The Day The Music Died (1959)

     It was the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa Feb 2, 1959. The Winter Dance Party featuring Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens had been miserable. A colder than normal winter, a bus that had faulty heat and long overnight trips had made it very difficult. This night Holly decided to take action, so he chartered a plane to take them to Fargo, North Dakota, from there they could catch a flight to Moorhead, MN. They left under clear skies, but no one had briefed the pilot of an impending blizzard just miles ahead. The men hopped on the plane and around 12:30 on Feb. 3 they took off in the Beech Bonanza never to be seen alive again.....

   I consider there to be five pillars of the "Rock and Roll" era. Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, and Buddy Holly. By December of 1959 when Berry was arrested all five had either had major career setbacks, in the Army (in Elvis' case), or dead. For me this was when Rock and Roll went into a mode of expansion, but no true direction until the Beatles in 1964.

    Of the five mentioned, one could argue that Holly's music predated the  "Rock" era of the mid to late 60's more than any of the other four.  The song forms and production techniques that Holly mastered became the cornerstone of Rock groups for years. I would contend that his death effected Rock just about more then any other event in it's early years. 

    So today we remember "The Day The Music Died".....