On this day in 1959, a plane crash claimed the lives of rock legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson

Holly had assembled the performers for his “Winter Dance Party” tour, set to cover 24 cities in as many days. However, distances between the stops had not been adequately accounted for, and thus after performing at Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly decided to charter a private flight to the next stop rather than take another 10 hour trip on the tour bus.

The small plane took off as usual, but soon after the lack of visibility and severe weather caused the plane to nosedive, hitting the ground at around 270 km/h and cartwheeling across a frozen field. All three occupants of the plane, as well as the pilot were killed instantly. Investigations were carried out and it was revealed that although the pilot was well-trained, he was unqualified to fly in such low visibility scenarios.

The crash was later immortalised in Don McLean’s song, American Pie. McLean later spoke of the impact the event had on him, stating Holly had been his musical idol. An annual memorial concert has been held since 1979 at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake where the group played their last shows.