In terms of his artistic significance, the early 1960s teen singer
Bobby Vee may be a relatively slight and unimportant figure, but his
place in music history is assured for reasons that have nothing to do
with his modest chart accomplishments and charms as a performer. On this
day in 1961, he reached the high point of his recording career when his
recording of the Carole King-penned “Take Good Care Of My Baby” topped
the U.S. pop charts. But the event that made that accomplishment
possible—and assured Bobby Vee his place in history—came two-and-a-half
years earlier, when a small plane carrying three young musicians crashed
en route to his home town.
For songwriter Don McLean, February 3, 1959, was the Day the Music
Died, but for 15-year-old Bobby Velline, it was the tragic day his star
was born. The plane that crashed in an Iowa field early that morning was
carrying musicians Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. “The Big
Bopper” Richardson north from Clear Lake, Iowa, to Fargo, North Dakota,
for the next show on the Winter Dance Party 1959 tour. It was a show
that young Bobby Velline, an avowed rock-and-roller, was planning to
attend as a fan until fate intervened.
Eyewitness News
Deplorable Moose
