It was just 62 years ago today, February 3, 1959, when a private plane flying over Clear Lake, Iowa, crashed, taking the lives of rock musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson, also known as the “Big Bopper”. The pilot of the Beechcraft Bonanza, Roger Peterson, was also killed. Poor weather conditions led to the fatal crash outside of Clear Lake, where the musicians had just finished a performance, before heading to Moorhead, Minnesota.
Famously, many of us have heard the tune American Pie by Don McLean, in which he references the crash as the Day the Music Died. A memorial is located at the crash site, and for years, concerts have been held in Clear Lake. 62 years ago today, The Music Died, but can still live on.
