The Music May Have Died, but Buddy Holly’s Legacy Lives On

In the Morning of February 3, 1959…

Three musicians – Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson, and Ritchie Valens boarded a plane piloted by Roger Peterson and headed to what was supposed to be their next tour stop. However, none of them ever reached their destination. Instead, they nosedived right into the ground, a fateful tragedy that has since been remembered as the day the music died.

A portrait of Buddy Holly.

Photo by Bettmann/Getty Images

Out of the bunch, Holly was the biggest star. He was admired for his catchy hits like Peggy Sue and That’ll Be the Day. Ritchie Valens was a star on the rise and Richardson, also known as The Big Bopper, caught the nation’s attention with his fun tune, Chantilly Lace.