Their plane went down just a couple miles from where I'm sitting now....
Buddy was 22, Richie was 17, J.P. was 28. The Pilot, a local man, was just a young man of 21. The owner of the charter business still has the wreckage of the plane and I've seen some of it in a storage facility.....kept as a macabre tribute I guess. It's tough traveling this time of year up here, snow storms are common and the young pilot didn't know how to fly accurately on instruments only....The plane sounded like a good idea to Buddy because their tour bus didn't have heat....It's -12 Degrees Fahrenheit right now....and in the wind much colder. It's actually 20 degrees warmer than 2 weeks ago. I'm sure it was similarly cold 50 years back....up here we live with it...I couldn't imagine what a few young Texans and a Californian thought of it.
Every year since 1979 they've held a tribute at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, IA where their last show was....it's a beautiful venue, restored to what it looked like in the late 1950's, but with modern PA, jumbotron and modern stage lighting. I usually go whenever I'm around here, but this year the show was sold out before I even knew they were selling tickets. Many old rockers came out and performed...a huge contingent from the UK, including many "British Invasion" era musicians were around...it was kind of cool seeing those guys in my buddy's hole in the wall music shop looking for odds and ends....I saw Peter and Gordon out and about 2 days ago.
In a related note, JP Richardson got his seat on the plane from Waylon Jennings who was playing Bass for Buddy that night. Waylon refused to return and wouldn't reveal who he gave his seat to for many years. I saw Waylon in 1995 at the ballroom when he finally felt the need to return....He had revealed to us that Buddy was ribbing him for giving up his seat on the plane to Richardson...Stating "I hope that ol' Bus Breaks Down" So Waylon being a joking young man replied "Then I hope your plane crashes"....At his show,
Waylon then went over to the very spot where that conversation happened
was visibly in tears....it got everyone there choked up. What a moment...
Here's Buddy Doing "Peggy Sue"
The Rock and Roll "Specialists"
Richie Valens doing "La Bamba" live
Not a true video but Audio with period photo montage'.
Big Bopper J.P Richardson "Chantilly Lace"
Fun....
If you like original Rock and Roll, Enjoy...
-j.
Topic: 50 Years Ago Tonight.... (Read 7331 times)