1959: This is “the day the music died.” In the first hours of morning a charter plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson went down in a cornfield near Clear Lake, Iowa. Holly had chartered the plane because of abysmal conditions on their tour bus. Waylon Jennings, who was part of Holly’s back-up band, was initially on the plane, but gave up his seat to the Big Bopper.
The event became a pivotal one in rock history, creating enormous interest in Holly’s music (particularly in England) and also inspiring mentions in many other rock songs, most notably Don McClean’s “American Pie.”