interesting note on that, in the movie "Sweet Dreams" with Jessica Lange starring as Patsy, plane flies into mountain, exploding on impact. WRONG. Patsy had done some kind of benefit in Kansas City for a disc jockey that was killed I think in an auto accident. Flying back to Tennessee in very heavy rain and horrible flying conditions the four you mentioned perished when plane went down in some kind of forest or heavily wooded area.
Aida not Ahmad: Singer Roger Miller ("King of the Road"), was one of the first to reach the crash site. I've never read where in flew into a mountain either. Infact, according to Ellis Nassour's book: "Patsy Cline: An Intimate Biography", the crash occured in a wooded area--lots of trees around. Some articles of clothing were hanging from them. She was also involved in a car accident. If you've ever seen the movie, "Coal Miner's Daughter", you'll notice Loretta (Sissy Spacek) meets Patsy (Beverly D'Angelo) for the first time while visiting her in the hospital and "Loretta" does mention the accident in the movie. The accident involved her brother Sam also in front of Madison High School in Nashville in '61. It was a head-on collision and the impact threw Patsy threw the windshield. She sustained scars along her forehead near her eyebrows. The accident nearly killed her.
Right. If I remember correctly, Dion was telling that story long before the BH movie came out. It seems more plausible that Holly would have offered a seat to another headliner, Dion, before he offered it to a stand-in guitarist.
Dion insists that Buddy originally offered a seat to him but Dion couldn't justify the what he perceived as extravagant cost of $36, which was the same amount his working-class parents paid for their monthly apartment rent back in Brooklyn. He also claimed Ritchie Valens, not the Big Bopper, had the flu but eyewitness accounts state otherwise.
Paula Houlden yeah if you watch the movie about Ritchie Valens life, he had the flu before getting on that plane not the Big Bopper. What else is so eerie is that Ritchie was terrified of flying. He always had nightmares that he would one day die in a plane crash and safely it happened.
I think that's awesome ... I lived for some time in Clovis, New Mexico, and in the area near Lubbock, Texas. There's a lot of music history in these parts, that many who don't live here may not know about ...
For any of you that obviously don't recognize sarcasm.. Ik it didn't happen flat out pilot error cmon ppl why so serious ?? It was 60 years ago yes great performers but i disagree the music did not die and never will regardless of who dies ..hence jimi hendrix, kurt cobain, stevie ray vaughn, even the insufferable elvis, john lennon, shall i go on ? I was being a smart ass and yes the gun was fired when it was found in the spring..it was fired by alburt juul.. Do the research ..especially you youngsters Google is a great thing also there is a few vids of that night in question right on you tube.. so with that being said start your nasty comments plz im bored to death.. PILOT ERROR AND PERFORMER EGO im glad waylon wasnt on that plane.. yup i said it
Yes Roger Peterson the pilot on that ill fated was 21 years old and was married then. He was found still in the plane.That plane looked like a ball of paper mache
@@lydialas5644 I'm doing good how about you Lydia my good buddy ? I like that there are so many people like you and I who love and appreciate this great music we all grew up with. I was born the year Buddy Holly first recorded That'll be the Day. His first song to be recorded but other songs became hits before That'll be the day finally became a big hit Keep Rockin' to the oldies Lydia my good friend.
@@lydialas5644 I have a girlfriend now so this is the best way for all of us on to talk I can't get myself into trouble that way I love her. After my late wife died from blood clots in 2007 I didn't want to date, remarry or get involved at all in honor of my late wife.14 years later I met my current girlfriend last year in February 2021.I don't want to jeopardize ours and her daughters happiness together ok Lydia my friend. This is a good way to talk without worrying about hurting my girlfriend ok Lydia Thanks for the friendship. You're a good person.
@@albertmiller8169 I understand that, it’s hard to trust people on the internet nowadays due to fake profiles and scam So how are doing over there how about you text me your p n in words so I can text you Jeff if you dont mind or Lydislas752
There was very much a "black music" influence ... from far away ... At night, because radio waves can travel much further, in Lubbock Texas, you could pick up radio stations as far afield as (e.g.) Memphis and New Orleans. Buddy would listen to music from R&B stations and that was very much an influence on his own music.
There was one station that was a regional emergency broadcast station that was allowed to turn up its power at night and was heard from Canada to Mexico , The mighty 1090 K Double A Y - KAAY AM Radio in Little Rock Ar. Remember Beaker Street every Sunday night ?
The wives of both Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson were both pregnant at the time of the crash. Holly's wife miscarried, while J.P.'s went on to have a healthy son. I don't know which is sadder--to lose your husband and child and never remarry or to raise your son without a father. The whole thing was a tragedy because they were all so young we don't know how much more they might have influenced music had they lived.
I've found that many people can't spell. You picked on the wrong subject to reply with. Think again, mannn. Then walk into the right room, see who's there . . . .
Then I'm a wonderin' I can't be walking backward for Christmas, or going backward whilst looking forward. So I'll have to remain completely stuck forever glancing into the far distance and squinting all day long, wonderin' who the hell does he think he is???
Your welcome! Rock stars weren't really treated well back then. They usually ended up broke, with no rights to their own music. Concert promoters were worse as they treated them as good as you would treat a circus act. I think that it wasn't until the late 60's when artists became more aware of the business and how to tour that they gained more control. I think promoters today would not risk the bad press in doing something so heartless.
Agreed. The plane, for its size, was overloaded, the pilot was only qualified for VFR and he took off in inclement weather with limited visibility. Cut, edit print. Fade to black. Let's not even mention ice on the wings--destroying the airfoil.
Buddy Holly really should have been the king of rock and roll instead of Elvis. If Buddy hadn't of been killed, he certainly would have made more benefit out of the 1960's than Elvis did.
