February 3, 1959: The Day the Music Died

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the deaths of rock musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. All three were on tour with Winter Dance Party, a series of concerts throughout the Midwest, when their plane crashed in Clear Lake, Iowa.

Buddy Holly (born Charles Hardin Holley, September 7, 1936) was known for hits such as “Peggy Sue” and “That`ll be the day.” The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones have listed him as an inspiration for their careers. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Ritchie Valens (born Richard Steven Valenzuela, May 13, 1941) was a pioneer of Chicano rock music. Only seventeen at the time, Valens` most notable hits were “La Bamba” and “Donna.” He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson (born Jiles Perry Richardson Jr., October 24, 1930) was known for his boisterous personality and rockabilly style. His hit “Chantilly lace” reached #6 on the pop charts on the National Top 40 in 1958, where it spent 22 weeks.

 American Pie (1971)

It wasn`t until 1971 that the tragedy was referred to as “the day the music died" when singer-songwriter Don McLean released his song “American Pie." Critics immediately started analyzing the lyrics. Was it really about Buddy Holly? Is it biblical? A protest song?

Bob Dearborn, a DJ for Chicago`s WCFL-AM, did his own interpretation of the song. People were so interested in his interpretation, which was too long to read on air, that they started sending letters to the station requesting copies of the full version. Dearborn thought that McLean was singing an ode to the fun rock music of the fifties that he grew up on, which had been replaced by the political and psychedelic music of the 1960s. The king and queen were Elvis Presley and Connie Francis. Bob Dylan, the jester, took over the charts with his folk songs and protest anthems. Dearborn also thought "Miss American Pie" was the all-American "girl next door."

The only confirmation of any lyric from the song by Don McLean himself is that of when he heard of the death of Buddy Holly, when he was 13 years old and working as a paperboy. 

“But February made me shiver, with every paper I delivered 

 Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn’t take one more step 

 I can’t remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride 

But something touched me deep inside 

The day the music died” 

Don McLean has often refused to discuss the lyrics behind American Pie. He decided to share his story with Alan Howard, who wrote the biography “The Don McLean Story: Killing Us Softly with His Songs.” 

McLean said about his lyrics: "American Pie is about my life, what I’ve lived through and what I’ve experienced as a participant and witness to American music and politics.” He then goes on to explain his unwillingness to discuss the lyrics: “in my opinion, to write lyrics and then stand around telling people what you mean is tacky.”

American Pie has developed a mythology all its own. While many continue to debate its meaning, we can all relate to the journey from childhood to adulthood. Each generation has dealt with the sense of loss felt as a new generation changes the cultural landscape. McLean expressed his feelings in a way that allowed all of America to reflect upon the past and cope with the present.

Read an excerpt from Don McLean`s biography

American Pie lyrics 

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Check out music from the 1950s & 1960s, available on CD