Immortalized in Don McLean’s hit song American Pie, ‘the day the music died’ is a reference to one of the most tragic events in rock ‘n’ roll history. On February 3, 1959, a Beechcraft Bonanza crashed in bad weather near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing four exemplary musicians of the time. But what caused the Buddy Holly plane crash, and could it have been prevented?

What led up to the Buddy Holly plane crash?

In the early part of 1959, Buddy Holly and his band were playing the ‘Winter Dance Party’ tour across the American Midwest, supported by emerging artists Richie Valens and J.P. Richardson, aka ‘The Big Bopper’. The route was poorly planned, with the band zigzagging between cities, sometimes traveling for ten or 12 hours a day.

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Back then, there were no interstate highways, and driving was entirely on two-lane rural roads. The midwinter temperatures were extreme, sometimes down to −36 °F (−38 °C), with waist-deep snow. The buses used for the tour were wholly inadequate, frequently breaking down, often with non-functional heating. 

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