Country Connections by James and Ellen Perry

I’m sitting in my bedroom looking out through the glass door at the gray afternoon with snow outside. Snow is not only beautiful but puts lots of nitrogen in the soil. This helps provide nourishment for spring flowers, grass, trees and gardens.
While sitting here contemplating God’s work, my mind goes back to 1959 when on February 3 at around 1 a.m. a V33 Beechcraft Bonanza airplane lifted off the airport at Mason City, Iowa, bound for Fargo, North Dakota. The plane a 1947 Beechcraft V33 Bonanza crashed only moments later, killing all four aboard. The four killed in the crash included Buddy Holley, Jiles P. Richardson known as “The Big Bopper,” Ritchie Valenszuella known as Ritchie Valens, and the pilot, 21-year-old Roger Peterson. There were three things that led to the crash: #1. Peterson, during his weather briefing, had not been informed about adverse weather approaching from the northwest with heavy snow showers forecast. #2. The altitude indicator instrument had been replaced by a Sperry F3 altitude indicator which read opposite from the indicator that had been replaced. Peterson thought he was climbing when he was actually descending. #3. Peterson had approximately 711 flying hours with 128 flying hours being in the Beechcraft V33 Bonanza.

The V33 Bonanza at the time was one of the fastest single engine four place airplanes in production. Peterson did not have an instrument flying rating though he was being trained for one. If Peterson had acquired an IFR rating, he would have been trained to use other instruments during flight to cross-check the Sperry F3 attitude indicator’s readings. Besides these factors, Peterson had been on duty for 18 hours. Believe me, I can attest that any time an instrument has been replaced in an aircraft or you’re a pilot flying a different aircraft you should go up with an instructor and thoroughly understand that aircraft.

We have covered the accident that took the lives of three of the most famous young music stars. Here are some accomplishments of the time.
Buddy Holley got his first hit which went international in 1957.

1957 That’ll Be The Day #1 on Hot 100, #2 on R&B and #1 on the UK
Peggy Sue/Everyday #3 on Hot 100, #3 on R&B and #6 on the UK
Oh Boy/Not Fade Away #10 on Hot 100, #15 on R&B and #3 on the UK

1958 Maybe Baby #17 on Hot 100, #8 on R&B and #4 on the UK
Think It Over #27 on Hot 100, #9 on R&B and #4 on the UK
Heart Beat #82 on Hot 100, #4 on R&B and #30 on the UK

1959 It Doesn’t Matter #13 on Hot 100 and #1 on the UK
Raining In My Heart #13 on the UK
Peggy Sue Got Married #13 on the UK
True Love Ways #25 on the UK

1962 Posthumously
Bo Diddley #116 on Hot 100 and #4 on the UK
Brown Eyed Handsome Man #113 on Hot 100 and #3 on the UK

The hits recorded October 21, 1958, were released after Buddy Holley’s death. They were recorded at Pythian Temple Studio in New York City. The musicians were from the NBC Symphony Orchestra and was comprised of 18 members conducted by Dick Jacobs. The writer of “It Didn’t Matter Anymore” was Paul Anka. After Holley’s death, Paul Anka directed all writer royalties from this song to be paid to Buddy Holley’s widow, Maria Elena Santiago. Anka said she would need the money. Maria was pregnant at the time, but she had a miscarriage shortly after Buddy’s death. The song “Raining In My Heart” was written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The husband and wife team wrote songs that have sold over 300 million records. By being allowed to record a Bryant song shows how popular and professional Holley had ascended by the age of 22. “True Love Ways’ was written by Buddy Holley as well as “Peggy Sue Got Married.” Holley was also taking acting lessons at the time of his death.

Jiles Perry Richardson
Also known as J.P. Richardson-Radio Name: Jape Richardson and recording star known as “The Big Bopper.” The Big Bopper got his break with a song he wrote and recorded called “Chantilly Lace” in 1958. The song went to #6 in the USA and was one of the most popular and most played on the radio. It also climbed to #3 on the R&B charts, Also, went to #12 on the UK charts. J.P. Richardson also co-wrote many songs with George Jones. This doesn’t end the songs of J.P. Richardson. Here is a list of the songs he wrote in the late ’50s that did well.

Songs written by J.P. Richardson and recording artist:
Recording Artist Song Year Chart Success
George Jones Treasure of Love 1958 #6
George Jones White Lightning 1959 #1
Johnny Preston Running Bear 1960 #1 International
Hank Snow Beggar to a King 1961 #6
George Jones Someone is Watching Over You 1962
Ernest Tubb Beggar to a King 1965
Sonny James Running Bear 1969 #1 Triple

Not a bad short writing career for J.P. Richardson that included three #1 hits with one becoming an international and the same song 10 years later recorded by Sonny James becoming a #1 hit on three charts. Yes, that was the same Sonny James who entertained in the early 1950s on the Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round in Knoxville. J.P. Richardson also recorded the first music video in 1958 and had started development of a home video player but died at the age of 28 in the airplane accident before completing the home video player.

Ritchie Valens:
1. June 19, 1957 debuted with band The Silhouettes
2. Known as the Little Richard of San Fernando, California
3. Main Vocalist of The Silhouettes and guitarist
4. Bob Keane of Del-Fi Records of Hollywood, California, auditioned Ritchie Valens and immediately signed Valens to a recording contract, had Ritchie Valens first recording session in May 1958 recorded “Come On, Let’s Go” and “Framed.” This first recording session proved successful. On Valen’s next recording session he recorded a song written by Valens about his girlfriend “Donna” which had great radio airplay across the USA and went to #2 on Billboard and Cash Box charts, also crossing to Australia #4 on their charts. The other side was “La Bamba” which went to #22 Billboard and #49 on Cash Box. Ritchi Valens lived for a little over a year after his success with his song “Donna” and recorded commercially only nine songs. After his death recordings were made from any and all recorded songs found from his school to home recordings. Why “La Bamba’ was touted as Ritchie Valens’ breakthrough song is a mystery to me. The recording that made Ritchie Valens a music celebrity was “Donna.” I was here in 1959 and remember it well.

Buddy Holley. J.P. Richardson, and Ritchie Valens, along with Dion and The Belmonts comprised the most popular stars of the ‘”Winter Dance Party Tour” of 1959. After Buddy Holley’s death a 15-year-old entertainer was brought in from Fargo, North Dakota, to replace Holley. This accident started young Bobby Vee on his career. See you next month.