The Day the Music Died (not)

50 years ago today a plane crash in Clear Lake Iowa took the lives of 3 rockers who had barely started their careers. Richie Valens was just 17 and had been in the business less than a year. Buddy Holly was 23, had been successful only about 2 years, and yet his music had a great influence on the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The Big Bopper, the oldster of the trio at 28, was a DJ, and “Chantilly Lace” was his only really successful record, although I get a kick out of “The Big Bopper’s Wedding.”

I love rock-and-roll (hey, that’s another great song). A colleague of mine and her daughter went to Clear Lake last weekend. I listened to every bit of the Saturday night Sirius radio broadcast from the Surf Ballroom (where the final concert took place) with Cousin Brucie Morrow. I got goosebumps hearing all the interviews with those who were there.

Rock-and-roll nuts (like me) know every detail of that fateful night in Clear Lake Iowa. I even know every word of Don McLean’s “American Pie,” a poetic retelling of (as the song says) “the day the music died.” Others not so R & R crazy, may not know why today’s 50th anniversary observance is legendary, but I’ll bet they’ve heard Chantilly Lace (Bopper), La Bamba (Valenz), and That’ll Be the Day (Holly).