day music died february rock roll musicians big richardson killed plane crash near iowa pilot event later known day music died singer songwriter referred song american pie time holly band consisting playing winter dance party tour midwest rising artists richardson joined tour long journeys venues board cold uncomfortable tour buses adversely affected performers cases flu stopping perform frustrated conditions holly decided charter plane reach venue minnesota richardson flu swapped places taking seat plane lost seat coin toss soon late night poor weather conditions pilot lost control light aircraft subsequently crashed leaving survivors background terminated association november start winter dance party tour assembled band consisting bass guitar drums opening vocals tour set cover cities days new hit artist big richardson fame joined tour promote recordings extra profit tour began milwaukee wisconsin january travel soon logistical problem distance venues properly considered performances scheduled adding disarray tour bus equipped weather heating system broke shortly tour began wisconsin flu spread rest performers drummer bunch hospitalized michigan severely feet musicians replaced bus school bus kept traveling holly group backing band acts holly took turns playing drums performance wisconsin iowa monday february tour arrived town scheduled stop tour promoters hoping fill open date called manager local offered accepted set night time holly arrived venue evening frustrated tour bus decided charter plane party picked tour stop minnesota saving journey bus leaving time rest flight arrangements manager anderson called owner company iowa charter plane fly airport closest flight arrangements year old local pilot described young married man built life flying flying service charged fee passenger flight single engined tailed registration seat passengers plus pilot popular originating eponymous song crash plane called american pie fact record exists having given richardson contracted flu tour asked seat plane holly learned going fly said hope bus responded hope plane crashes humorous ill fated response haunted rest life fear flying asked seat plane agreed toss coin decide working concert night flipped coin ballroom stage room shortly musicians departed airport won coin toss seat flight approached join flight unclear exactly asked decided fare equivalent today money monthly rent parents paid childhood apartment justify crash ended anderson drove holly richardson weather time departure reported light snow ceiling feet sky obscured visibility miles winds mph deteriorating weather reported planned route weather pilot received failed relay information plane took normally runway today runway tuesday february owner flight service company witnessed platform outside control tower able clearly aircraft tail light brief flight started initial left turn northwesterly heading climb tail light observed gradually descending disappeared view failed expected radio contact repeated attempts establish communication request radio operator unsuccessful later morning having heard word departure took airplane planned route minutes spotted wreckage northwest airport sheriff office alerted dispatched deputy drove crash site belonging impacted terrain high speed estimated mph banked right nose attitude right wing tip struck ground sending aircraft frozen field feet coming rest wire fence edge property bodies holly ejected torn fuselage lay near wreckage richardson body thrown fence neighbor pilot body plane wreckage rest entourage route minnesota fell ballroom manager driven party airport witnessed plane takeoff identify bodies musicians county certified victims died instantly citing cause death gross trauma brain artists brain damage pilot aftermath holly pregnant wife learned death reports television widow months marriage suffered shortly reportedly psychological trauma holly mother hearing news radio home texas collapsed attend funeral visited later said interview way blame feeling left weeks pregnant wanted buddy stay scheduled tour time wasn blame know gone buddy gotten airplane winter dance party tour stop continued performing weeks place lead singer victims held individually holly richardson buried texas california pilot iowa official investigation official investigation carried cab precursor emerged pilot years flying experience accumulated flying hours logged hours instrument flying training passed written examination qualified operate weather required flying solely reference instruments certified operate visual flight rules essentially require pilot able going night accident low clouds stars lack visible horizon absence ground lights sparsely populated area visual flight virtually impossible furthermore failed instrument months accident received instrument training equipped conventional artificial horizon source aircraft attitude information equipped older type attitude types instruments display aircraft pitch attitude information opposite ways cab concluded accident pilot decision embark flight required instrument flying skills demonstrated contributing factor pilot old style attitude fitted board aircraft caused believe climbing fact descending example spatial contributing factor seriously inadequate weather briefing provided pilot failed mention adverse flying condition highlighted subsequent investigations march texas body fitting local forest lawn cemetery musician son took opportunity father body examined verify original findings asked forensic carry procedure rumors surrounding accident second examination sought verify accidental discharge took place board aircraft caused crash months event farmer found crash site pistol known belonged rumor richardson surviving initial impact crawling aircraft search help prompted fact body found farther wreckage bass team took rays richardson body eventually concluded musician died instantly extensive bones traces lead bullet found original report confirmed calls reopen investigation march successor received request reopen investigation accident request retired pilot new_england felt conclusion investigation inaccurate suspected possible failure right rudder problem fuel system possible improper weight distribution argued tried land plane efforts recognized april declined request citing evidence presented insufficient merit original findings legacy victims families following suffered holly wife circumstances informed death policy later adopted authorities disclose victims names families informed memorials memorial service held iowa february funeral held day paul lutheran church hometown buried nearby grave site located coordinates parents later receive letters families holly films accident mentioned biographical film buddy holly story accident depicted biopic memorial concerts fans holly richardson gathering annual memorial concerts surf ballroom 50th anniversary concert took place february peter gordon house band featuring son big participating artists master ceremonies concert monuments june foot tall granite memorial bearing names dedicated outside surf ballroom widow parents sister attendance event marked time families gathered wisconsin fan 1950s era erected steel monument depicts guitar set records bearing names performers perished accident monument private farmland west intersection street avenue north large cut steel set style glasses constructed clear lake similar holly wore sits access point crash site created similar steel monument musicians located outside riverside ballroom wisconsin holly played second night february second memorial unveiled july february memorial pilot unveiled crash site roads road originating near surf ballroom extending north passing west crash site known songs stars song commemorate musicians later addressed accident song american pie dubbing day music died loss innocence early rock roll generation mentioned accident song long time ago wrote song says don ask gave seat plane 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The Day the Music Died