Tommy Allsup tells of the coin flip with Ritchie Valens
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- Опубліковано 20 тра 2007
- Tommy Allsup tells the story of the coin flip with Ritchie Valens exactly 48 years to the day after it happened. Filmed at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. Ritchie Valens won the coin flip and died in the plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper in the early morning of February 3, 1959. Tommy Allsup continued on to play in over 7.000 studio sessions and is a grammy award winning artist who is still performing today.
Tommy Allsup died January 11, 2017 at age 85. Losing the coin toss gave him an extra 57 years 11 months and 8 days.
So would you actually say he lost
Yes, he lost the coin flip; he won a longer life by losing.
+rickrichard01 op
Tails never fails!
Ernesto De La Serna: If Ritchie Valens losed the coin toss, maybe he still alive nowadays, I think.
Richie Valens. First Mexican/American Rock Star. Followed by Carlos Santana.
Richie was not only a singer and song writer but a real inovative guitar player.
Loved him still can remember all his songs and the words. La Bamba and Donna. I had the record and was very upset hearing about the accident. Very unfortunate for three rising stars Ritchie the youngest.
Richie was an all around great musician.Very innovative.I often wonder what that kid could have accomplished had he not been taken so soon.
Don't forget the irreplaceable Selena Quintanilla Perez
Jerry Garcia
Trini Lopez was before Richie. Recommended by Frank Sinatra, Trini tried out for the "Crickets" after the plane crash to replace Buddy.
Ritchie was famous for only 8 months imagine if he lived longer all he’s songs and albums. Such a legend gone way too soon. You know he touches hearts when we still talk and listen to he’s music in 2021 ❤️
So cool how they played drums for each other when needed. They really did have a brotherhood. It's a shame such good people had to go so early.
I'm Hispanic. It sucks that both Selena & Ritchie Valens died young, both were future superstars.
Thanks for clarifying that you're Hispanic, it really helps us understand your comment.
@@wb8047 excuse me
Ritchie Valens plane tragedy reminds me of Jenny Rivera and Pedro infante.Pedro Infante plane crash many thought he died in the plane tragedy but he escaped death and lost himself in the sierra desert.Until he appeared back in the 80's as a different name but then past away in 2014 i believe.Pedro infante famous singer/actor of the 50's that he even perform in the famous Million Dollar in downtown Los Angeles, Cali.California.
@@aguilareal1725 Jenny Rivera was so avoidable...not sure why they got on that plane...
@@wb8047 foh hitler jr
I been watching La Bamba on repeat for days now, I don’t know why I’m obsessed but music was so much better back in that era…
Sadly,Tommy passed away this week...I met him once and found him to be a lovely,humble gentleman.He's played session guitar on countless recordings and it was Tommy Allsup that produced the Zager and Evans hit..."In the Year 2525"Thank you for the music Tommy,RIP.
Over the years I've met hundreds of artists. Tommy was one of the most genuine, sincere and talented of any I've ever met. He was a victim of circumstances and in no way should be resented. Sometimes life really is just a coin flip.
Nick Villegas But I’m sure you never even met the guy. You need to remember one thing in all this “god doesn’t play dice”. There are no mistakes
What an idiot! Waylon's music was revolutionary to the 1970's country music scene. He has inspired countless musicians. Just because you don't like his music, that's no reason to wish death on the guy. Holy shit...maybe you should have been on that plane then
Nick Villegas You’re a sad sad person my dude
So very true
I was walking across campus with friends at Ohio State U. when we heard the news of the crash in 1959. We talked about how innovative Ritchie's music was. He was the first to combine popular rock and roll with hispanic music. He was truly a genius. That's why he is remembered to this day in 2020. It was a tragedy that he, the Big Bopper and Buddy Holly were killed that night. They were the innovators of that time. RIP
And richey valens
@@Chris-ft2yx I'm so glad that we had him and the others even for a little while.
I really like your post here and I totally agree with you it’s sad though but very true as you said someone extremely original an innovator ahead of the times it seems like those people always meet a horrible and way before the time for years later another lady lost her life in a plane crash also she was a definite innovator for her time and still talked about today I’m referring to Patsy Cline.........
That is what is called serendipity. Being in the right place at the right time saved that man's life. Had he not gone back inside to double-check they had all their equipment and not incidentally run into Ritchie Valens who was understandably sick and tired of riding on that cold-ass bus, then Ritchie would have survived and Mr. Althorp would NOT have lived to see old age. Such a deeply sad story full of loss and sadness. Such a great loss for music lovers. May they all RIP.
We are still talking about those guys.
There is a reason. Rock & Roll never dies.
Hey, Ritchie, relax man. Everything's cool. Besides, the sky belongs to the stars, right?
Oh man I just watched this movie today I cried AGAIN after 20 years of watching
Stars don’t fall
He was right , the sky does belong to the stars, they are all angels now which means they are all in the sky full of other stars from the past
Famous last words.
You got that line perfect.
I wish none of them went on that plane
ITs NUKE3110 same
It never should have happened. The pilot never should have agreed to that flight. The plane owner never should have allowed that pilot on the airfield in those conditions.
