On February 3, 1959, the rock and roll world was devastated by a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa, that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and 'The Big Bopper' J.P. Richardson. The artists were traveling on the 'Winter Dance Party' tour. Due to freezing conditions and a heating failure on their tour bus, Holly chartered a small Beechcraft Bonanza to reach their next show in Fargo, North Dakota. Valens won his seat on the plane in a coin toss with Holly's guitarist, Tommy Allsup, while The Big Bopper took the seat of Waylon Jennings, who gave it up because Richardson was suffering from the flu. The event was immortalized by Don McLean in his 1971 song 'American Pie,' where he dubbed it 'The Day the Music Died.' The tragedy marked a turning point in the early rock era.