die musicam mortuus

Today in 1959 marked an important day for music: Indeed, it was the Day the Music Died.

Perhaps this phrase is familiar to you.  No doubt you've heard it before:

On February 3, 1959, a plane crash occurred killing rock icons Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as their pilot, Roger Peterson.  The flight was disastrous on several levels, the most immediate of which would be the actual crash, which occurred chiefly due to poor weather conditions and unfortunate human error stemming from the pilot.  

This is not necessarily uncommon knowledge, and the mere fact that a couple musicians died prematurely is nothing new for the music industry, neither is it really grounds to dub the day "The Day the Music Died".  That's just overdramatic, right?  But there are many lesser-known events surrounding this disaster that deepen the pain for those involved and perhaps justify its poetic title.

Buddy Holly was going on out a musical limb and starting up a group tour with a new band of his and rising artists Valens and Richardson.  The tour was not particularly well-planned as many concert dates had failed to take into account the distance between their destinations.  Stressful traveling on a poorly-working tour bus led to most tour members contracting influenza, as well as a case of frostbite on drummer Carl Bunch's feet, and frustrated, Buddy Holly decided to charter a plane.  Originally the plane would take Holly and his band to their next destination where they would have some time to rest and recuperate before their next show.  The other members of the tour would follow along in the infamous tour bus, complete with broken heater.  In several turns of events, however, the occupants of the plane were shuffled around:

Dion DiMucci had originally been asked to join the flight, but had passed up his seat because the $36 ticket cost the same amount as the rent for his childhood apartment, and he couldn't justify the lavish expenditure.

Valens asked Tommy Allsup to trade seats, despite his former fear of flight.  The two made the decision on a coin toss.

Richardson, the latest sufferer of the flu among the group, asked Waylon Jennings for his seat on the plane.  Being in better health, Jennings traded his privilege for a ride on the bus.

When Buddy Holly heard that Jennings had given up his seat, he teased him by saying, "I hope your ol' bus freezes up."
Of course, the only way to respond to such a warm wish is, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes."
Jennings' unknowing response shadowed him for the rest of his life.

Buddy Holly wore hipster glasses before hipsters were cool.

The crash was a magnificent one. The pilot became disoriented in the low-visibility due to the weather, and various issues with the plane's instruments (specifically the altimeter) combined with the lack of visual cues eventually led to the plane's wing colliding with the ground of a bean patch in Mason City Iowa, a mere five miles after taking off.  Upon impact with the ground at 170 miles per hour, the plane continued to tumble for another 600 feet before coming to rest in a mangled wreck against a fence.

It was declared that all four victims had died instantly from "gross trauma" to the brain.

The reports of the crash were soon aired on television. Holly's bride of six months, María Elena Holly then learned of the disaster and miscarried her two-week-old baby the following day, due to psychological trauma.  She did not attend Holly's funeral, neither has she visited his grave site.  In part, she blames herself for the accident, believing that had she been with him on the tour, he would not have gotten on that plane.

The tour continued on for two weeks following the incident, with Jennings filling Holly's role as lead singer.  The music scene continued on, despite the loss of those three singers.  A song was written about them; Three Stars by Eddie Cochrans. Later, Don McLean's more popular American Pie was released, which introduces the title "The Day the Music Died" as it commemorates that fatal crash, as well as several other allusions to events of the time.

So, did the music actually die that day?  For some, it certainly did.  For most, though, the music just changed and continued on.  A few minor chords were struck, and they resonate differently for each of us, but the music still carries us on.

And if you don't think you know any Buddy Holly songs, you're probably wrong.

(Best part of this song?  The background clapping. :D )