“The day the music died”… remembering Buddy Holly

By Don Radebaugh – It’s one of the most bizarre historical markers I’ve ever seen…giant eyeglasses mounted in the middle of an Iowa cornfield. But there’s no mistaking who they belong to. They are the iconic eyeglasses of Buddy Holly. They also mark the spot where on Feb. 3, 1959 a four-seat, single-engine Beachcraft Bonanza airplane fell from the sky and crashed into a frozen farm field in Clear Lake, Iowa. Holly and three others perished. According to singer, songwriter Don McLean, it was “The Day the Music Died.”

It was also some sort of a miracle that we got there at all. I was traveling with a group of people on our way to our next gig in Elko, Minnesota, But we missed our exit and drove much deeper into Iowa than we should have. Then, I saw the sign, “Clear Lake” next exit. I said, “Hey…Clear Lake…isn’t that where Buddy Holly’s plane went down?”

Soon my travel mates, one of which was the guy who owns the company I worked for, were googling away on their phones. “Yep…that’s where it happened,” someone said.

I knew better than to ask if we could investigate, because I know the boss doesn’t like to get off the path…he just wants to get there. I mean, there was a time, years ago, when we were driving by Lookout Mountain – we had plenty of time to kill – and I casually mentioned how much I’d like to visit the mountain where a key Civil War battle took place. His answer went like this. “I’ll tell you what…when we drive by, you “look out” because that’s all you’re going to see.” Ha, ha.

That’s why I was shocked when he got off the exit with a mission to find the farmer’s field where Holly died. For whatever reason, this particular mission had his attention.

Anyway, after winding through skinny roads between farm fields we finally found the site. From the marker, it was about a half-mile walk down a grassy path between crops to the exact location where the plane came down. Also on board were fellow entertainers Ritchie Valens (17), J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson (28) and the 21-year-old pilot Roger Peterson.

It was just before 1 in the morning and they had just taken off in a snow storm. They didn’t get far before the plane’s running lights disappeared from the horizon. The three musicians had just performed at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake the night before and were on their way to Fargo, N.D. They had another gig the next night right across the border in Moorhead, Minn.

Holly’s bass player, future country legend Waylon Jennings, gave up his seat to Richardson, who was sick with the flu. According to Jennings’ autobiography, Holly jokingly said to Jennings, “Well, I hope your ole’ bus freezes up.” Jennings responded, “Well, I hope your ole’ plane crashes.”

The federal investigation ruled that even though the weather could have played a role, the pilot may have been too inexperienced to have been flying in such conditions. There is also speculation that he may have misread the altitude indicator, which was apparently different than the one he learned on. He could have brought the plane down when he thought he was going up.

At the time, Holly’s wife of six months, Maria Elena, was two weeks pregnant. The day after the crash, she miscarried, most likely from the emotional trauma.

There are conflicting reports but it’s widely understood that Holly’s guitarist, Tommy Allsup, lost a coin toss and, as a result, had to give up his seat to Valens who would happily forego the bus ride…the same drafty old tour bus that kept breaking down and was not properly heated (possibly why Richardson was sick).

Overnight, the Surf Ballroom became famous, and likely saved it from would-be ruin. The Surf is still there and plays host to entertainers from around the world. Restored to its 1950s grandeur, one of the treasured pieces in the Surf is the phone on which Holly made his final call to his wife just after the concert on the night of Feb. 2. Valens also placed his final call on the same phone.

The original Surf, built in 1934, was destroyed by fire, but it was rebuilt across the street in 1948. With a capacity of about 2100 people, the Surf has hosted many of the biggest names in entertainment…Roy Orbison, the Everly Brothers, Martina McBride, B.B. King and more.

The crash site has also become a pilgrimage for thousands annually who come from around the world to pay their respects. What struck me were all the fresh flowers, cards and mementos that still surround the memorial. I was also surprised to learn that we weren’t the only ones there who were curious about the site. There was a steady stream of people coming and going from the memorial out in the middle of some cornfield where we all went to reflect on “the day the music died.”

NOTES: In the spring of ’59, after all the snow melted, Holly’s signature black-rimmed eyeglasses were found at the crash site and taken to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s office. They were sealed in an envelope as part of the investigation and forgotten about for more than 20 years. When they were discovered, they were returned to Holly’s widow and are currently on permanent display at the Buddy Holly Center in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas.

The Beatles named themselves in honor of Holly’s band, the Crickets.

@DonRadebaugh