The Day The Music Died

So in yesterday's blog I had said that today would be "New Music Thursday" but in my absent mindedness I forgot, and was reminded by a friend, that today was a very important day in music history, The Day The Music Died.

Crash site where Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper,
and Ritchie Valens died on
February 3rd, 1959 near Clear Lake, IA.

On February, 3rd 1959 Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and JP Richardson (The Big Bopper) played a concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, IA. Upon leaving the concert the three stars decided to board a plane from the Mason City Airport and head to the next show in Fargo, ND instead of taking the cold, broken down bus they had been touring on for the Winter Dance Party tour.

However this proved to be a fatal mistake as shortly after takeoff the plane crashed in a cornfield north of Clear Lake. Snowy conditions and poor visibility are believed to be the main reason why pilot Roger Peterson crashed into the field.

Now for more information on specifics of the crash click this link.
For the coroner's report click here. (Proceed with caution.)
For The Civil Aeronautics Board Report click here.

The death of these three promising rock n roll musicians left a huge mark on the rock n roll scene in the fifties. They were all looking at promising careers filled with many more hits and numerous fans. They had already charted many hits before their deaths. (Some of these hits were from Holly: Peggy Sue, Not Fade Away, That'll Be The Day; Valens: La Bamba, Oh Donna, Come On Lets Go; Big Bopper: Chantilly Lace.)

For their life to be cut so short like this is very tragic. Like many others before and after them it just goes to show that we must cherish the great musicians and minds we have for they could be lost at a moments notice.

As far as the memory of Holly, Richardson, and Valens, it still lives on. The Surf Ballroom has hosted a Winter Dance Party concert to celebrate their memory for the past several years. Many of the musicians that played with the three dead rockers have attended and usually always attend the concert along with countless other artists to pay tribute to their legacy.

It is definitely things like this that help keep the spirit of great music alive. If you ever have a chance try and go visit the Surf Ballroom and the crash site to better understand the history and impact of these fine musicians who passed before their time.

Until next time keep on rocking away music lovers,
JAS

Photo credited to Flickr/Creative Commons, Atlantic Community

An Event Central Iowa Musicians Should Attend

Hey everybody I hope you all survived the Snowpocalypse 2011 that hit Tuesday here in Iowa. I know I did because if I didn't I would not be here writing a new blog post today.

Today I just wanted to bring to people's attention, mainly local musicians, an event that I will be attending tomorrow night at the Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines. The Des Moines Music Coalition and Social Media Club of Des Moines are teaming up to host a panel on "Building Your Band's Online Presence" this Thursday night starting at 7:00 pm.

This event will feature a panel discussing how band's should monitor their online presence and give advice on how to create that presence. The panelists include Hillary Brown, Lava Row and On Pitch; Andy Brudtkuhl, 48Web; Roxi Copland, Musician; Jill Haverkamp, Olde Main and On Pitch.

This is an event that I feel is crucial for local musicians/bands to attend. With the way online/social media is playing a role in the world today, music is also being impacted greatly by it. Now more than ever new musicians are being discovered online and for some musicians it could be a ticket out of their current situation, or lack thereof, to stardom if managed properly.

That is why I encourage any musician that knows about this or reads this blog to attend tomorrow night's event. Heck even if you are not a musician but aspire to be or are a manager or agent for a band or musician, this would still be a great event for you to attend as well. I feel that any knowledge musicians can learn about branding themselves online would be a great benefit not only to their careers but to keeping the music scene in Des Moines alive and healthy.

So I hope to see a lot of people at this event tomorrow night and I know I am looking forward to what I will learn. Also make sure to check back to my blog tomorrow for New Music Thursday.

Until next time keep on rocking away music lovers,
JAS