Today marks the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson. Taking into account that Buddy Holly's recording success only lasted 18 months and Ritchie Valens' only recorded for 8 months, the impact of the artists killed in the crash on American music was definitely non-linear (see I made it sciency). Imagine what would have happened if they had the chance to mature into decrepitude like Elvis.
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Bonus: if you never saw it, the How The Tess Was Won episodes of "Quantum Leap" are an excellent choice for today.
All I have to say is "Piggy, Suey!" I'll take my bonus points in the form of bourbon.
Holly was influential because of raw talent, potential, and blazing new musical territory. So, coming in when rock&roll had not matured as a genre helped. Valens is a tougher sell, but, as a kid, I liked the movie La Bamba. So there.
Having popular groups write songs about you is not always a good thing, witness Barenaked Ladies' "Be My
Yoko Ono".
Josh Witten | 02/03/09 | 10:56 AM
I'll add Patsy Cline to the mix. She was "discovered" about six years before she died, so she had a longer career than Valens and Holly, but being a woman, a divorcee, and a crossover (from country to pop), she had to be something pretty special. Her death was so shocking that people couldn't help hear about her - a plane crash like the boys - and now she's a legend. Deservedly so; her music is amazing. But I wonder if the crash catapulted her into superstardom. By the way, if you ever get a chance to see the site of the plane crash (Camden, TN, about 90 mi west of Nashville), definitely do it. It's spooky.
Becky Jungbauer | 02/03/09 | 12:15 PM
It happens quite often that way. As much as this outrages guitar fans who are educated more by the romance of an early death than by objective assessments, Jimi Hendrix was a fine guitarist and he had excellent rhythm but Joe Perry of Aerosmith has always been better. At least "Peggy Sue" is iconic. What budding guitarist sits around playing Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary"?
Bonus: if you never saw it, the How The Tess Was Won episodes of "Quantum Leap" are an excellent choice for today.