This week, 64 years ago, was “the day the music died”: February 3, 1959, when three
of America’s most exciting young musical stars died in a plane crash—Ritchie Valens,
The Big Bopper, and Buddy Holly. But what you may not realize is that this
wasn’t the only tragic loss the music world suffered during the first week of February.
In this video, we pay tribute to all those lost on this, the Week the Music Died.
I’m Linnea Crowther with Legacy.com, the website where you can find any obituary, or
publish one for someone you care about. Ritchie Valens was just 17 years old in 1958
when he recorded three songs that became fast radio hits: “Come On Let’s Go,” Donna,”
and “La Bamba.” Valens, short for Valenzuela, was a high school
student in Los Angeles, when a record producer saw him playing in a local band. Within months,
he was a national pop star playing a cross-country concert tour.
That tour would take his life, and two other brilliant musicians, far too soon, when their
flight out of Iowa to the next show in North Dakota crashed minutes after takeoff.
But in his short career, Valens brought Latin rock & roll to the mainstream, influencing
future artists like Carlos Santana and Los Lobos. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame, posthumously, in 2001. Singer and songwriter J.P. Richardson was
better known to his fans as The Big Bopper. Known for his raucous party music, he was
just 28 when he was killed in the same crash as Valens, Buddy Holly, and the plane’s
pilot, Roger Peterson. Richardson created a rock & roll classic with
the song “Chantilly Lace.” Not long after his death, his song “White Lightning”
became the first no. 1 hit for country music legend George Jones.
Richardson’s musical legacy, though, goes beyond his hit songs. Some music historians
credit him with creating the first ever rock music video, in 1958, and with coining the
very phrase “music video” in 1959. Known for his distinctive glasses and lanky
frame, Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock, Texas. He rose to prominence with his first single,
“That’ll Be The Day,” which was quickly followed by another hit song, “Peggy Sue.”
Holly’s percussive guitar playing, stuttering vocals, and aggressive guitar solos set the
stage for rock and roll’s evolution in the 1960s. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger,
and Elton John all cite him as a major influence. During his brief career, he recorded so much
music that his record label was still releasing unheard music ten years after his death. In
1986, Holly would become of one the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The tragic plane crash of February 3, 1959 was not the only loss for the music world
that took place this week. Karen Carpenter, singer, drummer, and one
half of the brother/sister duo, The Carpenters, died 40 years ago, February 4, 1983, after
a long struggle with an eating disorder. Inspired by Ringo Starr and Joe Morello, Carpenter
learned to play the drums in high school and quickly became a prodigy. But it was her voice,
and its three-octave range, that convinced A&M Records she would be a star.
The Carpenters debut album was released in 1969. A string of top 10 singles followed,
including “Close to You,” “Superstar,” and “Rainy Days & Mondays.” The duo went
on to become one of the most successful acts in history, selling over 100 million records.
Carpenter’s struggles with anorexia brought wider attention to the debilitating eating
disorder, while her singing was an influence on future stars like Sheryl Crowe, Shania
Twain, and Madonna. Sid Vicious, bass player for the pioneering
punk band the Sex Pistols, died of a drug overdose 44 years ago this week, February
2, 1979. Born John Ritchie in 1957, Vicious was a fixture
of the local music scene in London’s King’s Road. There, he caught the attention of up-and-coming
stars like Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders and Siouxsie Sioux before being drafted to
join the Sex Pistols. Vicious built his reputation on wild antics
and confrontational behavior, making him a symbol of punk rock that endures to this day.
Maurice White, the founder and main songwriter of Earth, Wind and Fire, died of Parkinson’s
Disease seven years ago this week in 2016. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, White created
music spanning multiple genres, from jazz, funk, and soul, to disco and more. Rolling
Stone once said his band "changed the sound of black pop.”
Nominated for 22 Grammys, White has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Songwriter
halls of fame. Pianist, singer, and actor Liberace died 36
years ago this week, one of the earliest celebrities to die from complications of HIV/AIDS.
Known for his flamboyant stage performances and virtuoso playing, Liberace was hailed
as one of the greatest showmen of his day. His career included hit television shows,
six gold albums, and a legacy as one of the most successful live performers in history.
This week also marks several other notable anniversaries.
Actor Brandon Lee, son of actor and martial artist Bruce Lee, would have been 58 this
week. A rising star in his own right, Brandon Lee died in an accident on the set of his
1994 breakthrough film, The Crow. Civil rights icon Coretta Scott King died
17 years ago this week at the age of 78. Along with her husband, Martin Luther King Jr.,
she was among the most notable figures in civil rights until her death in 2006 of ovarian
cancer. Actress Farrah Fawcett would have been 76
this week. She is remembered for her roles in shows like Charlie’s Angels and the Six
Million Dollar Man, which made her one of the biggest stars of her time. She died of
anal cancer in 2009. A.A. Milne, creator of the beloved children’s
character Winnie-the-Pooh, died 67 years ago this week at the age of 74. A poet and playwright,
Milne wrote the story of Pooh and his friends for his son, Christopher Robin Milne, after
whom the character of Christopher Robin was named.
Don Everly, one half of the legendary pop duo the Everly Brothers, was born this week
in 1937. Considered one of the pioneers of early rock and roll and known for his powerful
singing voice, he is in both the Rock and Roll and Country Music halls of fame.
Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died this week in 2014 at the age
of 46 following a drug overdose. Considered one of the greatest actors of his generation,
he is remembered for his roles in films such as Scent of a Woman, The Big Lebowski, and
Almost Famous. Actress Suzanne Pleshette would have been
86 this week. In addition to prominent roles in 1962’s Rome Adventure and in Alfred Hitchcock's
The Birds, she is remembered for playing Emily Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show from 1972
until 1978. Poet and activist Langston Hughes was born
121 years ago this week. Known as the leader of the Harlem Renaissance, he helped reinvent
modern poetry before his death in 1967. Hall of Fame actress, singer, and comedian
Carol Channing would have been 102 this week. She starred on Broadway in shows such as Hello
Dolly and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. On screen, she won the Golden Globe award for her role
in 1967’s Thoroughly Modern Millie. She died in 2019, just days before her 98th birthday.
Comedian and director Terry Jones, best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe,
would have been 81 this week. Jones is remembered as one of the creators of Monty Python's Flying
Circus, as well as the director of cult classics Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian,
and the Meaning of Life. Actor, singer, and dancer Gene Kelly died
27 years ago this week at the age of 83. Kelly is remembered for his effortless combination
of singing, dancing, and acting in films like Singin’ in the Rain, Anchors Aweigh, and
An American in Paris. Pioneering filmmaker George Romero would have
been 83 this week. Romero shocked viewers in 1968 with his debut film, Night of the
Living Dead. He would go on to create the modern zombie genre with sequels like Dawn
of the Dead, and was a key influence on modern hits like The Walking Dead. He died in 2017
after a battle with lung cancer. You can read more about the lives of the people
featured in this video on Legacy.com. At Legacy.com, ANY family can publish an obituary
in honor of a loved one’s memory, online and in local newspapers everywhere. Just visit
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