True, he would've been crowned the King of Rock & Roll with Elvis being second in line. I know Elvis & Little Richard were shocked when they heard he was killed.
Elvis was absolutely gorgeous even to me and i.m not white.. I've always liked him, thought he was hot and i remember as a little girl, when he died. I.ve always been surprised that he didn.t have more children as i'm sure every woman in the world wanted him. It's sad how he died and i felt he had too many yes men around him..like most celebs! Rest easy hun.
This was nothing but an accident that should never have happened. It was a day short of my 16th birthday when I heard that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper had died in the plane crash. I was absolutely devastated. I cried all day and all night, I kept my little transistor in bed with me and listened to their music playing non-stop. My mother dragged me out of bed to make me go to work, we left school at 15 years of age in those days. I honestly don't know how I got there. When I got home from work I went straight to my bedroom and just listened to their music playing over and over again. Even though I am now 74 years old, the memories of that day are as clear as anything and can still bring a tear to my eye for the waste of those young lives. I loved 50's and 60's music when I was a teenager, and I love it now, nothing ever came close to that era.
sheila ryan I’m a mere young one compared but aged 14 in 1981 I loved buddy holly and still do
sheila ryan ..We old folks, I am 76 , remember Buddy Holly and his colleagues dying in the plane crash....We also remember his music. It was part of our young lives, exciting, daring, and holding out so much hope for the future.R.I.P. BUDDY.
The facts show the crash of the airplane was a crash.
I remember listening to the news and couldn't believe he died with the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens - it truly was a sad day in elementary I was 12 years old but enjoyed the music of the 50s and 60s too.
Last summer i visited the crash site these 3 talented men very respected missed i met Ritchies sister connie she lives around the corner from the surf ballroom shes a total sweetheart very respectful & loving
My mom turned 9 yrs. old the day before. The next day the music didn't just die here in the USA but also in Southern Mexico where she was. She remembers that day quite well. As a result she made sure my sister and I would know them by name and their music. La Bamba is one of my all time favorite movies. 😥
Even in 2019, Buddy Holly’s music is still so contagious! It just fills you with joy! Oh Boy and That’ll be the Day are his all time best!
Elvis Presley didn't have done people say he did I'm tired of people saying that Elvis and played music together so that BS that Elvis Presley had buddy Holly them killed
@@angieyauger295
Exactly thought what I!
I love buddys music!!! He was soooo talented!
@@michelledesgroseilliers2956 definitely a pioneer. He is the bridge between the American Rock N Roll and The 60s British Invasion. You look at what Buddy Holly did and The Crickets are a model for all the bands from Liverpool, London, etc…
The Ballroom they played in has never been touched, everything still remains! It's like it's been frozen in time!
? Which one?
@@Adriana-vp1rm Surf Ballroom In Clear Lake Iowa !
I went by there in September 2024, and the front ticket booth is the same. You can see videos where the original stage is but they have added a slightly lower extention outward for bigger bands. It was a Sunday so didn't get in, but I hope to return again sometime.
Is everybody gonna forget the pilot, Roger Peterson. He had a life too
I think about him also. But i can't blame the people that don't want to mention him. They needed a scape goat for their hero dying.
RIP Roger Peterson 💜
Yeah, it's a Shame, But The Same Was True With Lynard Skynard's Plane Crash. & there was a Pilot & Younger Co-pilot, that Died Aswell, My Brothern Law is a Pilot & Like He, Said the Only Recognition a Pilot get's is when flying ESPECIALLY Someone Famous, is If They Save the Day !! In the Case of Buddy Holly's Pilot Roger Patterson, what I think Sucks is Bk then the FAA Ruled the Crash was due to pilot error, which is a Slap in the Face, when in fact the crash was most likely due to the Weather but that's the way it goes if U, save the day your a HERO !! If U, Crash Your a ZERO Just that Damn Quick !!!!
It's always that way. The star gets all the press.it's nothing personal.
The pilot also had a bad track record, getting let go from other flying jobs,ect,ect.
My son played Buddy Holly in "The Buddy Holly Story" in a wonderful and accuracte rendition of Buddy Holly's life, in May, 2016, in the Toronto area, Peterborough actually. It was magical and I was so proud of this performance by my son and many others. Who knew Matt could sing like that?!
Tell him he did great
Cool!
I was also in the movie predator 1989...I was born 1982....
He went out on top. What could have been, we can only imagine. RIP Buddy
Yup, even if buddy holly did something or not, it was a theory but rip legend he will be missed
He would be great even in 2024. What a gifted guy.
I remember the first time I heard Buddy....back in early '57 when a radio DJ said he'd smuggled a record back to UK from the USA....it was like something out of heaven..we'd never heard a Strat before and when Buddy sang it was music from the gods....it woke so many of us up to super music, loved Buddy since that first hearing....still luvya Buddy.....you're still great and your music hasn't aged one bit.
I was born in February of 1959, and this has always given me chills. I love his music 🎶 I sing as well.
Thank you for posting this on Buddy Holly. He was my 2nd cousin, once removed. My dad's 2nd cousin. My whole family was musical. My dad was in a band and doing really good until Elvis got popular, hahaha. He played the Mandolin, Steel guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, and sang and wrote his own songs and music. I bet those two are playing together right now. May they rest in peace!
Cleo puma 👍👍👍👍👍 😀😀😀😀😀
The Lord has him☺️👍✝️✝️✝️
How do you remove a cousin ❗❗❗
O ne night with the King Christ Jesus the prayer of a Rightous man avaliabe much. K. J.V. my friend✝️✝️✝️🔥🕊️🌈🦁☺️👍♥️😎🏹
@Ed Smith Amen my Friend
What’s so sad is Buddy Holly had a lousy promoter who didn’t care for him as an individual. Same goes with Jimi Hendrix.
