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Tuesday, February 3, 2009

It Was 50 Years Ago Today On the Way to Spring Valley, Illinois

That Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in a plane wreck coming from a cold Clear Lake, Iowa. Then-Cricket Waylon Jennings did not get on the plane, and a pretty good Bobby Vee and the Crickets finished out the tour. In Springfield for the Feb 15th show, the original Winter Dance Party was replaced by

"Fabian, Bill Parsons and Jimmy Clanton replacing the headliners. Dion and the Belmonts, Frankie Sardo and Holly's backing band, the Crickets - all on the original bill - also performed."

The barber who used to cut my hair on Clinton St. in Bloomington claims to have had a ticket to the Spring Valley show on Feb 4th 1959. He was a bit shaky but knew a lot about sports gambling so I took him at his word. The Spring Valley show was rescheduled for Feb 7, and went off without much of hitch. Rock and Roll pretty much survived its trip to through Central Illinois, though Lubbock's Buddy Holly is still mourned as one of the all-time short career greats (Richie Valens was a great one as well).

For two points, name a Wildcat who lived in Lubbock Texas. Name a Quincy episode centered around Lubbock. A Richie Valens hit covered by Led Zepplin?

Here's John Denver and (Rock On's) David Essex doing a string of Buddy Holly Hits.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

According to NPR the plane was headed to Moorhead, MN.

Any fact-checking going on at W.com these days?

Veri Tas

JBP said...

NPR-SMEMPR...it may have started out towards Moorhead, but the Feb 7th show was in Spring Valley.

Much of what is on Wapella.com cuts out the middle man (like Mickey-Mouse-Moorhead-Minnesota) to get to the Central Illinois angle to the story.

JBP

Anonymous said...

Touche, Mr. Veri Tas.

HG

Anonymous said...

More selective editing.

The truth is out there.

Veri Tas

Sarge said...

Did W.com place a video of John Denver in this story because he also died in a tragic plane crash?

Anonymous said...

RICHHHHHHEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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