It’s been 60 years this week since the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper, but fans are still trekking to Clear Lake, Iowa to visit the scene of the crash, immortalized by Don McLean as ‘the day the music died.’
The three were killed when a chartered plane went down in a blizzard as they were leaving Clear Lake after a performance, headed for Fargo, North Dakota. Other members of the tour were traveling by bus.
The start of the half-mile trek to the site of the crash in a nearby field, is marked by a huge statue of Holly’s trademark black-framed eyeglasses, and ends on the crash site with a large guitar, and records representing a major hit for each of the singers: Peggy Sue for Holly, Chantilly Lace for the Big Bopper and Donna for Valens.
It was indeed “the Day the Music died”. Buddy and Ritchie’s careers were just getting started. One wonders what those great talents might have accomplished had they lived.