Jim McCracken thanks for correction! I get those two mixed up
It must have been so terrifying, falling from the sky knowing there is nothing you can do to save yourself
Norman Petty was a "producer" in Clovis, NM... and put his name on all of Buddy's songs. Paul McCartney eventually bought the catalog and gave the proceeds to Buddy's family and his widow, Maria Elena Holly.
@Hello Smith how are you doing
Buddy holly was very talented and so was Elvis Presley. No comparison one Elvis Presley and one buddy holly. I like them both. And that's true
One important difference: Buddy wrote & arranged many of the great songs he recorded. Colonel Parker demanded that songwriters give up a big % of their publishing $ for Elvis do do their songs, because El wrote nothing, and that's where the $$$ is. Losing 50% or more of song that becomes an Elvis hit still leaves plenty; few songwriters could afford to refuse. One did: Dolly Parton turned down El's offer for "I Will Always Love You", & did quite well with it.
Nicole Wood Sorry, but Buddy was more talented, in my humble opinion.
@@monilaninetynine3811 buddy was not actor neither had the charisma and voice Elvis had, yet he was a brilliant song writter, both are icons.
I'm 35 years old and I love Buddy Holley and I love 50s music and he was around when my grandmother was a teenager
Gary Busey was Buddy Holly. Gary Busey is a true artist. That's why people think he's off his rocker. Most artists seem that way. Their brains are wired different. Long live Busey. RIP Buddy Holly.
Busey owns Buddy Holly's guitar, and can imitate him playing and singing so well it's eerie. He deserved that Oscar.
Yeah man, Gary is extremely talented and gifted.. and definitely high energy.
It would be a real high point in my life if I had a chance to sit down and Jam with Gary, I think he is cool as hell no matter how off the wall people think he is, I once saw an old interview with Humphrey Bogart where he said simply “My job is giving my best performance to entertain people, what I do on my own time is my own business!” But then again, people think I’m off the wall, so if he is off the wall, that makes me like him all the better. My dads cousin was one of the Tarzan actors, he got tired of Hollywood, it takes a strong person to put up with all the behind the scenes crap, I know that the first time a director would talk down or yell at me like they do, I would hit that little cock sucker so fucking hard that by the time he would come too, his clothes would be out of style.
I think you almost have to be Born into Hollywood to be able to put up with the behind the scenes Bullshit, my dads cousin Gordy grew up from a young age as a Lumberjack so when he was on Summer vacation in Vegas working as a lifeguard at one of the hotels, a producers wife saw how naturally well built he was from years of natural hard work and not a “Sterroid Queen” she told her husband to give him a screen test, he did enjoy the whole thing for a while, but the politics and company people were enough to make “THE POPE TURN NAZI!” Even thou he was a hell of a nice guy he found Hollywood to not be worth it and retired in 1966, so I give anyone credit for simply sticking it out in Hollywood, it’s not all the fun and glamour all the time that people think. I don’t blame Gary for letting off a bit of steam once in a while.
The Bussey movie was a pack of slanderous LIES!!!!!
I feel sorry for Waylon Jennings. He must have carried that with him the rest of his life.
he did :(
Yes, the tragic death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson and the pilot, Roger Peterson, could have all been avoided. Holly's shyster of a manager could have been paying him the royalties he was due. That is the only reason he was on the tour. Whomever was behind the Winter Dance Party Tour could have paid for a better bus...one with a properly functioning heating system. And of course the pilot was not licensed to fly by instruments. Many "what ifs" in this story. But there was no conspiracy here. Simply a tragic accident that took the life of 4 young men, with their whole lives ahead of them.
kato... You are correct sir. It was Norman Petty's greed that was indirectly responsible for Buddy's being on that tour.
Yeah, Petty was a real d-bag. Plenty of those in the music business though.
Kato... Most of them. Having spent 60 years in "the biz" I can say that without any reservation at all. Here's Hunter Thompson's take:
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There is also a negative side." Hunter S. Thompson
LOL. Ole Hunter always new how to hit the nail on the head. Where do you fit into "the biz"? My main knowledge of it is via the dozens of rock bios I've read, and most of them detail how the acts are basically held in indentured servitude to the record companies, and what the record companies don't steal, their managers quite often take. One of the worst examples that comes to mind is Badfinger. But plenty of others come to mind; Billy Joel, Harry Nilsson, The Bay City Rollers even The Beatles were being ripped off by their beloved Brian Epstein. (you know, when he wasn't losing them millions simply through sheer incompetence...) I'd be interested in knowing more about your personal experiences.
kato64 Kato...Don't forget John Fogerty. It took him years to get what was rightfully his.
Before I retired I toured and recorded with the Everly Brothers off and on (mostly on) from'64 until their breakup in '73. I also led various bands of my own over the years and had the opportunity to back up artists as diverse as Bobby Vinton, Steve Alaimo, Bobby Lewis, Jimmy Clanton, Bo Diddley and Hubert Sumlin. How's that for a mixed bag? LOL!
No matter how much time goes by, I cannot get enough of this show.
I'm a HUGE Rolling Stones fan and one of my all-time favorites for me is their excellent cover of Holly's "Not Fade Away". Really wonderful tribute to a man who influenced them and so many other musicians. Buddy Holly seemed to have been a generous man where music was concerned. I think he would've been tickled to hear what other people did with his compositions even though his own style was so distinctive.
I saw on a biography about Buddy Holly that his wife was expecting. Upon hearing about his death on the radio she miscarried! Which makes it even more tragic! The pilot should never have taken off in that weather. Years ago I read that the pilot was not certified for night flying either and may have gotten confused, though he was climbing when he was doing the opposite. There have been so many differing reports I don't think we'll ever know what actually caused it! It's just so sad! I think the one that makes me cry the most is Ritchie Valens, he was only 17!
