(Charles Hardin Holley, 7 September 1936, Lubbock, Texas,  d. 3 February 1959)

Holly was one of the first major rock ‘n’ roll groundbreakers, and one of its most influential artists. Holly was an initial inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.  On the afternoon of 1 February his tour played in Green Bay, Wisconsin but an evening show was cancelled owing to bad weather. The 2 February date at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa went ahead. It was following this show that Holly, Valens and the Big Bopper chartered a small plane to take them to the next date in Moorhead, Minnesota, rather than travel on the tour bus, which had a defective heater and had previously broken down several times. Owing to the snowy weather the plane crashed minutes after takeoff, killing all three stars and the pilot. (The tour actually continued after their deaths, with Bobby Vee, Jimmy Clanton and Frankie Avalon filling in).    Death certificate  /  C.A.B. Accident Investigation Report Front page  of newspaper for sale /   To read more link to:

Remembering Buddy: The Definitive Biography of Buddy Holly by John Goldrosen, John Beecher (Contributor)

Behind the Music: The Day the Music Died by Martin Huxley, Quinton Skinner — (Buddy Holly book)

The Day the Music Died: The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens –by Larry Lehmer