On February 3, 1959—forever remembered as “The Day the Music Died”—Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed when their chartered plane crashed into a snowy Iowa field just minutes after takeoff. But the tragedy was only the beginning of the legend. From the fateful coin toss that put Valens aboard the plane and Waylon Jennings’ haunting last joke with Holly to a string of strange deaths involving Holly’s friends, replacements, admirers, and fellow musicians, the disaster eventually inspired stories of a so-called “Buddy Holly Curse.” We examine the grueling Winter Dance Party tour, what actually caused the crash, the extraordinary coincidences surrounding those who lived and died, Don McLean’s “American Pie,” and how one terrible night in 1959 became one of rock and roll’s most enduring pieces of folklore.

Audio version:

https://archive.org/download/Episode-521-Buddy-Holly-Curse/Episode%20521_%20The%20Buddy%20Holly%20Curse%20and%20the%20Day%20the%20Music%20Died.mp3

Video version:

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Channel art and audio & video editing by Jenny Ashford. Music & sound effects courtesy of freesound.org users jamespotterboy, corsica-s, enjoypa, capturedlv, luffy, kiddpark, and justkiddink. Video clips courtesy of Videezy & Videvo.