Died On This Date (February 3, 1959) Roger Peterson / Pilot of Flight Carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & The Big Bopper
themusicsover Roger Peterson
May 24, 1937 – February 3, 1959
Roger Peterson was a young pilot who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time when the small aircraft he was piloting during a cold wintry morning in 1959 crashed, killing three of pop music’s biggest stars in a tragedy that has been called “the day the music died.” On board the Beachcraft plane on that tragic day were Buddy Holly, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, and Ritchie Valens – all, including Peterson, were killed when the plane crashed into an Iowa cornfield. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Peterson was the target of blame by family and fans of the performers, but he would later be vindicated. One theory is that the plane was equipped with an unusual gyroscope that read upside down from what most pilots were accustomed to. Peterson may have thought he was gaining altitude when he was actually descending. Another theory is that he was not informed of the treacherous weather conditions as he should have. Either way, Roger Peterson, a well-trained and experienced pilot went down with his plane at the age of 21.
Papito Serguera was the head of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television during the late ’60s and early ’70s. It was a time when the Communist authorities were carrying out strict bans throughout the Cuba. One of the most famous victims of Serguera’s airlay embargoes were the Beatles. The ban on their songs however, didn’t last long, and in later years, Seguera joked that he was actually a fan of their music during those days. Papito Serguera was 76 when he passed away on February 3, 2009.
Cornelius Bumpus is best remembered as the saxophonist for the Doobie Brothers and later, Steely Dan. In 2000, he won the Best Album Grammy for his work on Steely Dan’s Two Against Nature. As an in-demand session player, Bumpus has performed or recorded with the likes of Michael McDonald, Jeff Lorber, Lacy J. Dalton, Patrick Simmons, Phoebe Snow, Ambrosia and Boz Scaggs. While flying from New York to Los Angeles for a gig, Bumpus suffered a fatal heart attack. He was 58.