@@johnford5568 are you serious 😳 when will you guys learn that those guys were beaten and murdered 🤔 the coin toss was who was gonna die.... Richie was horrified of planes.....
@@johnford5568 problem is sometimes people get starstruck and dont wanna dissapoint. Same w kobe helicopter. He should never have flown.
@@Coco-xw3wp oh stop! Always w the conspiracies
Wow just knew that BOB, Ritchie Valens brother just passed away.It's 2020 now, it's been along time.RIP BOB
,Ritchie Valens and Their beatiful Mother.Also Rip the rest of the singers in that plane crash and the guitarrist.
and the 21 year old pilot.
My heart just stops Everytime I watch this . I know they died even before I was born but their music is so great that I still love up to this day. They were the rock and roll God's in the 50s. Imagine they lived through the 60s and 70s. Along with the Stones, Beatles, Animals. Wow, it would have been so cool, so much fun and lots of good music. Well, please accept my 4 respects for the four of you, Holly, Valens, Richardson and the young pilot. I do miss you dearly. Rest in heaven.
12byears later, we lost Duane Allman. 10 years after that I was born. It wasn't until I got older that I understood just how close Duanes death was to my birth 10 yrs later. 10 years ago was 2012, the year my daughter was born. It literally feels like it was just yesterday.
I can't imagine how much Duanes death was still affecting my dad at the time. Because of him, I share middle names with the great Howard Duane Allman. It just never really set in that his death was that close to my birth. Before now, it always felt like there was decades between those 2 events. But now that I have an event to compare it to, it's really quite surprising how close it feels.
I buried my daughter just 2 years later, in 2014 due to the carelessness and neglect of my ex, her mother. That day, she decided that texting was more important than paying attention to the road while she was driving. And she ran off the road, over corrected, flipped the car and rolled it into a utility pole that hit the rear passenger door, exactly where my daughter was strapped in her car seat.
That is the single worst day of my life. These last 7.5 years have been quite the struggle. Been the most difficult 7.5 years of my life.
I know this is completely unrelated to Buddy and Ritchie and Big Bopper but I thought I'd share anyway.
@JC Thank you for sharing, and I hope you don't receive any negative comments.
Death comes like a thief in the night ......................very sad indeed!
TOMMY has told this story for a lifetime and has never changed it for one word so it;s the TRUTH.
Waylon Jennings also told the same story that Tommy Allsup did.
Dion tried to claim that it was him who flipped the coin with Ritchie Valens, and that Buddy Holly wanted to charter a plane for the 'headliners' in other words 'the famous ones' *not Waylon and Tommy* But I find that to be a boldface lie. I've been following this story for years, watching countless documentaries and videos and would always go back and listen to Tommy and Waylon's side of the story. And never not once did either of them change their side of the story. Needless to say I believe their side over Dion's.
Dion DiMucci tells same story, but he flipped the coin, not Tommy, we'll never know for sure.
@@mercedeswillis2734 How would you possibly know if it was a bold face lie?? What Dion says makes perfect sense Buddy was looking for people to split the cost and of course the headliners made the most money so he asked them. Waylon wasn't there when Ritchie and Tommy flipped he said Tommy told him that so who knows what the truth is.
Dions story has always been the same so how do you know he is lying??
Rip : Tommy Allsup (November 24 1931 - January 11 2017)
May Tommy be on the right hand side of our Heavenly Father.... Im glad he recounted his story about the coin toss in the original place to which it happened.... This will serve as a final testament as to how things that night occurred..... Rest in peace Tommy.... now you too are with the stars.....
RIP Tommy Allsup. Another singing legend gone :(
Rosie Summer j
When did Tommy Allsup pass..I'm sure he's rocking it out with his pals..must have been some mix of emotions that he had over his life..glad he didn't get on the plane but sad for the loss of his pals...always wondered if the flight had not occurred had all lived longer but also who knows cause life could throw anything at you..too bad the snow could not have canceled any flights and the tour took place s one place warmer
FlashDance002 tommy passed on 2017 last uear
Tommy Douglas Allsup (November 24, 1931 - January 11, 2017). After the Crash. Allsup moved to Los Angeles, played with local bands, and did session work, including a songwriting credit for The Ventures, "Guitar Twist",also known as "Driving Guitars". He returned to Odessa, Texas, where he worked with Ronnie Smith, Roy Orbison, and producer Willie Nelson. In 1968, he moved to Nashville, where he did session work and produced Bob Wills', 24 Great Hits by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. In the mid-1970s Tommy served as the producer for a pair of Asleep at the Wheel albums.
In 1979, he started a club, "Tommy's Heads Up Saloon", in Fort Worth. The club was named for Allsup's coin toss with Valens 20 years beforehand.
The last surviving member of Buddy Holly's "touring" Crickets for the 1959 Winter Dance Party, Tommy Allsup died on January 11, 2017, at 85 years old in a hospital in Springfield, Missouri after complications from hernia surgery. Wikipedia
everyone, let’s please have a moment of silence for the three people we lost in 1959 & the one person we lost early this year. four legends of music who shaped the course of rock in the last almost 60 years. God bless them, may they RIP.
Lost 4 in 59
What about a moment of silence for the countless billions who have died on the earth?
