
Last updated: Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Iowa venue where BUDDY HOLLY, THE BIG BOPPER and RITCHIE VALENS performed their final shows is to be designated an official U.S. rock 'n' roll landmark.
The trio performed at the Surf Ballroom + Museum in Clear Lake on 2 February, 1959, hours before boarding a plane bound for North Dakota. The aircraft crashed, killing the three celebrities onboard.
And, to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragedy - immortalised in Don McLean's American Pie anthem as the day the music died - officials at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the Surf Ballroom + Museum have organised a week of shows leading up to the historic landmark unveiling next year (09).
The Big Bopper's son, The Crickets, Chris Montez and Bobby Vee are among those who will pay tribute to the ill-fated stars.
President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Terry Stewart says, "For one week we will focus on the extraordinary lives and legacies of three pioneering men who forever left their mark on rock and roll history and American society.
"It will be a poignant and memorable experience honouring this pivotal watershed cultural event."
Source: WENN
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