On February 3rd every year, “The Day the Music Died” is remembered to commemorate the passing of three legendary rock and roll artists.
What Happened Today in History
This is what occurred in history on February 3:
On this day on February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson tragically died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa – accompanied by pilot Roger Peterson.
It was after weeks of on-the-road touring that the musicians got sick of the terrible bus conditions and decided to charter a plane for their travels.
At Clear Lake, Richardson had already become ill and requested Waylon Jennings to switch places with him on board the plane.
Likewise, Valens offered up his seat at Tommy Allsup’s request and they agreed to flip a coin to decide who would stay and who would go – which resulted in Valens being assigned a seat on the ill-fated flight.
(Photo: Civil Aeronautics Board/Wikimedia Commons)
In 1971 Don McLean described this unfortunate day in his song American Pie which quickly became an iconic hit and transformed into an emotional symbol of the end of 1950s innocence across America.
Now February 3 is annually recognized as The Day The Music Died.
It is important to remember these inspiring musicians who left an everlasting imprint on Rock N Roll culture.
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