The pilot, 21-year-old Roger Peterson, was not qualified to fly on instruments alone. The weather had been clear earlier, but a storm warning had been issued by the National Weather Service. Neither Peterson nor Dwyer Flying Service was aware of the weather alert. A blinding snowstorm enveloped the plane soon after takeoff, and it spun into the ground. Jerry Dwyer, owner of the plane, grew concerned when it hadn't landed in Fargo by morning. After the fog cleared, he searched by plane and found the crash about a quarter of a mile from the nearest road. All three musicians had been thrown from the plan; in order to extract the pilot, the plane had to be cut.
Holly and Richardson both left pregnant wives behind. Maria Holly had a miscarriage shortly afterward. Born three months after the plane crash, J.P. Richardson Jr. performed under the name The Big Bopper Jr. He played the role of his father in a tribute show called The Dance Party Tour. Richardson Jr. passed away in 2013.
Buddy Holly and the Crickets inspired the names of both bands The Beatles and The Hollies. The 1971 song "American Pie" by Don McLean was written about the events of February 3rd, 1959. Each year, the town of Clear Lake commemorates the anniversary of the first rock-and-roll plane crash. In January 2021, the Surf Ballroom, the site of the musicians' final concert, was declared a National Historic Landmark.
Holly, Valens, and Richardson had extremely short musical careers by today's standards, but their music and influence live on.
This story has been updated for 2021.