Tommy Allsup, a LEGEND??? I was fifteen years old when the clear lake Iowa crash happened and I NEVER heard of Tommy Allsup until now! Besides this video doesn’t indicate that Tommy could sing
@@itsjustnopinionok who gives bunch of nobodies lol
it's like the same but different 4 people died
The sky belongs to the stars
Buddy was in a court battle for all the royalties of his songs, as he was having to share with his manager who didn't have any involvement in the creation of the music aside from maybe recording it. Buddy was the first in rocknroll to write, arrange, and perform all his music, can't say that about Elvis. Others at that time would just cover songs that were popular. Since buddy was fighting for the rights to his music, newly married and baby on the way he agreed to do that final tour.
Wow, you're pretty.
@@yodyodly8780 You also cannot say that he had the largest fan base number he and the Beatles combined!!!
Stars don’t fall
Shooting stars do
Here because it’s Ritchies birthday ♥️
Amazing story! Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly are my two favorites of that time.
Today is 59 years since the crash RIP to the greatest Rock and Roll stars we all miss everyday changed history of music with their short lives Thank You all for being here even for the short time you gave us
Man I feel so bad for Tommy he has to live with that fact that Rithce died instead of him because of the coin flipp.
I feel bad for Waylon. That friendly trash talk between Buddy Holly and him haunted him for the rest of life. Imagine living with survivors guilt for nearly 60 years. *edited for correct name*
That friendly banter was between Holly and Jennings.
Michael Dahms oh shit. You’re right. I wasn’t paying attention.
Waylon Jennings drug abuse was a result of this event. Trying to drown out severe guilt and pain
They said just before they got on the plane Waylon jokingly said "I hope your fuckin plane crashes". It haunted him till the day he died
@@justinmyslive4108 Buddy egged him on first though. He told Waylon "I hope that bus freezes solid." Waylon then said "Well i hope your ole plane crashes."
Life and death is as fragile as a flip of a coin !!! Rip legends in the sky.
I was listening to the top 50 songs of the day on 1010 WINS New York, when the news came in of the plane crash. All three had huge hits out at the time. Sad Day!
Unfortunately, Tommy Allsup passed away Jan 11,2017 last living person of the touring band.
Been here at the Surf Ball room and the crash site a few times . Right of I35, as a matter of fact from the crash site you can see I35 in the far distance. Also right down the street from the Surf-ballroom , they recently built a tribute to them "Three Stars Plaza" a spindle with a record of each star.
allowing you to play each one and listen to their favorite hits.AWESOME..a must visit when in the area.
When you say touring band, are you referring to the winter dance party?
@@professionalmoron1565 if so, dion is still 100 percent alive
@@jackhammer4139 yeah, ik
I met him in 1988 when he was opening a restaurant in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas called Tommy's Heads Up Saloon. The restaurant supply company I worked for didn't really have the furniture and fixtures he needed but he listened politely. A true gentleman and a very nice guy. Tommy gave me one of the coins he had engraved with Tommy's Heads up Saloon. It was part of his marketing campaign. I will always remember that meeting as a brush with fame & history
He lost the coin flip, but won THE REST OF HIS LIFE!!! This is the ultimate divine intervention!
Yes indeed and Im sure he has thanked God a bazillion times.
Thats not what I meant sir. That is rather mean.
JOSHUA LOVEHALL
God killed four others to save him? God's an ass.
What a fucking idiotic thing to say. God doesnt exist. This is proof
Nick gers if it's your time, then it's your time.. only God is in control. Mabey god had a plan for this man to live to be the age he is now
I was 16 yrs old in bed sick for 3 months with a bad flu when the three died in the crash. I was heart broken. I will always remember them. i am a musician too steel player... mike verdetto usa.
I'd like to know who has that last autograph Ritchie signed.
Probably worth a couple hundred thousand or a million today tbh
My mother we still have it.
@@andrewhatton1606 pictures?
Jorge Castillo he’s obviously lying
My parents meet Ritchie and got his autograph.
Wow I had no idea Mr. Allsup played the lead guitar on "It's So Easy". Or that he had been involved with 7,000+ recording sessions! Or even that he had won a Grammy. I am a guy who loves to learn new things everyday. Thank you so much!
Keep in mind that every day of your life could be the last and try to do something nice for somebody. Maybe you will be remembered in a good way, and your family will be proud.
My family disowned me.
John 14:6
John 3:3
He got almost 58 years after losing that flip.
Tom Dockery not a bad deal at all :-)
Tom Dockery but then again, it took him 58 years to get to the promise land.
@@robertnesy7850 You make a 'claim' that his spirit was taken into Heaven without backing you commenting of that. So tell how you know.
RITCHIE!!!!!!!
Omg, that movie!!
Just watched La Bamba
LuckyLicks same here. Now I'm into the history of what happened that night.
Like for the first time?
Just a quick word.... Ritchie Valens mother played in one of the scenes... the scene was the christmas party before he left for the tour.... She was a somewhat rotund woman sitting on the couch during the party..... (just a little factoid) ...
John Henry Holliday Ritchie brother bob was in that party scene too!
@@marlenathornsbeary2800 I will have to watch it and look for him.
Tommy Allsup is great and a sincere music legend.
