The Day The Music Died

[ODB]

A friend’s family farms not too far from the crash site and I’ve gone and paid my respects.
The dance hall they played their last show is still open.

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't looked at those pics a good long time. My heart breaks thinking about them injured and laying out in the cold like that. But I hope their end was instant. Truly tragic.

 

[Customweld]

When you get down to it, air travel has been pretty dang hard on musicians.

 

[Q child]

The worst part of my birthday…tragic.

Well, happy birthday anyway.

 

[Q child]

What's really interesting is how this music is largely unknown by most people today. However, at the time and in the years following, it directly influenced artists that several years to a couple decades later made music that everyone still listens to today.

It is pretty fascinating how music does that. It's all kind of an amorphous blob of influence. Musicians are inspired by other musicians are inspired by other musicians... Some heavy hitters went down in that plane. Pretty big deal.

 

[IW17]

When you get down to it, air travel has been pretty dang hard on musicians.

Statistically safer to fly than drive, but it's odd how so many musicians die in plane crashes compared to bus crashes. I'm sure it has more to do with the driving practices of professional bus drivers vs the average driver.

 

[Customweld]

Statistically safer to fly than drive, but it's odd how so many musicians die in plane crashes compared to bus crashes. I'm sure it has more to do with the driving practices of professional bus drivers vs the average driver.

For sure statistically safer to fly. To be fair to air travel, a lot of these guys were flying in small , chartered planes in less than ideal weather.

 

[DangerRanger]

That’s the problem with vague generic stats.

You're more likely to die of a shark attack surfing in Africa than climbing Everest

 

[AZ Gator]

I appreciate this thread and it has helped expand my own knowledge.

I knew of the plane crash, but it was before I was born, so its significance was lost on me. I was a big fan of the Don McLean song when I was a kid, but was completely unaware of the references and connection.

Thanks @IronNoggin for enlightening me.