February 3rd, 1959. The Day The Music Exploded

A Makeshift Memorial near
Clear Lake Iowa at the crash site.

February 3rd, 1959 is known as The Day The Music Died. Dion Dimucci, who was Buddy Holly’s good friend calls it The Day The Music Exploded. I will explain.

Hally at 19 in 1955.
 Elvis lent him his Martin
guitar for the performance

Buddy Holly, of Lubbock, Texas made an appearance on television in 1952, when he was playing in a duo called Buddy and Bob. Locally he was recognized, so much so that in 1955 his duo opened a concert for Elvis Presley. That was the day that Buddy Holly decided to ditch Country Music, and go totally Rock and Roll.



In October of that year, his group opened for Bill Haley and The Comets, and Holly caught the eye of a Nashville talent scout. His group traveled to Nashville and recorded at Owen Bradley’s Quonset Hut studio for Decca Records.

Buddy Holly recording

Holly did not like Bradley's control of the music, selection of the songs, and the confinement of the session. He opted to travel to Clovis, New Mexico and signed with record producer Norman Petty, who had a recent hit with a song called Party Doll.

Buddy Holly and The Crickets

Petty recorded a few song with Holly, along with a drummer, and string bass player, and dubbed the group, “The Crickets” at the suggestion of Jerry Allison. His contract with Holly included giving Buddy total creative control. Petty then sent their demo to Brunswick Records.

That recording That’ll Be The Day, turned out to be a big hit. It was followed up by Peggy Sue.

Buddy Holly and the Crickets
on the Ed Sullivan Show

Buddy Holly and The Crickets included Jerry Allison on stand up bass, and Joe B. Mauldin on drums made an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. This increased the groups demand.

Buddy Holly and The Crickets

They played several concerts in New York’s Harlem district, at the Apollo Theater. They were the first "white" act to play at that facility. Initially they were booed, then the audience cheered them when they played Hey, Bo Diddley. Then the group traveled to to concerts throughout Australia, and the U.K..

Buddy Holly and Maria Elena

Holly really liked New York City, with its clubs, and music, and busy life. He decided to make it his home. He befriended Dion, and some other popular artists. Buddy met and fell in love with Maria Elena Santiago, who worked for a music publishing company. Within a few months he married her and the two settled into a Greenwich Village apartment.

In 1958, Buddy Holly and The Crickets were touring the United States, playing concerts, and dance party venues, and making television appearances. Tommy Allsup was hired to play lead guitar. So the trio became a rock quartet of two guitars, a bass, and drums.

1959 Winter Dance Party Tour

Holly wrote and recorded many more songs, all of which became hit records. Then came the Winter Dance Party Tour.

Allison, and Mauldin did not want to go, so Buddy hired Tommy Allsup for guitar, Waylon Jenning to play bass, and Carl Bunch as the drummer.

Buddy Holly with Dion
and The Belmonts

Dion tells the story of Holly and his group, Dion and The Belmonts, Richie Valens, J.P. Richardson aka The Big Bopper, and other supporting musicians, all traveling in a rented yellow school bus throughout the coldest regions of the Midwestern states, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa during the coldest months of the year.

The tour started on January 15 of 1959 and was set to last for 24 days, doing 24 concerts, and ending in February.

Buddy during playing
at The Winter Dance Party

In his video, Dion say that though the the trip was fun, everyone was freezing. The drafty bus did not provide much if any heat. Holly’s drummer, Carl Bunch, had to be hospitalized for frostbite. Most of the performers were used to warmer climates and were not prepared to deal with the sub freezing weather. 17 year old Richie Valens’ mother even mailed a winter coat to him.

Holly had been taking flight lessons while living in New York. Around January 31st he decided to charter a plane to make the 400 or so mile trip to Clear Lake Iowa.

The Plane Crash

The trip was to be after their February 2nd concert.  It was after midnight, in blizzard conditions when the four seat Beechcraft Bonanza took off.  The 21 year old pilot hired to fly them was not certified to fly with instruments only.Within nine minutes all were dead.

Dion Dimucci said he could have been on the plane, but gave his seat to Richie Valens, who was cold and sick.

After hearing the events the next day in a hotel lobby, Dion said he was crushed by this tragedy, and would not talk about it for years. The video I am attaching is long, but in it he tells the story as he remembers it.

Des Moines Tribune February 3, 1959

Other versions have surfaced in which Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup lose the coin toss to determine who will go on the plane. In my opinion, it really doesn’t matter anymore.

The point that Dion brings out, by saying this is The Day The Music Exploded, is that after this terrible event, countless bands, usually featuring two guitars, a bass, and drums seemed to pop up everywhere. Holly had set the template. John Mellencamp once said, "Listen to the first three Beatles albums. Take the vocals off, and it is The Crickets."

Look at the Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Hollies (name sound familiar?), and all the other 1960’s groups of the 1960’s. Before leaving on the plane, Holly told Dion Dimucci to “guard my Stratocaster like you guard your balls.” And Dion did just that. He said most of the players owned new 1958 Fender Stratocasters, and they were proud to play them, and took great care of them.

1955 Fender Stratocaster

In 1955 Holly purchased a brand new Fender Stratocaster from the Adair Music Company in Lubbock, Texas. His guitar teacher, Clyde Hankins, let him play one, and young Holly was quite impressed.

Buddy Holly's 1952 Les Paul

So much so that he traded in his 1952 Gibson gold top Les Paul that he had owned for only 3 months. He even called it a “Strato-something”.

Buddy Holly with his Stratocaster

Even at that early age, Holly knew this guitar would look radical and good as a performance instrument on a bandstand.

The Stratocaster the Holly was playing during the 1959 Winter Dance Party Tour was a 1958 Fender Stratocaster.

John Page holds Holly's
restored 1958 Stratocaster

The only thing different about this Strat was perhaps the neck. The 1954 through 1957 Stratocasters had a very pronounced “V” shaped neck. By 1958 the neck had more of a “C” shape. Like his early model, this one also had a two tone sunburst finish, a maple neck, and a white pickguard.


This Stratocaster is now owned by The Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock Texas where it is on display. Holly owned a total of four Stratocasters. Two of them were stolen.

Holly's 1942 Gibson J-45 with cover

Holly owned other guitars, that he used for writing and playing at home. He owned a 1942 Gibson J-45 with the banner on the headstock. This guitar was enclosed in a hand-tooled leather cover. It was offered at an auction at Christies for $450.000 to $550.000 USD.

Holly with a Gibson SJ 200

Holly also owned a Gibson SJ-200, though not much is known about it

Holly's Hofner President

Holly purchased a  1956 Hofner President while on tour in England. This acoustic guitar is also on display at The Buddy Holly Center.

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