Yes she miscarried the next day after finding out he had died in a crash. It's crazy how stress and grieving can make you have a miscarriage
Krisna Reece Several factors: Deplorable weather conditions. A young pilot not IFR certified. Being ordered to fly without visibility. No illumination on the runway. Poor weather advisory practices and a severe design flaw in the Beechcraft Bonanza: The Sperry F3 was NOT designed for commercial pilot use.
It was a tragic accident, and all and all, Jerry Dywer was negligent for equipping the youthful pilot with Aircraft he was completely unfamiliar with.
Exactly!
Ll
Krisna R I want to know why the one guy who was laying in the snow dead pants was off? Unusually in plane crashes either you burn up, or half of the person's bodies left, Etc but this picture shows half of the body showing his buttocks .....pants off? Doesn't make sense?
I'm from Lubbock. Buddy Holly fan, lifelong Holly historian.
Peggy Sue Gerron died in Lubbock, today, Oct. 1st, 2018.
As for the "mystery" behind Buddy's death, there is no mystery. A gun was on board but had no bearing on the crash.
Crash was due to pilot error. Roger Peterson, a not-instrument rated pilot misread or disregarded the altimeter. Flew the plane directly into the ground.
Two weekends ago, I attended a Texas Tech football game, parking in the parking lot of the skating rink shown in the first scene of the Buddy Holly Story.. The building is now a warehouse for a milk producer.
It's a shame folks are producing films that are solving "mysteries" when there are none.
It is click bait.
MarkMcCall51 oh for Christ’s sake, just shut your yap and keep your little fun facts and experiences to yourself. Kthxbye
@@mrrrrrrrrow wtf ? What is wrong with you
_bye_ If I cared i would be asking you the same question.
@@mrrrrrrrrow
Easily triggered are you?
You can get help for that.
What happened on that plane is very simple. The pilot did not perform a Weight and Balance calculation prior to take off. I owned a plane just like the one they died in, and flew it for 5 years as a Commercial, IFR rated plot with 2500 hours flying time. Every plane has a Useful Weight Limit. That is; how much you can put in it. That weight has to be distributed properly in order for the aircraft to be stable, and be able to be controlled in the air. There is an area called the Balance Envelope located as the front/rear balance point like a teeter totter with a person on each end the balance point is where the board rest. It is located just behind the back seat, pretty much in line with the landing gear on a tricycle hear plane and in line with the wings. There is a small margin of error in the "Envelope". The weight of everything loaded, and and it's position in the plane must be entered into the W/B calculations prior to take off and adjustments made to make sure the weight falls within the W/B Envelope. This might even mean taking on less fuel, or less luggage, or even fewer passengers. Thst plane did not have a heater; the heat for the cabin came off the exhaust manifold of the engine. The pilot weighed about 160# and Buddy Holly weighted about 150# and had on probably 20# of clothing because of the weather. The Big Bopper weighed about 260# and Richie Valen weighed about 240# with each probably wearing 20# of clothing. They were in the back seat, and there was luggage from all three in a baggage compartment behind the back seat. The weight of the baggage could easily have been 80#. That is 800#+/-. 5 qts of oil about 15#. Two 35 gal fuel tanks = 70 gals @ 6#/ gal. = 420# of fuel for a total weight of 1235#. The useful load maximum on that plane was 1100#. So they were 135# overweight, which means the glide ratio of the plane was compromised should they have engine failure. It would be very difficult and slow for the plane to climb and control and easier for the plane to stall at slower speeds. The weight distribution was horrendously out of the W/B Envelope. There was 365# forward of the datum point and 680# rear of the datum point. The plane was tail-heavy and would have been difficult to trim to level flight and tended to want to fly nose high, and very difficult to control. I believe the plane finally stalled at an altitude to low to recover; if recovery was possible. The ceiling was 4000 feet and visibility beyond 3 miles and within VFR condition with light snow. They climed to less than 2000 feet altitude. The FBO watched the plane from the tower until it disappeared at a slightly downward angle. The FAA inspection report didn't even mention the Weight and Balance calculation that the pilot did not perform. That was the only error made along with not adjusting for that overload and imbalance. The FAA and a few reporters, and other idiots along the way have been distracted with light snow, temperature, a new compass in the plane, the fact that the pilot wasn't IFR rated, the fact that he only had 50 hours in that type of plane, yadda, yadda, yadda with things that did not matter. Taking off in a plane that exceeded its performance limits is what killed them. (That negligence has killed a lot of pilots and passengers) Perhaps the Pilot was awe struck at the celebrity passengers and distracted and too eager to get them into the air. Pilots are trained to, and should, follow a preflight written checklist to prevent these mental errors.
Rest In Peace Buddy Holly.
Not only buddy but Richie and big Bopper as well..Rip guys...
Long live the legendary BuddyHolly from one Texan to another rest in peace buddy!!
When I go to heaven i can't wait to hear the concert of Buddy Holly and others that are there ... Boy am I gonna jam :)
I love Buddys music, but I still say it is a shame the deaths of Big Bopper and Richie Valens end up being just barely a side note. Their deaths were equally as tragic.
Richie Valens would have made many more classics! such a shame 😔
Naw Ritchie gets madd props. Especially for such a short carreer. But yes holly was the man. They all were going to be the new era. Music became very dark and political after this area. This was the beginning and the end of the good old American music.
+Melissa Ann we needed Richie...he was everything for mexican/americans in that time...so sad😞💖⭐
They were not as established as Buddy Holly yet.
Wat? I didn't know tell me about this
Not a buddy Holly fan , but loved Ritchie Valens . Lou did a great job playing Ritchie in "LaBamba."
Mystery? The pilot was flying an aircraft under conditions that he wasn't qualified for. Mystery solved!
exactly
True
Alex Harvey it's amazing you solved this crazy mystery lol!
