Historic front page from the Des Moines Register, Feb. 3, 1959: The Day the Music Died
Featured front page
It's known as the Day the Music Died ― when rock 'n' roll legends-in-the-making Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died shortly after a plane carrying them to their next gig crashed in a snow-covered Iowa cornfield outside Clear Lake. The Register's sister afternoon paper, the Des Moines Tribune, reports on the tragedy, which occurred early on Feb. 3, 1959, after the three performed in their Winter Dance Party at Clear Lake's Surf Ballroom. Holly would be among the first artists inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Each day this month, as the Register marks its 175th birthday, we’re sharing front pages from noteworthy moments in history.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The Des Moines Register historic front page: The Day the Music Died