On February 3rd, 1959, a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa tragically took the lives of three rising stars in American music: Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holley – pictured), J.P. Richardson (aka “The Big Bopper”), and Ritchie Valens (Richard Steven Valenzuela). The day is remembered as “The Day the Music Died.” Holly had chartered the plane, to avoid the discomfort of the chilly band tour bus. As the story of the Winter Dance Party Tour goes:
“Following that night’s show at the Surf Ballroom, guitarist Tommy Allsup lost a coin toss with 17-year-old Ritchie Valens for one of the three seats on the plane. Waylon Jennings was approached by J.P. Richardson who was suffering from the flu and asked if could take his spot on the plane. He voluntarily gave up his own seat on the Beechcraft Bonanza – a decision that would ultimately haunt the future country legend for decades.”
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Today’s guest feature article will not be in the judging for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest, because it is too brief, and because it was first published elsewhere.
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We are in great need of entries for Round 105 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Round 105 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.