I was 5 years old at this time in 1959 and really into mom and dad's 45 rpm records of Buddy Holly and the few they had of Ritchie Valens.
I have played guitar for over 50 years and this music was always a major inspiration to me all those years. About 6 years ago we put together 3 sets of 50s Rock~N~Roll with kind of a now sound to perform. WOW... I could not believe the people of all generations who really, really enjoyed the music. The oldest couple out on the dance floor one evening were a 91 year old gentleman and his 88 year old wife. We paid a special tribute to them at that time.
Our singer and leader passed away about 2 years ago of throat cancer and the band broke up. I would love to get it going again, but good ole' father time has taken a toll on us all.... I, myself am fighting cancer and never know what I will feel like from day to day.
May these legends rest in piece for ever and their memories rock on for that same amount of time!!!
When you're caught up in all the excitement of a tour and the parties, the performances, and all the glory, you never stop for 1 second to think about any dangers or consequences of any actions or decisions you may make at that spur of the moment. Life seems to be moving way, way to fast at those times... I think that's a huge reason so many performers have died way too soon!!!
This is an incredible piece of video !
Thank you much for posting this !
Also, thank you Tommy Allsup for the inside. Crazy.
wow how a coin flip saved ones life but ended another ones, but you never know
Thanks so much to everyone involved in making this. For years and years and years and years and years, there was NO findable information on the crash. In fact, in the '70s, Buddy just disappeared completely. Tommy Allsup was such a great player. He fit right in with Buddy's own guitar style and Buddy's musical style. For years, I thought it was Buddy doing all that great stuff on "It's So Easy" and others. I know we lost Tommy a few years ago. I sure hope he was saved, so he and Buddy can go back to making music together along with my older brother; and maybe I can join them in a little while, when the Lord comes back.
PILOT ERROR - The snow flurry during boarding was a warning of clouds - meaning IFR (Blind) flying conditions. The pilot was not certified to fly IFR (Instrument Flight Rules). The aircraft was not IFR equipped - no artificial horizon or other required IFR gear on board. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot became disoriented in the clouds & the aircraft was seen exiting the base of the clouds upside-down & in a dive. It impacted the ground at a very high speed with no possibility of survivors.
They could've just checked into a hotel and flown in the morning.
Fate is inascapble death is but fate no you death is determined when you are born enjoy the time you have now and reflect later see you in the next life
-reaper
It was meant to happen they way it happened and that's why we are talking about it.
RIP Valens, Holly, Big Bopper and Roger Arthur Peterson, pilot!
Thank you...i keep tellin' them that!!!
Probably didn't want to pay for a room
The station wagon had a heater...
I knew Tommy Allsup and went to his home when he lived in Ft Worth back in '83. He told me all about the coin flip with Richie Valens and showed me the half dollar which he carried in his wallet for good luck. Tommy told that story for 57 years and never once varied in his account.
Dion never disputed Tommy's claim until sometime about 15 years ago sometime after 2000 when he suddenly started telling people he was the one who had flipped a coin for a ride on the plane with Valens instead of Tommy.
The trouble with Dion's claims is not only the decades of silence on his part where he never once made any such claims but also the fact that Dion was never slated to fly in Buddy's chartered airplane. He had his own transportation arrangements for the Clear Lake Iowa dance event at the Surf Ballroom. I don't know what's wrong with Dion that he would make up a story like that but Waylon disputed it even though he admitted that he did not see Tommy flip a coin with Valens but he heard all about it from everyone who was there who saw it happen.
I asked Tommy about Dion's crazy claim a couple of years before he died and he only said, "I know what happened that night. He wasn't even in the room. Now, he may have flipped a coin earlier with Valens for another reason and is mixed up about the events, but he wasn't riding on Buddy's plane, only Buddy, Waylon and me had seats. Waylon gave up his seat to the Big Bopper because he was so sick. I was going to fly on the plane until Richie kept bugging me so much about it I said, "OK, let's toss a coin," as I pulled out a brand new half dollar I flipped it in the air and said, "Call it!" He said "heads" and it came up heads, so he took my seat on the plane. Dion rode in his own bus with his people. There was never any question about him riding Buddy's plane. If he had asked Buddy he would have told me and Waylon. So he's mixed up or something."
Tommy was a good guy and not a BS artist who made up stories. He didn't have to. He was noted for over 7000 Nashville recording studio sessions but long before all of that he cut well over half again as many sessions in Hollywood, California at Liberty Records in the 60's before moving to Nashville.
I believe Tommy's version, on the basis of your story, and the fact his story never changed. Liars rarely if ever manage to tell the same story over time. Like the old saying says, no one has a good enough memory to be a good liar. In defense of Dion, the older you get the foggier memories become. Like another commenter mentioned, I have had things I would swear to that I found out were wrong. My memory and time had managed to scramble what I once experienced, and replaced it with another version. To Tommy's credit, he doesn't malign Dion, but allows for that fallibility of human recollection.
Yep, all you said!
I drove Dion in a limo from Philadelphia to Lancaster Pa to play at the American music theatre. He wasn’t very pleasant person. I would not believe his story ..