Yes that's the answer, he hadn't been a pilot for long and wasn't experienced with the weather conditions. It should never have happened. What a bloody senseless tragedy. They'd only just taken off. R.I.P
correct!
Gary Busey should have one that Oscar he was superb
So tragic.
So young. Just kids really.
So much talent lost. Very sad.
I hope you're resting peacefully Buddy. One of the early Rock & Roll musicians.
I remember when I first listen to buddy holly when I was 9 and I knew that he was my new favorite singer and I asked my brother "is buddy holly dead?" Assuming that he wasn't dead and the my brother was like "yes" :(
I love Buddy Holly and his music he is my favorite singer
Damned record companies and their management. Buddy should have had money by 1959 and should never have had to do the winter dance party . The conditions were totally insane, the old unheated bus, etc. Such a waste.
So agree. Those 50's record company execs took advantage of talented kids like BH all the time.
Buddy had 7 top 40 hits in a little more than a year's span of 1957-58 so anyone could see he should have been doing well $$$ wise. Norman Petty was a crooked snake & had all of Buddy's royalties. I didn't read that until Petty was long dead. Ticked me off.
Yeah it was indeed a logistical nightmare for sure. I've always wondered, why tour up there in the frigid tundra? It might have been different with today's interstate highway system but at the time, only the eastern US & California had them, aside from some of the east-west toll roads, but none in those states they toured.
In my original comment I should have specifically included Norman Petty who still had Buddy's royalty money which by the end of 1958 would have been a sizable sum.
Gary Busey was unusually tame for this interview.
It could have been before his accident..
I don't think this show is that old. His accident was in 1988.
He used to act civilized
Well, he is a robot dog.
I love documentaries like these
God bless Buddy, Richie, and the big bopper! Even there lives where cut short rock and roll would not be rock and roll with out them. R.I.P. God's of rock.
Remember Buddy Holly although I was seven when he died in the plane crash still do the twist to his music. RIP Buddy, Richie, and Big Bopper.
Here we are 60 years later...
ok no blaming game just something new to talk about 60 years later
im not blaming anyone or the bad timing/wheather
but this plane could have landed more safe if they went in a different dirction land in a mystory place and not crush
buddy holly himself drive this plane
in 1950's it was hard to find pay phones and noone has not heard of a cell phone
in 1959 news would so much more intersting on the redio news and news paper report that a plane has benish into thin air around 1am at night time
but 2 days later more news comes on tv
we have good news the same plane have land safely
and all alive landed in a mystory place and could not find phones to call anyone
Jack Bean .. I was 11 years of age when Buddy, Ritchie and the Big Bopper died. They were ALL well known here in Australia. (1959)
Glad to see that these musicians' music lives on!
Hope you enjoyed the video.
I agree. If Buddy had lived, he would've been bigger than Elvis - and I say that with all due respect to Elvis, whom I also greatly admired.
Buddy Holly is a legend. But he would never have been bigger than Elvis. Elvis was big almost immediately. Buddy Holly was big and was on TV but he didn't get the ratings Elvis had. The people didn't scream for him like they did for Elvis Presley.
i’m sorry but that’s pretty ridiculous to say
@@truthhitman7473 - You hit the truth there, man.
I agree with this. Buddy Holly definitely had "it" that burning sensation to write great music like all the other legends.
What makes you say that?? I mean if he was going to be bigger than Elvis he would have been already
We've lost so many musicians to plane/helicopter crashes: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Otis Redding, Glenn Miller, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Ronnie Van Zant, Randy Rhoads, Rick Nelson and his band, and, of course, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson. I was a little bitty kid when Holly, Valens and Richardson were lost, but I remember where I was when I heard the news. I was at my grandmother's house listening to the radio. So very sad and so many more besides these gone.
Jim Croce.
sad thing is so many more from drugs
"I'm sure he's got some good songs going up there in the choir of Heaven." Damn, I'm 28 years old, and I'm Mexican. But I love this old school rock and roll.
The biography that I read is pretty gruesome. It details every single injury sustained by Holly, Valens, Richardson, and Peterson. They practically looked like they had been beaten to death.
Which biography is this?
I think they mean the autopsy @@winnieobrien7698
This show here is 20+ years old now. Plenty of facts have come out since then that make this whole episode pretty obsolete:
Roger Peterson took off in a snow storm, wasn't trained to fly by instruments alone, and was put in a plane he'd never flown in before. The plane had an inverted gyroscope, the opposite of the ones he was used to, so he thought he was ascending when in fact he was descending. It was a sad, freak accident. End of story, case closed.
The Dryner Airplane had a Sperry Gyroscope that was different the the Gyroscope Peterson trained on, It was opposite of what he trained on. Peterson turned the controls to level the airplane but in fact the right wing was 90 degrees from level. the Airplane hit the ground at 160 miles an hour and cartwheeled 500 feet. They were all killed on impact.
Excellent documentary. Thanks so much for posting this tribute.
A great talent for sure. Taken way too soon. RIP Charles Hardin Holley
Im sorry, tears just started falling watching this. Buddy was so incredibly talented. His music was out of this world. A life tragically cut short... The day the music died. What choice did he have that last night. Stuck in a Bus that the heater didnt work and had broke down, he was sick with the flu. So when he got the Idea to fly to Missouri he took it up. A all night right ride on a freezing bus or a hour flight in a heated plane. Not to hard to pick if you have the money and he did..... Such a sad and terrible waste to so much talent.... I think If he had lived he would have become a even bigger star. Maybe even bigger than Elvis. Even Waylon Jennings said he had talent unbounded. Im sad that Im too young to have seen him play live. But I grew up listening to my Dad's records. Your music Lives on Buddy...R.I.P Buddy.
Such a huge loss; but it was my understanding the next scheduled stop on the tour was Moorhead Minnesota, not Missouri.
