February 3, 1959. It has been 50 years since the day the music died. Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Vallens, three of rock-n-rolls biggest stars at that time died in an airplane crash. It was a little more than two years before I was born. As a kid, I remember being home while my parents listened to these oldies. At the time, there was no way you could admit you liked this stuff. The folks listened to these guys as well as Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and others. Over the years, I have come to appreciate more and the music that was made before I was born. Not only the old rock, but also the old bluesmen like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, and old country stars like Hank Williams, Sr.
Here are Buddy Holly with "Peggy Sue," the Big Bopper with "Chantilly Lace," and Ritchie Valens with "Oh Donna."
I was seven years old when they died.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't born either when they died but clearly this crash impacted the music of our time. So many songs were written about these artists and that fatal day. You ever talk with your folks about that day and how they felt about the crash? I'll have to ask my parents one day. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteI never did ask my folks about how they felt when they heard about it. I remember how I felt about the day John Lennon was killed. Not sure if they were as big a fan of those three as I was of Lennon
ReplyDelete