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Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. (October 24, 1930 - February 3, 1959), commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American musician, songwriter and disc jockey, whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star. He is best known for his 1958 recording of "Chantilly Lace".
On February 3, 1959, Richardson died in a plane crash in Iowa, along with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and pilot Roger Peterson. That event has become known as "The Day the Music Died" because it is so called in Don McLean's 1971 song "American Pie".
In 1988, Ken Paquette, a Wisconsin fan of the 1950s era, erected a stainless steel monument depicting a steel guitar and a set of three records bearing the names of each of the three performers. It is located on private farmland, about one quarter mile west of the intersection of 315th Street and Gull Avenue, approximately eight miles north of Clear Lake; this is where the plane crash occurred. He also created a similar stainless steel monument to the three near the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The memorial was unveiled on July 17, 2003.
J.P. Richardson's pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. The Big Bopper is fondly remembered not only for his distinctive singing and songwriting, but also as a humorist who combined the best elements of country, R&B and rock 'n' roll. Many people say he would have been a great actor and comedian.
~Source Wikipedia
The Big Bopper October 24, 1930 - February 3, 1959
