48. Iowa
Artists Born/Lived There : Bix Beiderbecke, Tommy Bolin, Greg Brown, Glenn Miller
Bands Formed There : Head East, Slipknot, The Escorts
The state’s biggest claim to musical fame is, sadly, the fact that it’s where “The Day the Music Died” occurred. As you (probably) know, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper died on February 3, 1959, in a plane crash right next to Mason City, Iowa.
Slipknot in Concert at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center, Noblesville, USA – 16 Aug 2019. Photo By John D Shearer/Shutterstock
For non-heavy metal fans, the fact that the group Slipknot is from Iowa might also be a tragedy. But fans of the group and of heavy metal, in general, will say that Des Moines, Iowa contributed a lot to the metal world. The group has long been a staple within the genre, dating back to the mid – ‘90s. They’re known for their crazy performances on stage and questionable attire (masks and makeup). The group won a Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Metal Performance.