On the night before their deaths, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Jiles Perry "J.P" Richardson jr. a.k.a The Big Bopper had played one of their gigs for the 24 city Winter Dance Party Tour. They boarded a tour bus when the heating system broke down, which meant all the musicians, including Holly's band, had to board a Beechcraft Bonanza 35 plane bound for the next gig in Moorhead, Minnesota. After the time went to 1:00 a.m, pilot Roger Peterson lost control of the plane, which crashed into a cornfield, killing Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper instantly, ejecting them on impact.