...the day the music died.

[goodjeans]

Many consider today to be the day the music died because on this day in 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa a plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper crashed, killing these rock stars. I personally consider tomorrow, February 4th the day the music died because on this day in 1983 Karen Carpenter died of heart failure at age 32.

 

[Dave]

I agree... Those FOUR left us at a time when they were just too young and had, still so many years ahead to give us a lot more...

I remember being fairly young, on a road trip with my Mom and seeing a horrible car accident as 'Honey' by Bobby Goldsboro was playing on the radio. The song is about a loved one who dies and he plants a tree and it grows or something of that subject matter.

Now, that I like...! That is, there is a line about how "she wrecked the car...", which the writer neglected to point out, if he even heard that line in the song at the time he saw the wreckage...



Dave

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I agree... Those FOUR left us at a time when they were just too young and had, still so many years ahead to give us a lot more...

I remember being fairly young, on a road trip with my Mom and seeing a horrible car accident as 'Honey' by Bobby Goldsboro was playing on the radio. The song is about a loved one who dies and he plants a tree and it grows or something of that subject matter.

Now, that I like...! That is, there is a line about how "she wrecked the car...", which the writer neglected to point out, if he even heard that line in the song at the time he saw the wreckage...



Dave

When Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash in 1963, the Nashville radio station that broke the news [I believe it was WSM...] issued a bulletin that was immediately followed by her hit single I FALL TO PIECES...the song was already in rotation, but it was a very embarrassing moment, nonetheless...

Dan

 

[Dave]

I was in summer camp back in July, 1981 when Harry Chapin died... We happened to have the radio on and sure enough after the station sadly made the announcement, they went right ahead and gave us a "marathon" of all his songs...

Made me wish I could'a spent all day with the radio instead of archery, nature hikes, arts & crafts, swimming at the waterfront and the evening campfire jamboree...

Forgot where I was when Jim Croce died, as I was only age-three, but remember hearing a lot of his stuff, and perhaps even more so after the day he left us... --And much too soon...



Dave

 

[aaflyer98]

Like many here, for me, February 4, 1983 was the day the music died.
Thinking of Karen as always this time of year.

 

[Dave]

Sad what the next couple years would hold after my first time discovering The Carpenters and buying their records...

I remember a certain magazine stating that the only "needles" Karen used were for her needlecraft and her only "secret stash" was her Disney memorabilia...

Though their music was what I've heard all my life and there was a family nearby us, long ago, who played their stuff a lot, as well...



Dave

 

[goodjeans]

...followed by her hit single I FALL TO PIECES...the song was already in rotation, but it was a very embarrassing moment, nonetheless...

yikes.

 

[LPJim]

Waylon Jennings, who played bass in Holly's band, escaped death by taking the bus instead of the plane.

JB

 

[Mark-T]

This is the first year I have forgotten about Karen's death on the 4th. Interesting, because I was in the middle of refining my review of Horizon, which was published on my blog today.

Guess it goes to shwo in many ways, she is still "alive" for me...

 

[thestitch]

She's in my heart--always.

Marilyn

 

[DAN BOLTON]

Waylon Jennings, who played bass in Holly's band, escaped death by taking the bus instead of the plane.

JB

I don't remember all the details, but I once saw a documentary on Waylon that addressed that very topic...Waylon said that he and Holly had an argument after the Clear Lake concert, and he[Waylon] decided to take the band bus instead of flying with Holly as was originally planned. Holly said, "I hope your bus breaks down..." and Waylon shot back... "Well, I hope your plane crashes!". Of course, it did, just after takeoff; and Waylon felt haunted by those words for years...


Dan

 

[Dave]

Sadly, the "I hope your plane crashes!" line by Waylon was also used in the Richie Valens documentary, LA BAMBA...

The person playing Buddy Holly also seemed to be so un-Buddy Holly-like that he'd be more the sort of person who would say "I hope your bus breaks down..." more than you'd think Holly, himself, ever would...

Yes, Jennings' words did haunt him, and felt the guilt enough, that on that very day, for the rest of his life, he would always visit the very Clear Lake, IA site where the plane went down and crashed...


Dave

--With a truly sad footnote about the family who very constantly played Carpenters music in their house: The person actually playing it (probably the mother) and obviously a big fan, I think, had passed away... Guess it was obvious, that hearing "Richard & Karen" would never, again, be the same, after that... Besides..., Who knows? --Maybe he/she would be posting here, if anyone there even knows about this site... Well, we moved away, anyway, so...-- --I dunno...

-- :|