Mason City Globe Gazette

February 4, 1959

3 Singers Made Top Recordings

Buddy Holly

All three of the entertainers killed in Tuesday's plane crash near Clear Lake were among the nation's top rock 'n' roll artists. They have had records ranked among the "top 10" in recent months.

Perhaps the best known of the three was Buddy Holly, who had appeared twice on the Ed Sullivan TV show. He also recorded such hits as "Peggy Sue," "Early in the Morning" and "Heartbeat."

Ritchie Valens

At Hollywood, Calif., Bob Keene, manager of Ritchie Valens, called his 17-year-old star "the hottest singer in the country. Everybody was calling him the next Presley."

Valens was best-known for his current record, "Donna," which is ranked sixth in the United Press International rating of popular tunes.

The third victim, J.P. Richardson, better known to rock 'n' roll fans as the "Big Bopper," was a singer-song writer whose most famous record was "Chantilly Lace," a number he wrote himself. He also wrote and recorded another tune, "Big Bopper's Wedding," which is currently popular with the teen-age set.

The Big Bopper

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