Rock n Roll
Available Saturday, February 7, 2009
The Day The Music Died
On February 3, 1959 Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) died in a plane crash on a snowy, wintry night. An inexperienced pilot brought the small Beechcraft Bonanza Model 35 plane down into a bitter cold Iowa corn field at 1:00 am and only about 5 miles from the Mason City, Iowa airport they had left.
Buddy Holly, frustrated with the inadequate heat in the tour bus, wanted to charter the plane. Waylon Jennings, one of Holly's bandmates, agreed to give up his seat on the plane to The Big Bopper who had the flu. Tommy Allsup, Holly's other bandmate, gave up his seat to Ritchie Valens when he lost a coin toss. Seats on the plane cost $36 each.
February 3, 1959 is known as The Day The Music Died from the 1971 song American Pie by Don McLean.
This crash also plays a critical role in the 1987 film La Bamba in which Lou Diamond Phillips plays Ritchie Valens.
The airplane used in this design is a Beech Bonanza Model 35. The plane has an unusual V-tail design and room for the pilot and three passengers.
The Day the Music Died design has been applied to to t-shirts and mugs but also to long sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, a tote bag and many other products. There are products for men, women and children.
Click on these additional designs to visit the Big Blue Pumpkin Online Store for that particular design.
