Crash Site Memorial: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson - 4K Stockvideo

This clip features the airplane crash site memorial for rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and airplane pilot Roger Peterson. The four men died on Feb. 3, 1959, after taking off from Mason City, Iowa in nighttime, wintry weather. The three musicians had just performed a concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. The memorial is a repository of public offerings: plastic flowers, spare change, Mardi Gras beads, eyeglasses, beer cans, and other assorted items. The crash site, which is free and open to the public, is a lonely spot in a giant Iowa field. The access point on the nearest farm road is marked by a big pair of Holly's trademark black-framed eyeglasses. It is a long walk, but the bare patch of dirt in front of the memorial shows that many fans make the trek.