I watched a documentary on Amazon, “The Day the Music Died”: the Story of Don MacLean’s American Pie” and he talks about how his music was influenced by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper, and their tragic deaths.
He actually meets with Valens’ sister and does a concert in Moorhead Minnesota.
It was a fantastic documentary and I heartily recommend it!
I have to check my recollection of something I heard about him, like being a really nice person...