50 Years Ago Tonight... Clear Lake, Iowa... The Winter Dance Party featuring Richie Valens, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Buddy Holly, and Dion & The Belmonts went on as scheduled. When it came time to fly or drive to the next gig, Buddy's bandmates Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings (perhaps you recall him singing-on them rascally Duke boys) gave up their seats for Richie Valens (who had never flown before) and The Big Bopper (who had the flu). Dion decided the price for a seat (equal to a month's rent of his parents apartment) was too high and elected to ride the bus with the rest of the bands. So off they went, into a plane with a pilot not rated for night flying and without proper weather information. As anyone could guess it ended poorly.
But tonight we can celebrate and remember them alive and on stage with performances all over the country including some big ones from New Jersey to Iowa.
Tomorrow we mourn.
And on Wednesday's show you can expect a weepy Professor to remind you of just WHY you should mourn the loss of Buddy Holly. Quite simply one of the most important figures in Rock and Roll. Innovation, killer riffs, great songs and the classic early tragic death set a pattern for so many future Rock stars... Not Fade Away indeed. Look for a lot of covers... maybe even a 'He-llooooooo baby!"
The Professor knows all the words to "Chantilly Lace".
"Oh Baby, you knoooow what I like!"
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