The Day the Music Died facts for kids
On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson.
The event later became known as "The Day the Music Died", after singer-songwriter Don McLean called it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie".
Crash
On the night before their deaths, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Jiles Perry "J.P" Richardson jr. a.k.a The Big Bopper had played one of their gigs for the 24 city Winter Dance Party Tour. They boarded a tour bus when the heating system broke down, which meant all the musicians, including Holly's band, had to board a Beechcraft Bonanza 35 plane bound for the next gig in Moorhead, Minnesota. After the time went to 1:00 a.m, pilot Roger Peterson lost control of the plane, which crashed into a cornfield, killing Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper instantly, ejecting them on impact.
Images for kids
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A V-tailed Bonanza similar to N3794N, the accident aircraft
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Monument in front of the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa
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Memorial at crash site, 2003
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See also
In Spanish: El día que murió la música para niños
