Dion and the Belmonts "Don’t Pity Me" (No. 40), which they also performed on Bandstand. This early success brought them their first major tour in late 1958, with the Coasters, Buddy Holly and Bobby Darin, followed by the historic and tragic Winter Dance Party tour featuring Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. On February 2, 1959, after playing the Surf Ballroom, Holly arranged to charter a plane. Dion decided he couldn't afford the $36 cost to fly to the next venue. According to Dion, $36 was the same price his parents paid for monthly rent. He told Holly no. Shortly after midnight, on
The Big Bopper away their plane seats, Holly joked, "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up again." Jennings jokingly replied, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes." Those words haunted Jennings for the rest of his life. The Clear Lake show ended at around midnight, and Holly, Valens, and Richardson drove to the Mason City Airport, loaded their luggage, and boarded the red and white single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza. Peterson received clearance from the control tower around 1 a.m. on February 3, 1959 and they took off—but the plane remained airborne for only a few minutes. It slammed into the ground at full