I figure if there was any truth to Dion's story he wouldn't of waited 40 some years to tell it. Tommy has told his story since 59. And it's never changed not once. So that leads me to believe his version of events. Besides what does he have to gain by lying? Absofuckinlutely nothing. Infact many times he seems to express sadness and regret over what happened. I'm sure just knowing that seat was meant for him has been very hard for him to deal with. Just knowing if he would of said no that he would of saved Richie's life. But Tommy has dealt with it very well. I know Waylon took it hard for many years and used alcohol and drugs to try and cope with what happened. And the comment he made to buddy about I hope your old plane crashes. This tore Waylon up inside for many years. Even though him and Buddy were just joking with each other like they did many times before he felt as though it was his fault that the plane went down. I'm just happy Waylon finally came to terms with it and finally got sober and made some great music. Buddy would of been very proud. But I'm off course now. But as I said before I tend to believe Tommy over Dion. Tommy was there an Dion was nowhere around them when it happened. IDK if Dion thinks that he's going to gain something by lying but all it does is make him look like an ignorant asshole. Just my opinion. But Dion and the Belmont's had some great tunes. And I will always love his music but him as a person, well idk there's just something about him that I don't like.
What did he gain? He opened up a bar that capitalized on the coin toss. How low can a person go in doing that.!!!
R.I.P. Ritchie Valens AKA: Richard Steven Valenzuela Born: May 13, 1941, Pacoima, Los Angeles, CA
Died: February 3, 1959, Clear Lake, IA with The Big Bopper AKA Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson Jr. Born: October 24, 1930, Sabine Pass, TX Died: February 3, 1959, Clear Lake, IA ; Buddy Holly AKA Charles Hardin Holley Born: September 7, 1936, Lubbock, TX Died: February 3, 1959, Clear Lake, IA
amazing he thought he lost a coin flip..but he won his life
Can't imagine what he felt when the news of the crash were announced 🤔😰☹️ HE MUST HAVE THOUGHT HE CHEATED DEATH THAT NIGHT, surely his life changed that day, to think he would not be alive had they not had that coin toss.
It was not his time to go, and Richie's time was up, as it will for every human being.🥺
I believe every word of Tommy and Waylons story.
Reading many of these comments is disturbing.
How would Rock n Roll and country would have impacted if they would have lived is my question.
The boys in Memphis came through for us thank God.
I wouldn’t ever spend that coin!
Those guys guys were the forerunners of rock and roll and most all had a heart that stayed with them not forgetting the people the fans and most all the people that they were raised around
Great Video I Love The Clean Sound Of The Stratocaster Thanks Tommy
What a great video that tells about a tragedy that changed the course of music. RIP Holly,Bopper,Valens.
I was 14 when this tragedy happened. I can still recall the feelings of shock and disbelief. Having since owned and operated the same type of plane for many, many years, I can tell you that the pilot had no business trying to fly in such inclement weather. Perhaps the owner of the charter company sent a boy (non instrument rated pilot) to do a man's job so maybe they should share some of the blame.
Thanks for the heartfelt, life long memories! Nothing dies,will met again! Dont no where dont no when, but i no will met again on a Higher Plain! Ill see you there, Lou, Richie, Buddy, & Big Bopper!
When you look down you are recollecting events as they happened, I believe his version of events.
RIP Three stars.
Why doe's an event that happened so many years ago still feel like it happened yesterday ?
Who stills loves Buddy Holly's music in 2020 💯👍🤘
😂
@@susandiouri6191 and 2024
Wow. What a great piece. I always sensed that Tommy Allsup was a great guy, but really never got a chance to hear him. His lucid recollection of these events are fantastic. Thanks evr so much.
It has been shown incorrectly in movies, but the coin flip did happen just as described here.
He said Ritchie asked him 4 or 5 times if he could take his place on the plane when in the movie they made it like Ritchie was so scared of flying that he almost had to be forced to step one foot on a plane.
This is so good. Thanks. ;)
Wow. I cant believe this. Excellent. Thank you for posting this.
My story is very similar to his. Rican 68 crashed May 2nd 2018 in Savannah GA. I called out the day before. All 9 perished. My friends. My son who was sick saved my life. My name was also printed in the papers as dead. I am 1st LT Mario Suarez
how did your son save your life?
@@toddinthemiddle probably because he was sick??
@@toddinthemiddle Probably because he stayed home because his kid was sick
3rd February 2019 be the 60 anniversary of the 3 singers ´ s death Buddy Holly,Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper
thanks for clearing that up!
Tommy is awesome! He played at my school and I got to meet him! He truely is a rock n roll legend!
I liked Richie's songs the best out of all the singers on that tour.
I thought Richie was sick. He’s saying Big Bopper has the flu. Makes it sound like Richie Valens just wanted the quicker warmer trip but I’m positive the history I’ve read says he was very ill. In fact when they were filming La Bamba, his family watched a lot of the scenes and they broke down at that scene where he wins the coin toss and according to the actor Philips it was a very emotional tough moment when the family spoke to him “Why WHY did you have to fly..!” Later the family said they’d been unable to grieve in the public eye and this ended up being a very healing experience. That made me feel better. We don’t know what we might have been had these 3 talented beautiful people not left us so early but we know what they gave us what we’ll never lose because of what they changed forever in our hearts and souls. These were also men of goodness and decency. What a joke to think how the introduction of rock n roll was met with such disdain and derogatory connections to evil. This was the closest we might have come to world peace. Who knows ... I missed this era by about a decade but I always loved the way these guys broke down the race barrier because music is where we’re colorblind
The bopper was the one with the flu. I'm going to trust the person who was there as opposed to Hollywood dramatics.