Elvis, John Lennon, and Buddy-God must be Rockin and Rollin. May they all rest in peace and we will never forget them. We lost all of them too soon.
Manny Skouloudis ,.....?????? It could be fishy or not!,... it’s up to you to think about it!
God was finished There with the master!☺️👍✝️✝️✝️
And George Harrison
@@jneal21 ok my Friends👍🎻
Flying in a snowstorm at night is never a good idea..
I think that had they lived, it would of been good competition for the British Invasion coming to America. Buddy was on the verge of becoming bigger than Elvis. He had so much music and in the studio he was doing things way ahead of his time.
23 years old buddy the big bopper and Ritchie almost 60 years on and your still loved missed and your music still is great you all made a difference we salute you
I heard no scandal, just tragedy. Talented young men who were killed in a plane crash. The pilot was young but, why blame him? Someone had to give them permission to take off.
Legend.. he did his thing.. 50's music in my personal opinion is best era of music of all time.. if I had to choose a era to listen to and nothing else I'd choose the doo Woop era Everytime.. great music
I visited the crash site a few days ago. I got the same feeling being at the crash site as I do being at a cemetery. It is a very somber peaceful place.
Thank you for the upload.
Watching from Australia.
@Hello Howdy how are you doing
@@lydialas5644 doing awesome in my part of the world.
@@howdyradio934 Good to hear from you I hope we can get to know each other if you dont mind
@@lydialas5644 sure why not as long as you don’t try and sell me anything
From what I read, when he started out as a musician, his last name was constantly being misspelled. He finally decided to go with it and use the misspelled last name as his stage name. Legally I think he was Charles Hardin Holley.
Rest In Peace Buddy Holly September 7, 1936-February 3, 1959
Gary Busey was made to play that part. He was amazing.
Gary Busey did an awesome portrayal of Buddy Holly. Unforgettable tribute! Great singer songwriters all a tragedy fallen from the sky. Fate is a mystery.
The high cost of fame?" Anyone can die in a plane crash. It has nothing to do with "fame."
Umm....OK.
I dont think that has anything to do with it. Many, many other careers are high pressure and demanding. In fact when I look around, EVERYONE is in a hurry these days, especially when they are driving. I do not see any connection between "fame" and it's "high cost." Many people are doing very very well famous and lead good, solid lives and were never taken out by airplane crashes.
Gee, thanks for the life lesson!
RedTango
Any dumbass gets in an airplane with a "Visual Only PILOT, Famous or NOT, he is GAMBLING with his OWN LIFE.
This was good but I believe it was all just an accident. No conspiracy or struggle just an accident. They all probably died upon impact, and seeing that bopper was the largest he was thrown the furthest. Rip Buddy, Ritchie, Bopper, and Roger we love you guys forever. The music never dies
I'm thinking ice on the wings. Never see anything written on how long the plane was sitting there before they took off. The second suspect would be spatial disorientation. I don't believe that Peterson ever flew at night solely on instruments or at least I never read that he did.
Very true, very true. Back then, night flying was more common both on private and commercial airlines. The then-current piston engined planes only flew an average of 300 mph so more time was needed. Nowdays it's mostly cargo planes in the skies at night. Peterson's age---21--to me was too young & inexperienced to be flying passengers already. A more experienced pilot might have made it a safe flight but unfortunately we'll never know.
Mowac--yes sir my sentiments too.
They flipped a coin:
Buddy says “ I hope your bus freezes up”
Waylon says “Well, I hope your plane falls out of the sky” which obviously was just some
sh!t-talking/joking.
Words that would absolutely Haunt poor Waylon until the day he died.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY BECAUSE YOU MAY NEED TO LIVE WITH THOSE WORDS....
I can imagine that pain my bestfroend died on my 21st b-day Feb 2nd 2014. I told him to chill or hes gonna end up dead. Woke up the next morning to 17 missed calls and like 14 or 15 messages. He died that night qnd i blamed myself for so long for not just telling him to come over and chill and just wait til the next night when all of us were gonna go to the casino. I didn't sleep for years it seemed like i stayed up every night just stairing at my phone terrified. I became addicted to coke alchoal and pain killers. Ended up overdosing twice but i think he was watching over me and wouldn't let me die. i just hope hes smiling at the person I've become.
Wow.... Love and light to you. Let it go ; Universe is in control . He wouldn't have gone if it wasn't his time. ++
damn ...when music was so real and actually was about something
Buddy had big plans. Never happened. Tragic. Interesting interviews.
The very first record I ever bought was "That'll be the day". I still love it.
"Mysteries and Scandals" presents an episode that contains neither mystery or scandal.
Hey Belle, don't sweat it! I see how it made you feel a little emotional. I once read his biography and his death was a true tragedy. You see all the excess and emptiness of music today and you would not believe what Buddy had to struggle just to be able to play his music and make an honest living. He was cheated out of royalties and disappointed by people all the time. But I think he is now been given his due.
The three of them were sadly missed especially I know that my late mother Loved their music
He definitely inspired all of the Brit bands that came to America in the 60s. The Beatles took a page out of his book by merging classical with rock ballads!
I was a teenager in Clovis, New Mexico on the Day the Music Died. It was tough.
@Hello Wilbur how are you doing
A nurse friend was on duty at the Mason City hospital when the bodies were brought in,
told me she actually seen the bullet hole in the back of the pilot Roger Peterson's neck.
joe: That's hogwash
no mystery, no scandle, it was to stormy, and bad weather conditions and an inexperienced pilot... I'm sure he did have a gun....Probably carried it for protection, and it probably got thrown out of the wreckage during the crash...
It could've even went off during the wreck..
