Fifty winters since the Day the Music Died
Did you know it’s been fifty years since the levee was dry?
The Day The Music Died was, of course, the day that the great Buddy Holly, pioneering Latino artist Richie Valens, and Texan ‘talker The Big Bopper died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. Early morning, February 3rd, 1959.
To baby boomers, it is pivotal piece of their collective history: a painful and personal loss that rivaled JFK’s assasination for sheer impact. To many music aficiandos, the death of Holly in particular, along with events like Elvis joining the Army, led to a period that was creatively stagnant, until the Beatles came over. (Course, there was plenty of fresh music – surf bands, girl groups and so on – that arrived between 1959 and early 1964′s Beatles introduction on Ed Sullivan. But it was also the heyday of Pat Boone.)
The Des Moines Register has some fantastic online content that should not be missed.
The Surf Ballroom, where the three played their last gig on the Winter Dance Party tour, before boarding a plane for North Dakota, will be hosting the Des Moines Register’s live video starting at 1:30 (CST).
Then Sirius-XM subscribers can hear the repeat of “50 Winters Later” (originally recorded this past weekend in Clear Lake) with host Cousin Brucie, at 6:00 (EST); 5:00 (CST) on channel 6 (60s). He interviews many folks who appeared at a special concert – the surviving Crickets, WandaJackson and Bobby Vee.
Don’t miss, also, the BBC radio documentary “Crying, Waiting, Hoping: The Story of Buddy Holly’s Last Tour” which can be streamed on RealPlayer.
And if you’re near the crash site, there will be a bonfire vigil tonight (February 3rd) at 1 A.M.