That’s a long time to recall every detail. If someone has the flu in group of traveling musicians, it would not surprise me if Richie was coming down with the flu as well. It’s very likely he was. Obviously Big Bopper had it first.
In his autobiography, Waylon Jennings told the story the same way Tommy Allsup told it. The Big Bopper was sick, so Waylon offered him his seat on the plane. I am not sure why Richie Valens wanted to go on the plane, but Waylon said that Richie and Tommy did flip a coin for the seat.
Tommy it was a pleasure to have you as my family it was our families gift from God thanks
God bless the ones still alive and RIP those who died!
Somehow, his story about the coin toss brings me some closure..
RIP RICARDO VALENZUELA!
💖 I loved the movie and his songs like LA BUMBA !
I was there in may it was amazing you can feel the spirits of the stars made your hair stand up thankx Ritche us latinos rock 🤘
one question is who the fuck in their right mind would even fly in a snow storm like the one they flew into i just wish they had waited until the next morning when most likely the sky was more suitable to fly a plane....
NO SHIT!!!!!! and with a pilot who was 21 lol
I learned in aviation history that this crash taught us about Icing and how it affects aircraft.....crazy aint it?..
There were two strikes against them before they took off. My father was a WW2 pilot and later flew for AA. The plane was a Beechcraft Bonanza, a very high performance single engine plane. At the time, probably the fastest of all singles. They didn't have the deicing capabilities that newer planes have. They were flying at night, apparently didn't have the current weather and possibly didn't even file a proper flight plan. Years ago pilots used to joke about, but not laugh about all the doctors that got killed in their bonanzas. The reason is they had the bucks to buy one and usually didn't have the experience to handle them. Also most were no it alls. The pilot was really young and even today, pilots don't make great money until they get with major airlines or corporate work. He probably was too inexperienced to begin with and combine that with everything else, it was almost inevitable.
I am sure that everyone there thought that the pilot knew what he was doing. He obviously was forced to fly by the owner. One thing has changed in aviation in recent years and that is the pressurized single engine plane. Back into the 1970's, a pilot first got his private license, then commercial, then instrument, then multi engine. It only takes a minimum of 40 hours to get a private license and probably 60 more for a commercial and instrument rating. Those are the minimums but a somewhat lax instructor could get you the ratings before you actually deserved them. Even if he had an instrument rating, that is akin to having your drivers license. It doesn't mean you know what you are doing.
Marty El Moody L.A. 213 De la rocha I
One of the three big 'what ifs' in music of the second half of the 20th century IMHO. What if that plane leaves with Richie Valens on the ground instead? He could have been the first real HUGE Mexican American superstar artist. I think his style would have worked in to the 60's. This is right there with Otis Redding's plane crash (the man I think would've challenged Stevie Wonder in the 70's) and the untimely death ofTupac Shakur. I'm sure many will think of Morrison, Joplin, Hendrix, Cobain, etc. Those are my three. Thankfully, the music never did die.
fuck tupac and cobain
Manu Ginobilis Bald Spot Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jim Croce, John Denver,
At various times I've given this some thought. The Big Bopper? At the time a "one-hit wonder" with a novelty record. There were many of them. Richie Valens? A 5-hit wonder. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE everything he did and I was a kid when he was doing it. Buddy? He's in my top 5 all time faves but even he was looking for a market that was changing faster than he was. There was the payola scandal and Congressional hearings going on and by 1960 R&R was pretty much off the radio with Elvis in the Army and Eddie Cochran dead and Chuck in jail. In a sense, Roy Orbison picked up where Buddy left off with the orchestrated "True Love Ways", a remarkably innovative record for its time. It didn't escape Roy's attention or lots of other people. Many records to come along soon came out of Philly using the Philadelphia Orchestra's string players. It really became a matter of what could grab the teenagers attention like R&R had without being actual R&R, so we had Del Shannon, The Drifters, Coasters, all the Bobbies and Frankies, the Girl groups (all good stuff, I might add) and finally in '64 R&R was back with the Beatles, Beach Boys et.al. because there was simply too much money to be made. I won't make a declarative statement but I suspect Buddy's days were numbered whether he lived or not. There was a resurgence in the early '70s of '50s music and he may have put a couple on the charts but the very nature of pop music is to discard the old and devour the new. Guys like Buddy and Eddie- I celebrate what they gave us and need nothing more. "Rave On" or "She's Something Else"- find me some better R&R, I dare you.
Thanks for sharing
Tommy was lead guitarist of the "Southernaires", of the Southern club, in the early 50's. My dad, Bobby Joe Stewart was the lead singer, and considered to be the second best vocalist, behind only Tommy Duncan, of the Bob Wills band. They had a local t.v. show one night a week, and dad shared a place with Tommy, and his wife back then. I was just a couple of years old at the time, and stayed at my grandparents house, while dad was playing. I could have had a recording contract, 30 years ago!