TheFarmerfitz . You are right, from what I have read, carrying a gun and using for protection . And what gun wouldn't go off from the in pack of a plane crash, it would only be shocking if it DIDNT go off
Actually the hornrims were the Everly Brothers' idea. When they were on tour in late '57, they picked out Holly's pair of those because, as you said, they thought those glasses would stand out. Prior to that, Buddy wore wire-rimmed ones. He decided they looked good! He needed to wear them of course--his vision was terrible.
The movie about Buddy Holly is a sad ending. The movie about Ritchie Valens (La Bamba) is a sad ending, too. Ritchie Valens was 17 years old when he died. I've seen both of those movies. Was there any movie about the Big Bopper?
+Pamela Schonour ... The Crickets (Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis) went to see the "Buddy Holly Story" and commented: "Well, that was somebody's story but it wasn't Buddy Holly's"
he sure sang Oh Donna
Pamela Schonour there was a movie being written for bopper but it never went into production. Because of the family. I leave near Beaumont tx were bopper was from. I've been to his grave and left him flowers and a note that said. Bopper you and buddy and Ritchie. Are forever great in the music world. And missed . I've also seen the crash site. There is still to this day an indention in the ground by the fence that the plane was found.
@@rockhard2744 I live in Anahuac & just went to see Boppers stuff at the museum in Port Arthur
I@@kelliintexas3575 am in Winnie
Great performer ...sad loss to music.
thanks for posting,i never new that the band members who continued the tour were never given their tickets home to the funeral as promised,so sad..
All of them so young, so talented. My heart breaks for what could of been for them. Poor Waylon those words said in jest haunted him. Just so tragic.
Telling the story of them being at the Apollo, Music bridging the gap between black and white, especially back then. I think that’s a most beautiful thing to hear! Instead of always noticing the things that separate us, I certainly wish we paid more attention to the things that bring us closer together, or could potentially.
Btw… WHO in their right mind would assault a pilot at 4000' in the air?? I don’t think anyone with even half a brain. No… I think it was an accident plain and simple, regardless of the weapon that was found.
When GB was describing how he felt at 12 years old hearing about their deaths, and how it took the air out of him… that was how I felt when I heard about the death of John Lennon. I was too young to fully understand but old enough to know the world lost a great talent. RIP, to all of them. 😢
Oh my- how bad did Waylon feel after that joke?
it tore him up I'm sure....
Waylon admitted years later that his booze and cocaine binges of the 1960's and 70's was due to that. He seldom talked of it, but was haunted by it until his dying day.
Poor guy- I feel bad for him. Loved all those guys- Buddy Holly was long gone before I was born but I still loved his music. Lesson learned: I've said similar things to friends of mine, just joking, and I will never do it again.
Waylon Jennings shouldn't never made that statement.
Life and death are in the tongues and you eat the power there of !*☺️👍✝️✝️✝️
Aida not Ahmad: Then there was Patsy Cline and Cowboy Capos, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Patsy's manager who was also the pilot, Randy Hughes plane crash in '63 and Otis Redding and some members of the band, Bar Kays plane crash in '67 and then Jim Croce and five others plane crash in '73. Lots of music has died.
Sorry Bubba, that's Cowboy Copas. Interesting note on that, in the movie "Sweet Dreams" with Jessica Lange starring as Patsy, plane flies into mountain, exploding on impact. WRONG. Patsy had done some kind of benefit in Kansas City for a disc jockey that was killed I think in an auto accident. Flying back to Tennessee in very heavy rain and horrible flying conditions the four you mentioned perished when plane went down in some kind of forest or heavily wooded area.
Aida not Ahmad: Singer Roger Miller ("King of the Road"), was one of the first to reach the crash site. I've never read where in flew into a mountain either. Infact, according to Ellis Nassour's book: "Patsy Cline: An Intimate Biography", the crash occured in a wooded area--lots of trees around. Some articles of clothing were hanging from them. She was also involved in a car accident. If you've ever seen the movie, "Coal Miner's Daughter", you'll notice Loretta (Sissy Spacek) meets Patsy (Beverly D'Angelo) for the first time while visiting her in the hospital and "Loretta" does mention the accident in the movie. The accident involved her brother Sam also in front of Madison High School in Nashville in '61. It was a head-on collision and the impact threw Patsy threw the windshield. She sustained scars along her forehead near her eyebrows. The accident nearly killed her.
Ahmad… “Roger Miller was one of the first to reach the crash site.”
As was Chet Atkins.
Aida: Mr. McCue, I don't doubt it. But Ellis Nassour's biography of Patsy Cline featured a photo of Roger Miller alone at the crash site.
I read that Roger Miller was first on the scene of the crash.
Notice there is no interview with Dion. He has a totally different take on who gave up their seats on that flight.
+I.B. Strokin Refresh my memory on this.
+I.B. Strokin your name? ....awesome!!!
Right. If I remember correctly, Dion was telling that story long before the BH movie came out. It seems more plausible that Holly would have offered a seat to another headliner, Dion, before he offered it to a stand-in guitarist.
Dion insists that Buddy originally offered a seat to him but Dion couldn't justify the what he perceived as extravagant cost of $36, which was the same amount his working-class parents paid for their monthly apartment rent back in Brooklyn. He also claimed Ritchie Valens, not the Big Bopper, had the flu but eyewitness accounts state otherwise.
Paula Houlden yeah if you watch the movie about Ritchie Valens life, he had the flu before getting on that plane not the Big Bopper. What else is so eerie is that Ritchie was terrified of flying. He always had nightmares that he would one day die in a plane crash and safely it happened.
One of my favorite songs by the late great Buddy Holly! Oh, Boy! R.I.P.
My mother went to High school with Buddy
Ooooh!
I think that's awesome ... I lived for some time in Clovis, New Mexico, and in the area near Lubbock, Texas. There's a lot of music history in these parts, that many who don't live here may not know about ...
Now that, not gonna lie, sounds pretty amazing.
Tyrel J. I did
@Tyrel J. Nobody cares about your question dumbass.
