In Memoriam

The Day the Music Died, 50 years later...
The private plane, a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft, crashed shortly after midnight February 3, 1959 killing all aboard: Buddy Holly, pop stars Ritchie Valens and J.P. (The Big Bopper) Richardson and young pilot Roger Peterson after the February 2 performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.
Holly originally chartered this plane to carry him and his guitarists, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup, also from West Texas. The Big Bopper had the flu and asked for Jennings' seat. Valens flipped a coin with Allsup for the final seat.
lots of info about the tragedy HERE