The Day the Music Died The Day the Music Died On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. The event later became known as "The Day the Music Died", after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie". At the time, Holly and his band, consisting of Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch, were playing on the "Winter Dance Party" tour across the Midwest. Rising artists Valens, Richardson and Dion and
Holly in the Hills Holly in the Hills Holly in the Hills is a compilation album by American rock and roll singer Buddy Holly, including songs featuring Bob Montgomery originally released under "Buddy & Bob". The album was released as an LP record in both mono and stereo formats in January 1965 (see 1965 in music). "Holly in the Hills" was Buddy Holly's fifth posthumously released album and the fourth album to feature previously unreleased material. The original recordings were overdubbed by the Fireballs in 1964 and 1965. The album was released on CD for the first time in 2002 by BGO Records in