The Day the Music Died

In 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and JP 'The Big Bopper' Richardson set out on a concert tour of the Mid-Western United States. The tour was poorly planned leading to the artists traveling in the dead of winter, often hundreds of miles over night to the next venue. The bus the musicians were traveling on often broke down and the heat had not been working for the last few days of the journey.

The company was ailing from sickness when the bus reached Clear Lake, IA. Buddy Holly charted a plane to their next destination for the members of his band. As it would happen, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper both traded places with the members of Buddy Holly's band.

The plane took off, from nearby Mason City, IA, after the concert never making it to the next destination. The plan crashed in a corn field outside of Clear Lake. While the field is private property, then general public is able to visit the monuments located at the crash site.

I had my chance to visit the crash site and the Surf Ballroom in June 2019 during my Mid-West road trip.

Memorials at the Crash Site of the Musicians and the Pilot.

As I walked to the crash site, it's a little over 1/4 of a mile, I was overcome with emotions. I could feel the heaviness of the disaster. The emotions were enough to bring tears to my eyes.

Exterior of the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, IA

As I ventured into the Surf Ballroom, I was overcome with emotion. Just standing the in venue you could feel the energies of every one who performed at the Surf. As I sat in the original booths that outlined the dance floor, I could feel the power of the music that was played on that night in February 1969.

View of the State in the Surf Ballroom from the dance floor.

Original booth seats for the dancers to sit and rest. In the background are paintings of the ocean.

To me, the chance to visit Clear Lake, IA was a pilgrimage. Buddy Holly is my all time favorite rock artist. I fondly remember many late nights with my fraternity brothers just talking about our popular music influences. Buddy Holly was always discussed, and mostly was our main source of inspiration! I wouldn't trade those night in Denny's at 3:00am for anything!

These glasses mark the entrance to the trail to the crash site.