50 Years Ago -->The Day The Music Died

Yidwithlid ^ | 2/2/09 | Yidwithlid

[Shellybenoit]

In one of music's most tragic accidents, a light plane carrying three people who changed the face of Rock forever crashed in an Iowa field shortly after leaving a concert on Feb. 3, 1959. Buddy Holly had chartered the plane to take his band to their next gig in North Dakota while other artists and staff took the usual means of tour bus....

[bgill]

RIP

[LibFreeUSA]

[daku]

Buddy Hollys recording career lasted 17 months,

talk about IMPACT !

Absolutely impossible to guess where his muse would’ve taken him.

tragic loss to this music fan

[Badeye]

Thats odd, I seem to recall quite a bit of music since....

[LibFreeUSA]

I was only 5 then. I can only imagine the sadness for those of teenage years back then.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[ErnBatavia]

I saw a documentary about this not long ago....IIRC, blame was put on the kid flying the plane; likely got disoriented.

[wastedyears]

Three guitarists that I can think of who died from accidents are Stevie Ray Vaughan, Randy Rhoads of Ozzy fame, and Criss Oliva of Savatage.

[Badeye]

Didn’t one of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s guitarists die in that infamous plane crash?

I know one of the original keyboardists for the group died over the weekend, btw.

[Thermalseeker]

There's an excellent article about the crash in this month's AOPA magazine. It tells the story from a pilot's perspective, including details about the ill fated pilot's flight record, the weather briefings he received (some briefings were deemed faulty and incomplete), and the fact that he was not instrument rated, yet departed into deteriorating instrument conditions in advance of an approaching cold front. In fact, had failed his instrument check ride some months before and was completely unfamiliar with the particular “artificial horizon” instrument that was installed in the airplane. It's an interesting read and shows how the pilot let a bunch of things stack up on him. It's usually a series of events that lead up to a crash and this one is no exception. If they'd have waited until the next morning they would have faired much better because the weather had inproved significantly. So much improvement that there probably wouldn't have been a crash and they would still have made their next show with plenty of time to spare......

[Thermalseeker]

...likely got disoriented.

Yes, the investigators concluded that spatial disorientation was the cause. The pilot was not instrument rated, but took off into deteriorating instrument conditions. There was also heavy icing reported in the area, but it is unlikely that played a significant roll because the flight was so short. Since the wreckage wasn't discovered until the next morning, though, there is no way to know conclusively whether or not icing added to the situation.

[wastedyears]

Ah yes, him as well as Duane Allman.

[Badeye]

Thought Allman died hitting a peach truck on a bike.

[wastedyears]

Still an accident

[Badeye]

Well...yes...but we are talking about plane crashes, and the rockers that were involved.

[the long march]

Better posted on the 3rd don’t ya think?

Loved Buddy Holly

[Shellybenoit]

Is it online anywhere? I would love to read it

[Deo volente]

Dion DiMucci (of Dion and the Belmonts) turned down a seat on that plane. It went to Valens instead.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/accent/content/accent/epaper/2009/02/01/a1d_dion_web_0201.html

[WOBBLY BOB]

Waylen Jennings turned down a seat on that plane, too.

He was 19 at the time.