The Day the Music Died: Eastern Iowa marks anniversary over six decades later since 1959 plane crash

MASON CITY: The anniversary of “The Day the Music Died,” one of music’s saddest events, is being observed in Eastern Iowa.

Musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed on February 3, 1959, when their small plane crashed just after takeoff from Mason City Municipal Airport. Hours earlier, the group had been on the Winter Dance Party tour, performing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.

Roger Peterson, a 21-year-old pilot, was also killed in the crash; poor weather and pilot confusion were later identified by federal investigators as contributing factors. Don McLean’s 1971 song “American Pie,” which popularized the term “The Day the Music Died” and solidified the event’s position in American cultural history, was inspired by the tragedy.

Fans from all over the world still visit Clear Lake to pay tribute to the musicians’ legacy at the Surf Ballroom and the crash site. Every year around the anniversary, concerts and tribute activities are held at the Surf Ballroom, which remains a live music venue.

According to local historians, the crash’s impact is still felt over 60 years later—not just because of the musicians’ influence on rock ‘n’ roll, but also because of the tragedy’s enduring link to north-central Iowa.