![]() ![]() He made a gruesome discovery only a few miles away from the airport. Jerry Dwyer, the owner of the air service company, went out looking for the plane after it failed to show up in Fargo. Only a short while after the flight began, the plane ran into some trouble and crashed. Unfortunately, he was unaware of a weather advisory that had been issued before he took off with his passengers. The 21-year-old pilot may have been young, but he already had four years of flying experience. Roger Peterson had volunteered to fly the trio. After the concert, Holly, Richardson and Valens made their way to the Mason City airport for a 12:30 am departure. The show at the Surf Ballroom had been packed-an impressive showing for a Monday night. READ MORE: Waylon Jennings' Close Call on 'The Day the Music Died' The pilot was unaware of a weather advisory that had been issued before takeoff “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes.” This casual remark haunted Jennings for years. Holly told him that “I hope your damned bus freezes up again.” Jennings replied. According to Jennings’ memoir, Waylon: An Autobiography, he and Holly joked about the change in travel arrangements. Richardson was feeling ill and convinced Jennings to let him have his seat on the plane. ![]() Valens won Allsup’s spot in a coin toss, according to several reports. There was room for two more passengers on the flight, and those seats were originally intended for members of Holly’s band, Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings. The plan was to fly to Fargo, North Dakota, which was close to Moorhead. By this time, Holly had enough of the freezing, unreliable tour bus and decided to hire a plane from a local flying service to take him to the next gig in Moorhead, Minnesota, to avoid another miserable night on the road. They had already played several dates before reaching the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 2. Dion and the Belmonts also performed with them on the tour. The three singers had each signed on to be part of “The Winter Dance Party” tour, which had a hectic schedule of 24 concerts in the Midwest over a three-week period. Holly had been the biggest star of the bunch, known for such hits as “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue.” The teenaged Valens was an up-and-coming performer having nearly made it to the top of the charts in 1958 with his ode to his high school sweetheart with the song “Donna.” Richardson, better known as “The Big Bopper,” was a Texas songwriter and radio DJ who caught the nation’s ear with the catchy tune “Chantilly Lace.” After bad experiences with a tour bus, Holly decided to charter a plane This tragedy has been remembered as “The Day the Music Died.” Instead, the four were involved in a deadly crash that took the lives of all aboard. ![]() But the passengers and their pilot never made it to their destination. “The Big Bopper” Richardson - joined their pilot Roger Peterson for what was supposed to be a flight to their next tour stop. Musical backing is tight and the whole company reflects the best in community theatre, in a wonderful multi-age production.In the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, three performers - Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Dan Bellis as The Big Bopper brings great swagger and humour to the role, while in several smaller roles, Ellie Martin gives her all – another performer with natural stage charisma. As Ritchie Valens, Joshua Aiello is equally good – I had to remind myself that this was an actor playing Ritchie, not the original. Rebecca Simpson as Buddy’s love Maria Elena also caught my eye – this is a lady with wonderful stage presence and her performance in this supporting role was mesmerizing. And then there is the cast – Liam McWhinney was born to play Buddy, and as the show progresses simply morphs into the iconic rock n’ roll star. While it has occasional flaws, with some characters having more singing ability than others, this is irrelevant to the magic of the production.ĭirector Debbie Keyt, musical director Rhonda Vaughan and choreographer Camilla Threadgold have done a superb job. Such was the case with Beaumaris Theatre Company’s latest offering. "When you walk out of a show and your companion says ‘What a great night!’ you know this is theatre at its best.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |