Ritchie Valens minutes after takeoff for reasons still unknown. The crash killed all three passengers and pilot Roger Peterson instantly upon impact. As with Holly and Richardson, Valens suffered massive and unsurvivable head injuries along with blunt force trauma to the chest. At just 17 years old, Valens was the youngest to die in the crash. The tragedy inspired singer Don McLean to write his 1971 hit "American Pie", immortalizing February 3 as "The Day the Music Died". Valens's remains were buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, California. Valens was a pioneer of Chicano rock and Latin rock and inspired
Everyday (Buddy Holly song) eleventh episode of the fourth season of "Lost" ("Cabin Fever"), as well as during the closing credits of the penultimate episode of "Mad Men" ("The Milk and Honey Route.") The song is covered in the end credits of the seventh episode of the second season of HBO's "Crashing", sung by Fiona Apple. Also the song is sung in "Party of Five" season 1 episode 7 by the character Julia, played by actress Neve Campbell Everyday (Buddy Holly song) "Everyday" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty, recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets on May 29, 1957,