"And the three men I admired most, The Father, Son and Holy Ghost, They caught the last plane for the coast, the day the music died." - "American Pie" - Don McLean

While I had yet to be born when Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson and Richie Valens were making their music, I have been listening to it most of my life and have become curious about the three men whose lives were cut short just at the height of their careers. There are some who may not know why I, or should I say fate. has chosen to link these three young men together. Buddy, J.P and Richie were three young, very talented singers and musicians. Buddy Holley's (later changed to Holly) career may have only been about two years in length but he did more for music in those two years than alot of people accomplish in a lifetime. He wrote all of his own material and was among the first to use such advanced studio techniques as double tracking. He was among the first to use and popularize the standard rock band line up of two guitars, bass, and drums. Before he died, he had even started experimenting with the use of orchestration.

J.P Richardson was a singer and a disc jockey. At one time, he broadcast for six days straight setting a world record for continuous broadcasting. It has long been rumored that Ricky Nelson made the first music video "Traveling Man," in 1961. But, it has recently been proven that J.P. Richardson made the first music video for "Chantilly Lace" in 1958. And even coined the phrase "music video." At the time of his death, he had plans for the mass making of music videos and a machine that would play them.

Richie Valens, at the time of his death, only had two charting songs "Donna" and "Come On Lets Go," but those two songs, and the music he left behind have made him a place as a Rock and Roll legend.

"The Day The Music Died" - February 3, 1959. Buddy, J.P., Richie, and several other up-and-coming rock and roll singers, including Buddy's close friend Waylon Jennings were traveling through the cold on an unheated bus trying to make it to their concerts. I have read Waylon's account of it in his biography and the singers on that tour most emphatically were not being taken care of like the promoters promised. They were performing in Clear Lake, Iowa, getting ready to go on to their next series of shows. Buddy had had all he wanted and then some of the their frigid traveling conditions, so he arranged for a private plane to take him, Waylon Jennings, and another band member on to the next series of dates. I am not clear on the details but J.P. ended up taking Waylon's seat, and the other band member ended up changing seats. Soon after take off a winter storm began, and the that's when tragedy struck. The plane crashed into a desolate snowcovered cornfield.

Songs You Have Heard By The Three Artists

Buddy Holly

• Raining In My Heart
• Peggy Sue
• That'll Be The Day

• Chantilly Lace
• Walkin' Through My Dreams
• Red Riding Hood

• Come On, Let's Go
• La Bamba
• Donna