65 Years After “The Day the Music Died”

FARGO (KVRR) – It changed music history and helped start the careers of early rock artists from Fargo-Moorhead.

Sixty-five years ago, music legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson died when their small airplane crashed, just after takeoff from Clear Lake, Iowa.

It was February 3rd, 1959. They were heading to Fargo and were scheduled to perform at the “Winter Dance Party,” later that night at the Moorhead Armory.

But the show had to go on. So local promoter Rod Lucier turned to Bob Becker, of Terry Lee & the Poor Boys, the first organized rock group from Fargo.

Becker is among a dwindling number of people who performed on stage that evening.

“There was supposed to be two shows. He said there was only going to be one show, and get ready to play. And he also told me, he said Charlie Boone, I called Charlie Boone, who was at KFGO at the time, he said Charlie’s going to do the emceeing.”

The youngest performer was six-year-old Ron Kerber, who still remembers the sights and sounds like it happened yesterday.

“It left a scarring impression on all of us. The local society here. It was like a touchstone of sorts. People remember that because it was so tragic.”

That night proved to be a turning point for Bobby Vee, the 15-year-old Fargo boy who went on to become a pop superstar. Vee passed away in 2016.

“My dad described it like, as one star went down, his rose that night,” according to Vee’s son, Robby Vee. “It was his introduction into the music business. And he said he was so nervous. There was an unbelievable amount of nervousness.”

“There were lots of people in there. The whole balcony, I can remember. I can just close my eyes here. I can look up at the balcony. It was full all the way across, said Becker.

The building has been gone for years. But for those who attended or performed on that cold February night in Moorhead, Vee says the memories will live on.

“There’s a huge significance. The tragedy of it. Three of the biggest stars at the time on the charts. It’s very significant. All these years later, people just resonate with that story. It’s a Midwest story.”