A musical prodigy. It's mind-boggling such a young man and short career can have so much influence over the future of the world. Amazing.
the theory of buddy pulling his .22 caliber pistol and shooting the pilot thats not true and thays not what happened
Were you there ??
@@nickanthony589 it didn't happen
@@nickanthony589 Someone checked the gun worked by shooting it after it was found.
For any of you that obviously don't recognize sarcasm.. Ik it didn't happen flat out pilot error cmon ppl why so serious ?? It was 60 years ago yes great performers but i disagree the music did not die and never will regardless of who dies ..hence jimi hendrix, kurt cobain, stevie ray vaughn, even the insufferable elvis, john lennon, shall i go on ? I was being a smart ass and yes the gun was fired when it was found in the spring..it was fired by alburt juul.. Do the research ..especially you youngsters Google is a great thing also there is a few vids of that night in question right on you tube.. so with that being said start your nasty comments plz im bored to death.. PILOT ERROR AND PERFORMER EGO im glad waylon wasnt on that plane.. yup i said it
Yes Roger Peterson the pilot on that ill fated was 21 years old and was married then. He was found still in the plane.That plane looked like a ball of paper mache
@Hello Albert how are you doing
@@lydialas5644 I'm doing good how about you Lydia my good buddy ? I like that there are so many people like you and I who love and appreciate this great music we all grew up with. I was born the year Buddy Holly first recorded That'll be the Day. His first song to be recorded but other songs became hits before That'll be the day finally became a big hit Keep Rockin' to the oldies Lydia my good friend.
@@albertmiller8169 Okay I hope we can get to know each other and can you suggest a way we can talk off here if you dont mind
@@lydialas5644 I have a girlfriend now so this is the best way for all of us on to talk I can't get myself into trouble that way I love her. After my late wife died from blood clots in 2007 I didn't want to date, remarry or get involved at all in honor of my late wife.14 years later I met my current girlfriend last year in February 2021.I don't want to jeopardize ours and her daughters happiness together ok Lydia my friend. This is a good way to talk without worrying about hurting my girlfriend ok Lydia Thanks for the friendship. You're a good person.
@@albertmiller8169 I understand that, it’s hard to trust people on the internet nowadays due to fake profiles and scam
So how are doing over there how about you text me your p n in words so I can text you Jeff if you dont mind or Lydislas752
There was very much a "black music" influence ... from far away ...
At night, because radio waves can travel much further, in Lubbock Texas, you could pick up radio stations as far afield as (e.g.) Memphis and New Orleans.
Buddy would listen to music from R&B stations and that was very much an influence on his own music.
There was one station that was a regional emergency broadcast station that was allowed to turn up its power at night and was heard from Canada to Mexico , The mighty 1090 K Double A Y - KAAY AM Radio in Little Rock Ar. Remember Beaker Street every Sunday night ?
Some Am stations may have broadcast 'directionally" at certain hours.
I love this acter
The wives of both Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson were both pregnant at the time of the crash. Holly's wife miscarried, while J.P.'s went on to have a healthy son. I don't know which is sadder--to lose your husband and child and never remarry or to raise your son without a father. The whole thing was a tragedy because they were all so young we don't know how much more they might have influenced music had they lived.
Cheryltwin2012 I thought Buddy's wife remarried several years after the crash
She Never remarried.
And Richie was gonna marry Donna some day
Did he have ason?
Cheryltwin2012 I think it’s sadder to lose both your husband & child. Many women have men walk out on them while pregnant & they end up fine
RIP Buddy! Ur music never dies !
sad accident the day the music died RiP Buddy holly x
Your welcome. I always enjoys sharing these little obscure gems!
This whole video is based on hype isn't it. It's not a mystery or a scandal is it. Just an accident. Very sad accident.
No one knows this for sure but God; folk tamper with planes all the time. It is never a wise decision to drive, ride, fly or fly in bad weather.
unenslaved2012 if you're you're going to wield a word, learn to spell it. It's denial. You're welcome.
I've found that many people can't spell. You picked on the wrong subject to reply with. Think again, mannn. Then walk into the right room, see who's there . . . .
your exigence is completely backward.
Then I'm a wonderin' I can't be walking backward for Christmas, or going backward whilst looking forward. So I'll have to remain completely stuck forever glancing into the far distance and squinting all day long, wonderin' who the hell does he think he is???
Thanks Ocean, syntax has never been my strength. Of course the Beach Boys are an American band! Thanks for posting!
Your welcome! Rock stars weren't really treated well back then. They usually ended up broke, with no rights to their own music. Concert promoters were worse as they treated them as good as you would treat a circus act. I think that it wasn't until the late 60's when artists became more aware of the business and how to tour that they gained more control. I think promoters today would not risk the bad press in doing something so heartless.
Agreed. The plane, for its size, was overloaded, the pilot was only qualified for VFR and he took off in inclement weather with limited visibility. Cut, edit print. Fade to black. Let's not even mention ice on the wings--destroying the airfoil.
@Hello Chris how are you doing
Buddy Holly really should have been the king of rock and roll instead of Elvis. If Buddy hadn't of been killed, he certainly would have made more benefit out of the 1960's than Elvis did.
J.
True, he would've been crowned the King of Rock & Roll with Elvis being second in line. I know Elvis & Little Richard were shocked when they heard he was killed.
Elvis was absolutely gorgeous even to me and i.m not white.. I've always liked him, thought he was hot and i remember as a little girl, when he died. I.ve always been surprised that he didn.t have more children as i'm sure every woman in the world wanted him. It's sad how he died and i felt he had too many yes men around him..like most celebs! Rest easy hun.
Stu Pidity will get u evertyme, buddy was more fluential than the king of banana sandwiches foolio
Why hostility, we're talkin bill "fuckin" murray......he's the king of rancho Cucamonga bitch