The Day The Music Died

[RGMike]

Today's the 50th anniv of the Buddy Holly/Richie Valens/Big Bopper plane crash.

http://music-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/50th_anniversary_the_day_the_music_died

[RGMike]

"bad news on the doorstep..."

[Wayback]

It was on this date in 1959 that Buddy Holly, 'The Big Bopper' JP RIchardson and Ritchie Valens died in a plane crash trying to get to their next gig in the bitter cold.  Waylon Jennings had flipped a coin with Buddy for a seat on that little plane and guitarist Tommy Allsup flipped a coin with Ritchie Valens for the last seat.  I met Tommy, now 80, at a classic car show about 5 years ago.  He did the famous guitar solo in Buddy's "Its So Easy" that Linda Ronstadt had a hit with in 1975.  He had quite a career working with Bob Wills, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, many more.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Music_Died
and http://www.westmainproductions.com/htmls/tommy-allsup.html
and video, Tommy Allsup tells of coin flip with Ritchie Valens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r4_8pjJPxo