From foreground to background: the bodies of Ritchie Valens (17), Buddy Holly (22) and The Big Bopper (28), who died in a plane crash on a snowy winter night 61 years ago. The pilot of the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza was also killed. Kim Magaraci graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Geography and has spent the last seven years as a freelance travel writer. The Day the Music Died: Crash Site Photo Archive. There is no evidence to indicate that very important flash advisories regarding adverse weather conditions were drawn to the attention of the pilot. How did Buddy Holly REALLY die and why did his wife say he - The Sun One bus had a heating system that malfunctioned shortly after the tour began, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Holly pitched the idea to charter a four-person plane to their next stop. The Day the Music Died: Crash Site Photo Archive - Angelfire Top Hotels Close to Buddy Holly Crash Site Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham Clear Lake 1305 N 25th St, Clear Lake, IA, 50428 $63 per night Buddy Holly - Death, Songs & Wife - Biography The tachometer r. p. m. needle was stuck at 2200. [12] The CAB concluded that the probable cause of the accident was "the pilot's unwise decision" to attempt a flight that required skills he did not have. "I was hoping to put the rumors to rest," Richardson said. [26] Jennings and Allsup carried on for two more weeks, with Jennings taking Holly's place as lead singer. Holly's mother, on hearing the news on the radio at home in Lubbock, Texas, screamed and collapsed. Flying with him was 17-year-old Ritchie Valens was just 17 and DJ JP Richardson, known as The Big Bopper. [a] [1] [2] The event later became known as " The Day the Music Died " after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in . Dedicated fans make the trek each year the visit the crash site, north of Clear Lake, where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson died on Feb.3, 1959. You end up driving down a dirt road until you see a large pair of black glasses on the shoulder of the road.
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