They Were Part of the Winter Dance Tour
The three musicians were flying around the country as part of the Winter Dance Party, a tour that involved a hectic 24-concerts-in-a-span-of-three-weeks schedule. They had already performed at several locations before reaching their final concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
At this point in the tour, Holly was tired of the freezing, uncomfortable tour busses, so he decided to charter a plane instead. The two other passenger seats beside him were originally reserved for his bandmates, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup.