I think it's that Buddy Holly played a formidable role in inventing Rock-n-Roll in the 1950s. Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Bill Haley & the Comets, Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ritchie Valiens, Gene Vincent, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Dion & the Belmonts, The Isley Brothers, Link Wray , Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, the stuff that influenced the Beatles and Rolling Stones (I'm sure I'm forgetting and leaving out important people)...but basically this would be legendary status from the 1950s. Check out the Gary Busey film "The Buddy Holly Story" (1978). Holly's guitar on "That'll Be the Day" and "Not Fade Away" was pivotal in all of this with Ricky Nelson watching Ed Sullivan and the future Beatles and Stones listening and copying. There's no need to view it as generational conflict.
And then these guys all dying in the same crash. For teenagers that was a big deal. Don McLean turns it into a great song in 1971 with "American Pie." We need songs with melodies. LeBon does have a good and powerful voice. Both are part of the same musical tradition.
Agreed. And that was well summarized on your part. I’ve seen The Buddy Holly Story also. You’re right, that was a good movie. Another good movie related to the crash was La Bamba. It’s one of my favorites.