I wonder what was that person with autograph's reaction when that'll be the last day he saw Ritchie!
Two tales surround the second seat. One version has Allsup flipping a coin with Valens, who won. But Dion later said he was the one who flipped a coin with Valens and won the seat; however, the price of the ticket - $36, the cost of a month's rent for his parents in New York - prompted him to give up the seat to Valens. I believe buddy Holly would want his band together in one place. Maybe Dion discussed it with allsup and Ritchie Valens, but hearing the price, opted out and allsup and Valens flipped the coin. makes sense to me.
Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup were Buddy Holly’s backup guitarists. Waylon was also back up vocalist. So, it would make sense that Buddy would want his backup guys with him on the plane. I also know that Waylon and Buddy were very good longtime friends. Waylon had just spent the week prior to the tour with Buddy and his wife, staying at Buddy’s New York apartment. Waylon recounts the story of what happened that awful night in his 1996 autobiography. Waylon’s version is the same as Tommy tells it in this video.
The amount of travel soon became a logistical problem. The distances between venues had not been properly considered Trivia. 'when the performances were scheduled; instead of "circling" around the Midwest to each town, the tour zig-zagged with distances between cities over 400 miles. General Artists Corporation, the organization that booked the tour, later received considerable criticism for their seemingly total disregard for the conditions they forced the touring musicians to endure:
“They didn't care. It was like they threw darts at a map ... The tour from hell -- that's what they named it -- and it's not a bad name."Buddy Holly historian Bill Griggs.”
The entire company of musicians traveled together in one bus, although the buses used for the tour were wholly inadequate, breaking down and being replaced with astounding frequency. Griggs estimates that five separate buses were used in the first 11 days of the tour -- "reconditioned school buses, not good enough for school kids."[3] The artists themselves were responsible for loading and unloading equipment at each stop, as no road crew assisted them. Adding to the disarray, the buses were not equipped for the weather which consisted of waist-deep snow in several areas and varying temperatures from the 20s to as low as -36 °F. One bus had a heating system that broke down shortly after the tour began, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Later, Richardson and Valens began experiencing flu-like symptoms and drummer Bunch was hospitalized for severely frostbitten feet, after the tour bus simply broke down in the middle of the highway in subzero temperatures near Ironwood, Michigan.
On Monday, February 2, the tour arrived in Clear Lake, Iowa, having driven 350 miles from the previous day's concert in Green Bay. The town had not been a scheduled stop, but the tour promoters, hoping to fill an open date, called the manager of the local Surf Ballroom, Carroll Anderson (1920-2006), and offered him the show. He accepted, and they set the show for that night. By the time Holly arrived at the venue that evening, he was frustrated with the ongoing problems with the bus. The next scheduled destination after Clear Lake was Moorhead, Minnesota, a 365-mile drive north and northwest (and, emphasizing the poor planning, a journey that would take them directly back through two towns they had already played within the last week.) No let up after that was in sight, as the following day, they were scheduled to travel back almost directly south to Sioux City, Iowa, a 325-mile trip.'
www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Roger%20Peterson%20(pilot)&item_type=topic
I did visit Clear Lake and the Surf to record this interview. It's a trip any music lover should definitely make. It seems every act who is anyone has played there at some point in their career.
the Beatles didn't and they're the highest selling act ever
RIP Tommy...
ritchie had a fear ove planes so he should of went on the bus do you think so
AuzzieVideoMaker Legend has it that the tour bus broke down several times due to a malfunction with the heating system. They should have flown the next morning in broad daylight when visibility was better. If the crew with these musicians had flown out the next morning, then all three musicians & the pilot would all still be alive.
R.I.P., Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & J.P. Richardson, a.k.a. The Big Bopper.
+ChihuahuaboyDH I heard that ritchie lost half of his head
+AuzzieVideoMaker Ive heard the same which is why I don't quite buy this story.If its true that Valens was afraid to fly why would he bug this guy to the point of a coin toss? Answer:He wouldn't.He would've stayed with the bus.
that was a misconception he feared planes. his brother said so in a interview. they just put that in the film for added drama.
I saw a special several years ago that stated the reason for the coin toss, was because Richie was sick also and wanted to hurry up and get to the next city so he could get some rest also.
"...people call me a kid. but you were just 17..."
- Eddie Cochran (Three Stars)
gee we're gonna miss you...
Love You! Tommy,,, THX!
I can’t wait to see ritchie in heaven 🙏🏼
I can't wait to see my mom.
You will never see him cause you were nothing to him
Heaven don’t exist
@@jmontenegro1124 Damn that’s mean… lol
I think he's in hell... Judging on his life he wasn't serving the Lord but himself. Sadly :(
Very impressive story. I've always liked Richie and Buddy, didnt know much of J.P. Very sad indeed !!!
Mr. B. Here ! Dion put it best ; the music did not die it was reborn ! Long live Rock & Roll ! 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
"Ritchie, relax man. Besides the sky belongs to the stars!"
- Buddy Holly February 3rd 1959
According to Jennings' autobiography, Holly teased his bass player by saying, "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up." To which Jennings responded, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes."
