The Day Before The Music Died

02/02/2011
. (Gibson) Buddy Holly joined the The Winter Dance Party tour, in the winter of '58, for the cash. The Crickets had broken apart; he'd left his record company and was newly married with a baby on the way. To pay the bills, he was touring with a new band of Tommy Allsup on guitar, Waylon Jennings on bass and Carl Brunch on drums.

The headliners were Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (a.k.a. J.P Richardson). It was a tough and relentless tour in a harsh Midwest winter. The tour bus wasn't heated and broke down continually. Holly's drummer even suffered form frostbite at one point. Most of the musicians were ill with colds and flu.

On this day in 1959, Holly, Valens and The Big Bopper played the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. Tickets were $1.25. The evening closed with The Big Bopper doing his mega-hit "Chantilly Lace." And then it was to outside to the bus. more on this story

Gibson.com is an official news provider for the Day in Rock.

Preview and Purchase Buddy Holly CDs

Buddy Holly MP3 Downloads

.

Day In Rock

Van Halen's 'Jump' Surpasses One Billion Spotify Streams- Eagles Blow Sebastian Bach's Mind With Sphere Las Vegas Show- My Chemical Romance- more

Ghost Unleash' Lachryma' Video- Sammy Hagar Offers Chance To Win Ultimate Red Rocker Rockstar Experience- Aerosmith Offhsoot Close Enemies Share Video- more

Day In Country

Loretta Lynn, Charlie Daniels, Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash For Opry 100 Honors- Stream Blake Shelton's 'Stay Country Or Die Tryin'- Keith Urban- more

Day In Pop

Mariah Carey Expands 'The Emancipation of Mimi' For 20th Anniversary- Swizz Beatz Shares First Track From Godfather of Harlem: Season 4 Soundtrack- more

Reviews

Live: Michael Monroe and Donnie Vie Rock Chicago

On The Record: Collective Soul, A Day To Remember And More

Tim Gartland - Right Amount of Funky

The Blues: Corky Siegel - Symphonic Blues No. 6

L.A. Guns - Leopard Skin