The Day the Music Died

Photo of Monument at Crash Site from Wikipedia

American Pie Lyrics - 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,

But 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 old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye

Singin', "this'll be the day that I die.

"this'll be the day that I die."

Tonight marks a sad anniversary. A great loss to early American Rock and Roll. A case of the flu, a coin toss and a need to get some laundry done sealed the fate of 3 great musicians.

On February 3rd, 1959 in a frigid Iowa cornfield, in a small private airplane, JP Richardson (the Big Bopper), Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly lost their lives along with their pilot Roger Peterson.

Stepping outside tonight in the vast frozen "midwest" a chill runs through me. Not because of the cold, although temperatures tonight are already nearing -20 with the windchill where I live. My chill tonight is because I can't help but think about the events of that evening and how I too would have counted myself "lucky" to have won a coin toss to get a seat on that plane. My chill tonight is because it is so quiet, as it must have been in that field before the wreckage was found. Great artists, incredible music silenced.

The tour bus had a faulty heater and had already caused frostbite to at least one person. I too may have chosen to charter a seat on a plane for $36 rather than face another 5 hours or better on a freezing cold bus in the middle of the night. Add a case of the flu to the situation and I'd have also asked for a seat on the plane to expedite my arrival to a nice warm bed. (Waylon Jennings of Buddy Holly's band gave up his seat to the Big Bopper at just such a request)

I'm 32 years old. I don't remember the events of that night 50 years ago by first hand news accounts. I know of those events only by account of my parents and movies made since that day. I know the music of these men from listening to dad's "oldies" station in the truck all my years growing up or listening to mom's old records on the turntable.

Chantilly Lace, The Purple People Eater, LaBamba, Donna, Peggy Sue, That'll Be the Day..... and the list of songs they left behind goes on and on. Tonight as I sit here playing some of these songs from the past it occurs to me that the music didn't die. The music will live on as long as there are those of us who keep it alive.

Goodnight Mr. Richardson, Mr. Valens and Mr. Holly....... and thank you.