Yep it wasn't a coin flip or card game. Waylon was supposed to be on it too
I actually saw an interview before his death, where Jennings stated them remarks. I bet he felt pretty rotten after that.
Waylon gave his seat up out of compassion for the bopper, who was very sick that night with high fever
XIV Words
Fuci
the joke haunted Waylon for years and Tommy did toss the coin not Waylon he never clamed he did
Legends
Massive respect for these musicians.
You are correct. Waylon resented those comments and didn't talk about them for years. Not long before his death he played the Surf Ballroom again and did discuss it onstage.
so sad but they will never be forgotten
Very cool to hear this story, sad as it is, from Mr. Allsup - a person that will forever be part of music history. There'll always be the question of what would have become of the boys if they didn't perish that night. The 60's swallowed up a lot of the performers that were big in the 50's. The 60's basically turned into the exact opposite of the mostly wholesome 50's. In my opinion (so don't get mad), Ritchie would've gotten bigger and lasted into early 60's (and I'm a Ritchie Valens fan btw) and then might have gotten into producing or similar. Buddy I think might have had longer staying power and maybe would've been one of those life-long performers who always stay active accumulating a number of hit songs over their careers - he was that talented. The Big Bopper had a novelty song, as many, many performers did in the 50's. He probably would've had at least one follow up to Chantilly Lace. Of course, we'll never know, but they all went out on top and leaving everybody wanting more.
+Old Chrome I'm thinking Buddy would have went into producing, and coming out with a record every so often when the mood hit him.. but who knows right, lol.. I don't see the big bopper having much of a career, as you've stated, but he'd still been around, maybe tell the tale of how he almost got on that plane, but was too sick to leave town so he stayed at a near by hospital..
+Old Chrome I think that Ritchie would have become a sensation in the 1960's and the 1970's had he lived. J.P. Richardson, "The Big Bopper," would have lasted until the 1960's, and maybe well into the 1970's, and well, Buddy would have became "The King," over time. Him and Elvis would have battled well into the 70's.
The Big Bopper actually wrote a staggering number of songs in a career that only lasted mere months! He wrote and produced the very first hit for George Jones after discovering him (White Lightning) and the huge hit Running Bear (For johnny preston) and his follow up single… those were just the hits, as he had written a great number of other songs that didn't quite make the charts, but he was very very prolific in his short time in the biz...
Old Chrome i like your version of an alternate reality. i would add that probably the big bopper would’ve been quiet for most of the 60’s only to return with a top ten disco hit in the 70’s. let’s not forget he was a dj first and foremost, he probably would’ve been on the cutting edge of all that was hipster and cool, certainly to some degree, more so than ritchie and buddy who were at heart, rock and rollers.
i feel bad for all of them knowing they might have died and thinking what if i had gone maybe, but i'm still crying also knowing knowing was afraid of planes and flying and how he had that Ritchie dream of a plane crash damn he must have been scared they all must have been scared when it went down.
Adrienne longoria Richie's family said he was not afraid of flying and the plane went down so fast they probably never knew what was happening they died on impact all of them
old school is true music from the heart and they played with if it was the last concert so people can enjoy and dance makes them feel that they put awsome show same with tejano and norteno musica those days will never come back long live old school music
La bamba & the buddy holly story brought me here those 3 men were at the peak of there amazing careers of music buddy would be a father grandfather telling his grandchildren about his fame in the 50s & big bopper would be doing the same a retired disc jockey & Ritchie would be a producer for future generations of latino music working with carlos Santana los lobos etc i personally wanna thank you gentlemen for being my inspiration for music 1959🎵🎶🎵🎶🎸🎙
I believe Tommy Allsup's take on this event even though Dion Dimicci disputes it.
Everything that I have heard about Tommy is that he's always been a straight shooter, and Buddy wouldn't have it any other way. They worked fairly extensively together throughout 1958 and, obviously, up to the end of Buddy's life (Feb '59).
Tbird Tim well for one thing this Gallup guy gets some facts wrong, it was Ritchie Valens who had the flu not the Big Bopper ,that's why Dion offered him his ticket.. no reason for Dion to make up a story.. that's not in his character
It’s definitely widely known that Ritchie Valens was the most sick on the tour...but it was said that more than one wasn’t feeling good. Using common sense though I have to believe that Dion was offered a seat originally because the whole point was that they were stars and could use the extra time to relax and get things done there’s no way a backup could afford the cost of that ticket...it doesn’t make sense...LOL Dion was the only name on the poster that had not been on the plane, the coin toss had to be between HIM and Valens!! No other person made any sense at all. I’m sorry I don’t care if the guy had the same story for so long all it means is that it was important to him to mention and he capitalized on it to make more of a future for himself, I don’t blame him for that...
@@Sp-lv5jx every documentary I have seen states Bopper had a high Fever Richie may have had one as well but Bopper was very ill that is why Waylon gave up his seat Tommy gave Richie his seat Waylon gave the Bopper his Dion was never mentioned
@@OGHawkeye why would Buddy or anyone offer Dion a seat
@@aprildannettegosa5381 because dion was the most talented out of all of them. If he died they would have made movies about him. Dion way better songs