February 3, 1959 has been called “The Day the Music Died.” Why?
The singers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. Richardson, otherwise known as The Big Bopper, along with Dion and the Belmonts had been on what was called the Winter Dance Party Tour. It was a very poorly planned tour. It started in late January of 1959 and meandered around, zig-zagging over Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Montana. All the performers were sharing one re-furbished school bus that kept breaking down, only to be replaced by one in even worse shape. Things got so bad that the tour’s drummer got frostbite on his toes and had to be hospitalized. Since Buddy Holly’s backing group was playing for everyone on the tour, this left them with no drummer. A member of the Belmonts took over most of the drumming, and either Buddy Holly or Richie Valens filled in on drums during a Dion and the Belmonts number.
On Monday 2 February, they found themselves in the town of Clear Lake, Iowa. There was not a concert scheduled for that night, but the promoters made a few phone calls and set one up. Following the concert, the group was supposed to climb on the bus and drive to Moorhead, Minnesota. (The route took them through two towns that they had already played in within the past week—as I said, this was a very poorly planned tour!) And then, immediately following that, they were scheduled to drive back due south to Sioux City, Iowa.
Buddy Holly wanted the chance to do some laundry and rest. He chartered a small plane with room for himself and two other people. There are conflicting stories around how the other two seats were assigned. Waylon Jennings (later known as a country singer, then a part of Holly’s backing band) may have originally had a seat, but gave it up to the Big Bopper, who had a bad cold. Richie Valens may have won his seat in a coin toss. In this version of the story, when Holly heard that Jennings wasn’t going to fly with him, he quipped, “Well, I hope your ol’ bus freezes up.” Jennings then replied, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes.”
But there are other versions of how this particular group ended up on the plane and others didn’t. Perhaps Holly originally chartered the plane with this group in mind. According to Dion, Holly felt that since they were the “front men” the plane was for himself and two others, the Bopper, Valens, or Dion. However, there was only room for two others in the plane. Dion ended up staying with the bus.
The pilot of the flight was not given a full weather briefing as he should have been. Conditions were far worse than he had been led to expect. The horizon marking on this plane was quite different from what he was used to; in fact, it was exactly the opposite of what he was used to. It is quite possible that when he thought he was gaining altitude, he was actually heading straight into the ground. The plane went down less than 6 miles from the airport.
All the people on the plane were killed instantly. Three of rock music’s pioneers were gone in an instant.
At the time, there was no concept of waiting until the families had been notified before reporting on deaths like this. Buddy Holly’s pregnant wife heard about his death on the radio. She went into shock and lost the baby. His mother also heard about the crash on the radio. Following this, the idea of notifying families before releasing names of the deceased into the public became the norm.
The tour went on. Waylon Jennings began singing lead instead of Holly. A call went out to the local area, and a 15-year old who “knew all the words to all the songs” filled in. He was Bobby Vee, who ended up with a very successful solo career.
So, this is “The Day the Music Died.” But who were these three? Why were they so important?
Influential Musicians
Of the three, I think that the Big Bopper was the least influential. His real name was J.P. Richardson. He was, at 28, the oldest of the three. Richardson had started out as a DJ. In May of 1957, he broke the record for longest continual broadcasting by staying on the air for 5 days, 2 hours and 8 minutes, besting the old record by 8 minutes.
He began writing songs and sold a few to other performers that were successful. His own recording of “Chantilly Lace” was what put him on the charts. I’m sure they are out there, but I’ve never heard of anyone who claimed the Big Bopper as their main inspiration. On the other hand, he was only 28. Who knows what he might have done?
Then we have Richie Valens. Richie had only been recording for 8 months when he died at the age of 17. He was the first Latino to make it big in rock music. His biggest hit, “La Bamba,” was the first song sung in Spanish to make the top 40 charts. Ironically, Valens had to learn the lyrics phonetically, as he didn’t know how to speak Spanish. His brief career inspired many Hispanic performers: Los Lobos, Carlos Santana, and Selena, to name a very few. “La Bamba” has even been performed on Sesame Street. (Sort of.)
Now we come to Buddy Holly. He was only 22 when he died, but his influence far surpassed his years. He wrote, recorded, and produced his own songs. What we think of as the standard rock band, two guitars, bass and drums, was the line-up he started and perfected. Though he is probably most often thought of as Buddy Holly and the Crickets, he had broken off with the Crickets by the time of the Winter Dance Party Tour. His career also spanned far longer than the other two, beginning in 1952. His 7-year span influenced the likes of Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and, of course, Don McLean:
A long long time ago
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
Something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
So
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singin'
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Now, for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But, that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lennon read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singin'
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
We started singin'
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend
Oh and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singin'
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
And they were singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
They were singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
Something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
So
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singin'
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Now, for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But, that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lennon read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singin'
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
We started singin'
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend
Oh and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singin'
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
And they were singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
They were singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
In 1971, Don McLean hit the airwaves with this song. He was only 26. This was not his only hit. “Vincent,” about Vincent van Gogh, also hit number 1. But nothing else he has ever done has had the lasting success of this 8 ½ minute epic opus that is “American Pie.” It is still the longest song thus far to make it to number 1 on the charts.
Until 2015, when asked what the song meant, McLean tended to answer, “It means that I’ll never have to work again.” But, that year, he offered up his original notes on the song to auction at Christie’s and gained $1.2 million. Nothing record breaking, but a nice bit of cash for his family.
Very briefly: the “king” is Elvis, the “jester on the sidelines” is Bob Dylan. “Helter Skelter” refers to the Beatles song as it was used by Charles Manson. “Jack Flash” is the Rolling Stones.
Originally there was going to be another verse at the end:
And there I stood alone and afraid
I dropped to my knees and there I prayed
And I promised him everything I could give
If only he would make the music live
And he promised it would live once more
But this time one would equal four
And in five years four had come to mourn
and the music was reborn.
A nice ending.
I’ll be playing this song with a few of the others mentioned in this blog this week on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so check those out. And share any stories that you may have on these songs in the comments down below.
Until next time!
Until 2015, when asked what the song meant, McLean tended to answer, “It means that I’ll never have to work again.” But, that year, he offered up his original notes on the song to auction at Christie’s and gained $1.2 million. Nothing record breaking, but a nice bit of cash for his family.
Very briefly: the “king” is Elvis, the “jester on the sidelines” is Bob Dylan. “Helter Skelter” refers to the Beatles song as it was used by Charles Manson. “Jack Flash” is the Rolling Stones.
Originally there was going to be another verse at the end:
And there I stood alone and afraid
I dropped to my knees and there I prayed
And I promised him everything I could give
If only he would make the music live
And he promised it would live once more
But this time one would equal four
And in five years four had come to mourn
and the music was reborn.
A nice ending.
I’ll be playing this song with a few of the others mentioned in this blog this week on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so check those out. And share any stories that you may have on these songs in the comments down below.
Until next time!
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